Patrick Togher is an Australian classical music Artist Manager and former principal tenor with Opera Australia and The Phantom of the Opera.  Born and educated in Sydney, he graduated from the University of Sydney as a Bachelor of Economics in 1985 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1988.

After private studies in classical piano and voice, he made his professional opera debut in 1982 – as Ruiz in Rockdale Opera’s production of Il trovatore.  He financed his university studies by singing a variety of roles with Victoria State Opera, Opera Queensland (then the Lyric Opera of Queensland) and other opera and concert organisations around Australia.

From 1990 to 1996, he sang over thirty roles as a principal tenor with The Australian Opera (now Opera Australia) – specialising in the works of Wagner, Strauss and Benjamin Britten.  During this time with the national company, he acted as Union Delegate for the principal singers and became the inaugural Chairman of the Artists’ Joint Consultative Committee.  He also appeared as soloist with State Opera of South Australia, Opera Queensland, Wellington City Opera, Dunedin Opera Company and the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Adelaide, West Australian and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras.

In 1994, Patrick accepted an offer to play Ubaldo Piangi in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of The Phantom of the Opera.  From 1994 to 1997, he sang the role over 1200 times at Sydney’s Theatre Royal, Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre and Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End.  He then retired from the stage at the age of 34 and returned to Australia.  Patrick Togher Artists’ Management (PTAM) was founded in 1998 by Patrick Togher and his wife, the eminent soprano Romola Tyrrell.

The company’s principal activity is sourcing, negotiating and servicing contracts for its 41 artists with the major opera companies, orchestras, festivals, recording companies and choral organizations in Australia and New Zealand. Patrick was a consultant to the National Opera Review 2017; he co-founded FARA (Freelance Artists Relief Australia) in 2020 with soprano Nicole Car.

For many years, PTAM has cultivated opportunities for classical artists in Asia – working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade).

http://www.patricktogher.com

2022 ASC Semi-Finals & Finals Adjudication Panel to be announced shortly