The Coalition will retain its funding freeze of the ABC but renew the broadcaster’s enhanced new program funding. Labor will reverse the freeze, with a further $40m for Australian programs.

With ticket sales up 12 percent on last year, the Festival’s 25th anniversary year has been its most successful ever.

The 90-year-old composer used a megaphone to air his long-held grievances about Opera Australia as the houselights went down.

The Melbourne Composer has taken home the $7000 biennial prize for women composers.

The artist has taken out the $100,000 award for his portrait of contemporary Australian artist and Zen Buddhist Lindy Lee.

The scholarship provides the Opera Australia Principal Artist the invaluable opportunity to travel overseas and further develop her international profile.

The $100,000 Art Music Fund for 2019 has been awarded to nine recipients for the creation of new works.

The classical-crossover artist will tour the country in November.

After his disqualification from the Lang Lang International Piano Competition in Shenzhen, Lee gives Limelight his version of events in response to an account issued by the jury.

The world premiere of a new Australian work for theremin and string quartet are among the highlights at this year’s festival.

With a modest operating surplus of $342,667 (up from an operating deficit of $2.1 million the year before) the company’s bottom line was bolstered by a number of significant bequests.

Inside the issue: Ute Lemper, Requiems to die for, Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims, ZOFO's new Pictures at an Exhibition, the Bolshoi Ballet and more.