Who we are
We honour the long tradition of opera while making work that is ambitious, contemporary and open to everyone.
State Opera South Australia was established in 1976 by an Act of Parliament. We were part of the cultural vision of Premier Don Dunstan, in a state that had decided great art was something you build at home. We have been telling stories on South Australian stages ever since.
Fifty years on, that purpose has not changed. We bring the grand operas of the canon to life, we create and present new Australian work, and we make sure opera belongs to the people who live here.
A history of ambition
For a company our size, we have rarely chosen the safe path.
We staged the first Australian-built Ring Cycle in 2004. We gave Australian premieres to landmark contemporary operas, among them John Adams' Nixon in China and El Niño, Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking and Moby Dick, and Philip Glass's portrait trilogy of Akhnaten, Einstein on the Beach and Satyagraha. In 2016 we premiered Cloudstreet, a new Australian opera drawn from Tim Winton's novel.
Some of our most memorable nights have happened outside the theatre. In 2019 we filled Victoria Square, Tarntanyangga, with Carmen in the Square. In 2022 we brought Bohème on the Beach to Glenelg. Opera does not only live indoors, and we have spent decades proving it.
We make much of this work with others. Our co-productions with the Adelaide Festival and companies such as Glyndebourne have brought Flight, Saul and Brett Dean's Hamlet to Adelaide. In 2022 we co-commissioned Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan, an opera drawn from a turning point in South Australian history.
Opera belongs here
An opera company is its people. State Opera has always championed Australian artists, and South Australian artists above all. In 2024, more than four in five of the singers in our mainstage productions were South Australian.
Each year we engage hundreds of artists, musicians, makers and technicians. We develop emerging talent through our young artist program, our masterclasses and our recital series. We bring outstanding international artists to Adelaide, and we send South Australian work and talent out into the world.
Our values
Artistic excellence
We hold ourselves to the highest standard, and we inspire audiences through exceptional creativity and craft.
Innovation
We embrace new ideas and reimagine the operatic tradition for modern audiences, so the artform has a future.
Collaboration
We make our best work alongside artists, audiences, communities and industry partners.
Accessibility
We work to remove the barriers to opera, so more people can find their way in.
Community
We serve and reflect the diverse community of South Australia, on and off the stage.
