The August edition of Limelight features an account of the renaissance of the countertenor after years of obscurity following its glory days in the 17th and 18th centuries.

As the modern countertenor becomes increasingly popular and integrated into new works, there is a new boundary being nudged. Not content to conquer the range of the female alto voice, male voices are now challenging the heights and roles previously owned by female sopranos, giving rise to a new phenomenon in the canon of voice types – the sopranista.

Sopranistas are still a rarity, but one of them, Maayan Licht, is presented to us by Live at Yours in Coloratura Queen, a program of mostly Baroque classics, performed on period instruments with a band of experts comprising Neal Peres Da Costa at the harpsichord, violinists Julia Fredersdorff and Anna McMichael, and cellist Anton Baba.

Sydney’s Great Synagogue exudes nightclub vibes as the sounds of ambient jazz floats onto the street. The mood is relaxed and intimate, the room and its incandescent ceiling bathed in soft lighting, transforming the experience of this immersive, classical chamber music concert.