With an Australian premiere, a return to its roots and a brand-new bag, Pinchgut Opera has announced its 2026 season.

“This is a season where music resonates with depth, beauty and exhilarating drama,” said Pinchgut Artistic Director Erin Helyard. “It’s a privilege to bring these extraordinary works to life with artists and creatives of such remarkable calibre and craft.”

Pinchgut Opera’s Semele. Photo supplied

Pinchgut’s season opens with a first for the company: a straight orchestral concert. March’s performance is the first in a two-part series titled Bach and Telemann: Concertos and Sonatas. It delivers the Australian premiere of Telemanns’s five-part sonatas in a program that also features Bach concertos under the fingers of violinist Matthew Greco.

Scarlatti’s take on a biblical tale of bitter jealousy, The First Murder (Il primo omicidio) has its Australian premiere in a brand-new staging from 23–31 May at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.

Director Dean Bryant returns to the Pinchgut stage after a five-star debut in 2023’s Giustino, with a cast that features Pinchgut debutantes Madison Nonoa and Ashlyn Tymms as the...