Armenian-Australian soprano Natalie Aroyan holds a Postgraduate Diploma of Opera from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a double-degree in Business and I.T. from the Australian Catholic University. She is a winner of the Opera Foundation New York Competition, Herald Sun Aria, and the Italian Opera Foundation Award, studying at Mannes College, New York and the Accademia di Bel Canto, Italy with Mirella Freni.
Natalie’s roles with Opera Australia include the title roles in Aida, Adrianna Lecouvreur, Rachel (La Juive), Elena (Mefistofele), Odabella (Attila), Mimì (La bohème), Elvira (Ernani), Amelia Grimaldi (Simon Boccanegra), Desdemona (Otello), Micaëla (Carmen), Eva (Die Meistersinger) and has featured at, Opera in The Domain, Sydney Myer Music Bowl, New Year’s Eve Gala, Uluru and Great Opera Hits. Natalie has also performed Mimì and Marguerite (Faust) for West Australian Opera; Micaela for Sugi Opera, Korea; Amelia Grimaldi in Bari; Aida in Busseto; Verdi Requiem in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne; QSO’s Opera Galas and with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
In 2008 Natalie was awarded first place in both The Opera Foundation New York Competition and the Herald Sun Aria Competition. She commenced her Professional Studies Diploma at Mannes College, New York, in 2009 studying with Soprano Ruth Falcon and in January 2010, performed the role of Amelia, in the Opera Studio Scenes Production of Un Ballo in Maschera, as well as the role of Fiordiligi in their main stage production of Cosi fan Tutte conducted by Maestro Joseph Colanero. In her final year at Mannes she sang Annina in Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street and Alice in Verdi's Falstaff, also under the baton of Maestro Colaneri.
As well as attending the "Solti Te Kanawa Accademia" program in Tuscany, Italy, where she worked with both Maestro Richard Bonynge and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Natalie has worked with Maestra Renata Scotto in her 2010 Tampa Masterclass and participated in The American Institute of Music (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, where she won first place and was also awarded the audience vote in the 49th Meistersinger Competition Finals.
On her return to Australia in 2011, she was awarded first place in The Italian Opera Foundation competition which enabled her to spend a year in Italy studying with soprano, Mierall Freni in her studio at the Accademia of Bel Cando in Modena, Italy. Following this, Natalie was invited as a Guest Artist to cover the title role of Gluck's Armide for the joint Lindemann/Julliard Production in New York, USA.
Natalie is now a principal artist with Opera Australia where her roles have included Mimì (La Bohéme), Desdemona (Otello), Micaëla (Carmen), Annina (La Traviata) and High Priestess (Aida) and covering Elisabetta in Don Carlos. She has also performed Mimì and the role of Marguerite (Faust) for West Australian Opera, Micaëla for Sugi Opera Company, Korea and a recital at The Concourse, Chatswood, to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, as well as making her debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performing the Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky).
In 2016 Natalie recreated the roles of Mimì in La Bohéme and Micaëla in Carmen. She made a captivating debut as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra for Opera Australia as well as covering the title role in Luisa Miller, and Gutrune in the Melbourne Ring Cycle. She also performed La Bohéme at the Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam, The Nagambie Lakes Festival and will soon make her debut with Opera in the Vineyards at the Roche Estate in the Hunter Valley.
In 2017 Natalie covered the Title Role in Tosca, made her Handa Opera on the Harbour debut in Carmen as Micaela and made her Verdi Requiem Debut with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic. She then gave the very first Opera Australia Recital of Armenian Songs which was a very proud moment for Natalie. She made her AIDA Title role debut upon the sands of Coollangatta Beach on the Gold Coast in September as well as perform the Verdi Requiem for Sydney Sings! with the Sydney University Choir and Orchestra.
In 2018 she made her Sydney Opera House debut with the title Role in AIDA and performed the Role of Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg which she was nominated for a Helpmann Award in 2019.
In 2019 she made her International debuts in Italy with Amelia in Simon Boccanegra at Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, and the title role of Aida for The Verdi Festival in Bussetto at Teatro Verdi.
In 2020 she had her debut performing the Warrior Odabella in Attila at The Sydney Opera House, then again in 2022 once Covid subsided. Since then she has enjoyed such roles as Elvira in Ernani, Rachel in La Juive, and most recently as Adriana Lecouvreur, taking over from the indisposed Ermonela Jaho in the last hour. In December 2023 she will return to her much beloved title role in AIDA at the Sydney Opera House and in Brisbane.
Nicole Dorigo (Semi Finals & Finals)
A key member of Opera Australia's music staff, and credited with establishing the Sydney Conservatorium of Music's original Italian program and later expanding the curriculum to include French and German, Nicole Dorigo is an accomplished music professional with a specialist interest in language. This expertise is grounded in over two decades of practical experience with the main opera companies in Australia, as well as with leading companies in Asia and Europe.
As Opera Australia's in-house Language Coach since 2013, Nicole is responsible for the entire French and Italian repertoire at the company, including operas, concerts, major events on the harbour, and the national tours. Here, she advises the company’s Australian singers and visiting international artists on all aspects of language, including diction and interpretation. Her coaching also includes Chorus and singers in the company’s Young Artist Program.
Outside of her Opera Australia commitments, Nicole consults to other opera companies and projects in Australia, Europe and Asia, where recent international contracts included productions with the Norwegian National Opera and the Shanghai Opera House.
Significantly, she has been a passionate supporter of, and advocate for, emerging talent in Australia. Her extensive experience with young singers includes her work with young artist programs, as well as with undergraduate and graduate students (Music and Voice). More recently, Nicole founded ShoutMachine to promote young Australian opera singers to agents and opera companies around the world, and regularly mentors and provides advice to these and other young performers.
Tahu Matheson (Semi-Finals)
Tahu has worked for Opera Australia since 2007 and in 2017 became Head of Music for the company. He has conducted numerous operas, ranging from Carmen to Aida to Satyagraha, and in 2022 conducted a series of acclaimed performances of Lohengrin with Jonas Kaufman in the title role.
This year he has conducted the Magic Flute and will conduct Tosca at the Sydney opera house.
In February he conducted the Debut of Eucalyptus, an opera by Jonathan Mills, for the Perth festival, to outstanding reviews, and will lead this work in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Benjamin Rasheed (Semi-Finals & Finals)
Benjamin was born in Australia and studied at the Elder Conservatorium of Music and the Australian Opera Studio. He is a former member of State Opera of South Australia’s Young Artist Program.
He has established himself as one of Australia’s finest character actors in the world of opera. He was most recently seen as Signor Pirelli in Victorian Opera’s Sweeney Todd, Mr Snow in State Opera of South Australia’s Carousel and Njegus in The Merry Widow for Opera Australia, for which he received a Green Room Award nomination.
Performing the role of L’Incredibile alongside Jonas Kaufman in Andrea Chenier is a particular career highlight, as well as making his international debut at the Finnish National opera and Hungarian State Opera in Elena Kats-Chernin’s - Undertow.
Opera Australia roles include Don Basilio - The Marriage of Figaro, Pang - Turandot, Goro - Madame Butterfly, Monostatos - The Magic Flute, Spoletta - Tosca, Borsa - Rigoletto, Remendado - Carmen and Normanno - Lucia di Lammermoor.
Barry Ryan OAM (Semi-Finals & Finals)
Barry Ryan, an Australian baritone, graduated with honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Over the course of his career, he has earned several prestigious awards, including the Shell Aria, the New York Metropolitan Auditions, the Marten Bequest for Singing, the Vienna State Opera Award, and the Green Room Award. Notably, in 2013, he was honoured with the Order of Australia for his contributions to the performing arts.
Barry Ryan has performed with Europe’s leading opera companies including the Royal Opera Covent Garden, La Scala Milan, the Opera Comique in Paris, the Paris Opera Bastille, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf, the Flemish Opera Antwerp, the Komische Oper Berlin, Basel Opera, Wide Open Opera Dublin, and the Otono Festival Opera Madrid. He was a principal artist with the Cologne Opera from 1988 to 1992 and made his Australian Opera debut in 1993 singing David in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg".
Barry Ryan lectures in Voice and Opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music since 2002 His students have included many finalists and winners in major competitions, young artists at Opera Australia, Covent Garden and the Wiener Staatsoper as well as many professionals in Australia and Europe.
Jane Ede (Finals)
Jane Ede is one of Australia’s most versatile and highly regarded sopranos.
In 2023, Jane performed Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Mademoiselle Jouvenot in Adriana Lecouvreur, Sara in Roberto Devereux, Shepherd in Tannhauser, High Priestess in Aida, Wellgunde in Das Rheingold and Gerhilde in Die Walkure - all for Opera Australia - and a recital of supernatural themed art song for Newcastle Festival. In 2024, Jane will perform First Lady in The Magic Flute and Nella in Gianni Schicchi for Opera Australia.
Jane’s other performances for Opera Australia include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro in 2019, Musetta in La Bohéme, Alice Ford in Falstaff, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Berta in Barber of Seville, over 100 performances of Frasquita in Carmen and the title role of Madame Butterfly for the Opera Australia Regional tour.
Jane has established a reputation for intelligent refined singing and dramatic flair. In addition to her scheduled performances with Opera Australia, Jane has covered extensively and initially attracted much notice for her opening night ‘jump in’ performances of both Adina and Lady Billows.
Roles for other companies include Charlotte in Before Breakfast for Divergent Theatre Company in 2022, all the soprano roles in The Flight of Les Darcy with Music Theatre Sydney and the world premiere of Robert J Bradshaw’s chamber opera Gabriel for the International Trumpet Guild conference. Jane’s oratorio repertoire includes Handel Messiah, Canteloube Chants D’Auvergne, Vivaldi Gloria, Mozart Exultate Jubilate and Laudate Dominum, Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem and Faure Requiem.
Born in Sydney, Jane holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts from Wollongong University, a Diploma of Opera from the Sydney Conservatorium and a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business. In 2009 she won the inaugural Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Competition to join the Opera Australia Young Artist program in 2010.
Jane has been nominated for three Green Room Awards for her portrayals of Fiordiligi, Alice Ford and Frasquita and has twice been mentioned in Paul Selar’s OperaChaser Awards for ‘Outstanding Female in a Supporting Role’ for her performances of Musetta and the Countess.
She is featured on Opera Australia’s DVD recordings of Lakme and Rigoletto and on the Wirripang CDs ‘A Poet’s Composer’ and ‘Horizons’.
