Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s Jolene Laverty explains why this centuries-old art form has something for everyone.

If there is one event in the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s season that’s guaranteed to sell out, it’s the Icon Water Opera Gala. For seven years (and counting), every seat at the ANU’s historic Llewellyn Hall has been taken up by eager opera fans, most of whom purchase their seat more than a year before the performance. When casting one’s eye around at the audience, it’s interesting to note that the patronage doesn’t only come from those dyed-in-the-wool fans of classical music, upon whom symphony orchestras owe their existence. There are also young couples, friendship groups of all sizes, students, and a surprising number of hipsters.  So what is it about opera that appeals to such a broad range of music lovers?

In many ways, opera is analogous to a Turkish banquet – it has something for everyone, and many different cultures across the ages have used opera to tell a story. The narratives can be tragic or comedic; serious or just plain baffling. Sometimes, opera is all of those things. The Chinese had their ‘golden age’ of opera during the Yuan...