Opera Australia has appointed British director and festival leader Amy Lane as its new Director of Opera following an international recruitment process.

Lane, who will take up the role in September 2026, joins the national opera company after seven years as Artistic Director of the Copenhagen Opera Festival. Before that, she served as Head Staff Director at The Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden in London for five years.

Opera Australia’s newly appointed Director of Opera Amy Lane.
Photo © Peter Westrup

Her appointment completes a new leadership trio at OA alongside Chief Executive Alex Budd and Music Director Andrea Battistoni, a team the company says will shape its long-term artistic direction and strengthen its international profile.

Lane’s appointment fills a long-vacant gap. OA parted company with its last Artistic Director, Jo Davies, in August 2024 over “differences of opinion about how Opera Australia should successfully balance artistic innovation, audience development and commercial imperatives moving forward.”

As part of the new leadership structure, Lane will oversee the company’s artistic strategy, including repertoire planning, productions and artist engagement. She will work closely with Battistoni and the executive...