In his first year as sole Artistic Director, Erin Helyard offers Rameau and Monteverdi with an Aussie premiere for good measure.

Sydney-based Pinchgut opera has launched its 2017 season in its usual eclectic style. In his first year as sole Artistic Director, Erin Helyard will lead the company into a brave new era with a season featuring works by Claudio Monteverdi and Jean-Phillippe Rameau, with the Australian premiere of a real rarity thrown in for good measure.

“The pleasures of programming come from the excitement of choosing often little-known works that I know will thrill and delight our audience,” Helyard told Limelight ahead of the launch. “I have a good friend who is a sommelier and he loves introducing people to new grapes and new kinds of wine. That’s how I see myself with Pinchgut – I love introducing people to new composers, new operatic genres, and new styles. But of course they are old at the same time, just like vintage wine. The challenges come from having to make a decision, as there were just so many extraordinary operas waiting to be unearthed!”