Karah Son’s Butterfly soars in Graeme Murphy’s dizzying new bondage-inspired production.

Amber Wagner blazes as Puccini’s icy princess.

A cast of uncommon distinction headed by Joyce El-Khoury's powerful Mimì makes this revival feel anything but routine.

The Lebanese-Canadian soprano tells us about her musical friendship with Lorin Maazel, singing Mimì and Musetta, and bringing to life rarely performed works.

Critics have applauded the soprano's touching assumption of Puccini's seamstress.

With catcalls and pregnancy jokes, Madama Butterfly nearly fluttered by altogether.

In her highly anticipated ACO debut, the opera star shows herself to be an accomplished, detailed recitalist.

Fresh from winning 3MBS’s The Talent, the Australian violinist discusses her musical heroes, how she focuses on taking advantage of opportunities in the present, and what it means to be a good musician.

Despite its out-of-this-world setting, this production of La Bohème remains human and grounded.

From blossoming romances to an unlikely friendship between an elf and a fir tree, operatic composers have taken a shine to Christmas over the years.

An utterly captivating and delightful experience that deserved a longer season.

In 2002, Riccardo Chailly conducted the first Turandot to use the new completion by Luciano Berio at the Amsterdam Muziektheater directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff. 15 years later, the same team reunited to mount it at La Scala and commit it to video. Alfano’s completion sought to continue the spectacle but, in its rush to wrap up the story, is dramatically implausible – poor Liú is soon forgotten and love conquers all. Berio’s alternative is low key and pensive, its modernist touches may jar the ear but it’s more respectful than Alfano’s gauche reprise of “that” tune. Lehnhoff’s production has some curiosities but I “get” his neo-Brechtian-meets-Commedia-dell’arte aesthetic and there are some arresting images. Stemme is splendid as the cruel princess, her warm tone evincing a humanity behind the ice; her Wagnerian credentials allow her to ride the maelstrom from the pit in thrilling fashion. Antonenko does well to match her, though his sound has tightened since his fine 2008 Salzburg Otello. Maria Agrest is a lovely full-toned Liú, and the Milan chorus is superb whether delicately awestruck or baying for blood. Topping all is the brilliance of Chailly’s conducting – this could well be the finest account of the score…