- Chamber Made
-
Chamber Made Opera is an Australian production house for contemporary opera and music-theatre. Formed in 1988 by theatre director and librettist Douglas Horton. It is Australia’s only full-time company exclusively devoted to the commissioning and presentation of music-theatre works by living artists.
It has produced over fifteen world premieres by Australian artists, and numerous Australian premieres by artists from around the world. It regularly tours productions internationally.
In 2007 their production of The Hive was nominated for five 2006 Green Room Awards including: Best Direction (Douglas Horton), Best Design (Paul Jackson and Niklas Pajanti), and Best Male in a Principal Role (Simon Meadows). It won the award for Best Production.
Contents
Staff past and present
Past staff include General Managers Stephen Armstrong[1] and Robina Burton,[2] and the late Jacqui Everitt, designer.[3] In 2008 the staff were Douglas Horton (Artistic Director), Kylie Trounson (Artistic Associate), Geoffrey Williams (General Manager), Erin Adams (Administrator), Brett Kelly (Musical Associate).
In September 2008 the company announced the formation of their "National Artistic Directorate", currently composed of: Robyn Archer AO (SA), Gerard Brophy (QLD), Brett Dean (VIC), Matthew Lutton (WA), Caroline Stacey (ACT).
Horton stepped down as Artistic Director in March 2009, after 21 years.[4] In 2010 composer David Young was appointed the role of Artistic Director.[5]
As of 2010, Chamber Made Opera's current staff are: Artistic Director / CEO: David Young, General Manager: Joël Murray, Artistic Associate: Sarah Kriegler, Resident Conductor: Brett Kelly, Resident Director: Margaret Cameron, Artistic Associate & Education Director: Alan Gilmour, Consultant (Strategy & Development): Sophie Travers, Finance Officer: Sally Goldner, Mentorees: Luke Paulding and Amy Turton.
Productions
Only first productions are listed
- 1988 The Heiress, music: Donald Hollier, text after Henry James' novel Washington Square
- 1989 Recital, music: David Chesworth, Puccini, Mozart et al., text: Douglas Horton and Helen Noonan
- 1990 The Fall of the House of Usher, music: Philip Glass, text: Arthur Yorinks after Edgar Allan Poe
- 1991 Greek, music: Mark-Anthony Turnage, text: Steven Berkoff
- 1991 Sweet Death, music: Andree Greenwell, text: Abe Pogos after Claude Tardat
- 1992 The Cars That Ate Paris, musical improvisation, text by Douglas Horton after Peter Weir
- 1992 Lacuna, music: David Chesworth, text: Douglas Horton
- 1993 Improvement: Don Leaves Linda, music & text: Robert Ashley
- 1993 Medea, music: Gordon Kerry, text: Justin Macdonnell after Seneca
- 1994 The Two Executioners, music: David Chesworth, text: Douglas Horton after Fernando Arrabal's Les Deux Bourreaux
- 1995 Tresno, music & text: Jacqui Rutten
- 1995 The Burrow, music: Michael Smetanin, text: Alison Croggon
- 1997 Wide Sargasso Sea, music: Brian Howard, text Brian Howard after Jean Rhys
- 1997 Fresh Ghosts, music: Julian Yu, text: Glenn Perry after Lu Xun
- 1998 Dr Forbes Will See You Now, music: Stephen Ingham, text: Douglas Horton
- 1998 Matricide – The Musical, music: Elena Kats-Chernin, text: Kathleen Mary Fallon
- 1999 Eight Songs For A Mad King, music: Peter Maxwell Davies, text: Randolph Stow
- 2000 Gauguin (a synthetic life), music: Michael Smetanin, text: Alison Croggon
- 2000 Teorema, music: Giorgio Battistelli, scenario after Pier Paolo Pasolini
- 2002 Slow Love, music: Stevie Wishart, text: Richard Murphett
- 2002 Motherland, music: Dominique Probst, text: Le Quy Duong
- 2003 The Possessed, music: Julian Yu, text: Glenn Perry
- 2003 Phobia, music: Gerard Brophy, text: Douglas Horton, in homage to Alfred Hitchcock
- 2003 Walkabout, music & text: Richard Frankland after Nicolas Roeg
- 2004 The Charcoal Club (aka Burning Embers), music & text: Richard Frankland
- 2006 Corruption, music: Sasha Stella, text: Ania Walwicz after Elisa Evers
- 2006 The Hive, music: Nicholas Vines, text: Sam Sejavka
- 2007 Crossing Live, music: Bryony Marks, text: Matt Saville
- 2008 The Children's Bach, music: Andrew Schultz, text: Glenn Perry based on Helen Garner's novella
Awards
- 1992 Myer Group Arts Award - Lacuna
- 1994 The Age Performing Arts Awards – Most Outstanding Fringe Performance — The Two Executioners
- 2002 Green Room Awards – Best New Score: Slow Love
- 2002 Green Room Awards – Best Lighting Design: Motherland
- 2006 Green Room Awards - Best Production: The Hive[6]
- 2007 Helpmann Awards - Best Direction of an Opera: Douglas Horton for The Hive[7]
- 2007 Green Room Awards - Best New Australian Work: Crossing Live,[8] Best Performance-New Form: Luke Elliott in Crossing Live
Discography
- 2001 Wicked Voice includes excerpts from Lacuna and The Two Executioners (Chesworth/Horton), ABC Classics
- 2007 Medea (Kerry/Macdonnell), ABC Classics
References
- ^ http://www.australiantheatreforum.com.au/respondents.asp
- ^ http://www.artshub.com.au/au/news-article/opinions/performing-arts/the-all-powerful-voice-66084
- ^ http://www.pica.org.au/view.php?1=Phobia&2=846
- ^ http://www.australianstage.com.au/news/melbourne/douglas-horton-to-step-down-from-chambermade-2388.html
- ^ http://www.realtimearts.net/article/95/9770
- ^ http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/artist/vines-nicholas
- ^ http://www.australianstage.com.au/news/sydney/2007-helpmann-award-winners-588.html
- ^ http://www.greenroom.org.au/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47:2007-nominations-and-recipients&catid=34:the-nominations&Itemid=55
External links
Categories:- Australian theatre managers and producers
- Australian opera companies
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