The second, expanded Handa Opera at Millthorpe ends as it began, with world-class singers blowing the decorative tin ceiling off historic Millthorpe Hall.

Spanning the Easter long weekend with a Wagner gala on Thursday night, Noëmi Nadelmann’s exploration of song from Kern and Weill to Sondheim, and a rare performance by Glenn Amer of Landon and Simpson’s Cycle of Life written for Nellie Melba, the festival concludes with a concert performance of Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (The Masked Ball) – the first full-length opera presented at the annual event.

Natalie Aroyan, Diego Torre and Andrew Williams in Un ballo in maschera at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

It has always been a challenging work, with modern-day directors often resorting to the worst excesses of Regietheater when grappling with it. Calixto Bieito’s staging in Barcelona even opened with the conspirators sitting on the toilet!

However, Verdi also struggled to get it on the stage, his original plan to base it on the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden scuppered by the censors. With portrayals of regicide banned in Naples and Rome, where the opera finally premiered, he first had to move the story to Szczecin (then in Prussia) and eventually Boston, with King Gustav becoming Governor Riccardo, sung here by tenor Diego Torre.

And while the plot is still full of political intrigue, librettist Somma also removed any suggestion that Gustav preferred the company of his male courtiers. Now the motive for Riccardo’s murder is jealousy, his affair with Amelia (soprano Natalie Aroyan) provoking her husband Renato, sung here by baritone Andrew Williams – winner of the Italian Opera Foundation Australia’s singing competition in 2025.

Elena Gabouri, Natalie Aroyan and Deigo Torre in Un ballo in maschera at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

They are joined in this concert performance by soprano Stacey Alleaume in the pants role of the page Oscar, mezzo-soprano Elena Gabouri as the fortune-teller Ulrica, and basses Richard Anderson as Sam and Gennadi Dubinsky as Tom – both originally Counts in the Swedish court and conspirators in the King’s assassination.

Festival Director Lyndon Terracini’s tenure as Artistic Director of Opera Australia saw the national company transformed into one of the world’s leading Italian houses, and the lineup here was its backbone.

It’s five-star, luxury casting, which is just what Verdi’s opera calls for. It’s not for nothing that Un ballo in maschera is considered perhaps his most challenging opera. Relying less on earworms, it plumbs the psychological depths of the characters, their arias folded into a cohesive music drama with considerable motivic foreshadowing from the orchestra.

Elena Gabouri in Un ballo in maschera at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

The role of Riccardo is synonymous with Pavarotti, but Torre has long made it his own, and this performance is exemplary. His perfect blend of bel canto phrasing and the sustained dramatic power of a spinto tenor allows him to run the gamut of emotions, punctuating them with thrilling high notes. His opening Di’ tu se fedele is a fine example, as is his stunning duet with Aroyan, Teco io sto … oh, qual soave brivido – both skilfully maintaining their unique themes as they gradually intertwine to become one in a soaring, passionate climax.

As Amelia, Aroyan puts her powerful middle register to good use, maintaining a sense of urgency throughout. Elegant phrasing across her impressive range, including velvety deep notes, allows for dramatic surges that prioritise dramatic expression without forsaking accuracy, and her Morrò, ma prima in grazia, in which she begs to see her son one last time, is exquisite in its authenticity.

As Riccardo’s former friend and now vengeful secretary Renato, Williams is a commanding presence and boasts a solid tone as he moves back and forth between earth-shattering bouts of fury and genuine heartbreak. His moving Eri tu is another highlight of the evening, accompanied beautifully on harp by Verna Lee and flute by Catherine Kinsella.

Stacey Alleaume, Gennadi Dubinsky and Richard Anderson in Un ballo in maschera at Handa Opera at Millthorpe 2026. Photo © JJ Antmann

As Ulrica, Gabouri shows off her expert use of legato as she transitions from her resonant contralto into her imposing upper register, making her invocation of the demonic “King of the abyss” a truly scene-stealing moment.

Reflecting the influence of French opera on Verdi, Alleaume’s coloratura shines in the Act One aria Volta la terrea, and again in Saper vorreste, her “tra la las” recalling the more comic stylings of Offenbach, as do Dubinsky and Anderson’s earlier  “la la las” in Ve’, se di notte where they mock Amelia and Renato.

Under Paul Terracini, the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra gallantly tackles Verdi’s complex score, and apart from some lapses in unison in the strings, they rise to the challenge, particularly in the climactic ensemble scenes which are truly thrilling.

This is almost certainly the first time Verdi’s masterpiece has been performed west of the Divide, and you couldn’t wish for a better cast. Incorporating a complete opera in the festival program was clearly a wise decision, and given the extraordinary response from the audience, one hopes it quickly becomes an annual tradition.

For more information about Handa Opera at Millthorpe, visit the festival website.