L’incoronzaione di Poppea (by C. Monteverdi)

Thank goodness for New Opera Singapore. More specifically, thank goodness for the wife-and-husband team of Jeong Ae Ree and Chan Wei Shing, who have energised the production of opera in Singapore by reminding local audiences there is much more life beyond the spectacles of Verdi, Puccini and the odd Merry Widow or Fledermaus.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

New Opera Singapore’s whimsical performance of Benjamin Britten’s opera was no less captivating. Known for championing often edgy interpretations of less mainstream works, New Opera boasted a cast of some of the biggest names in Singapore opera…

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been a favourite Shakespearean play for many, but now it looks as though Britten’s – and New Opera’s – intoxicating reimagination of the mythical tale could be the one that has swept into the audience’s (sub)consciousness.

Dialogues of the Carmelites

New Opera Singapore has gained a reputation over the years for its edgy productions of less mainstream operas. Tonight’s brilliant performance of Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, sung in English, may have been a daring choice – Dialogues is hardly a box office favourite – but it further cemented NOS’s credentials as a modern opera company.

The Turn of the Screw

This coming together of rising local vocal talents, instrumentalists and excellent production values provided for a performance that was far greater than the sum of its parts.”

“Britten’s The Turn Of The Screw by New Opera Singapore represents another milestone for opera in Singapore.

Orpheus in the Underworld

New Opera Singapore’s production of the comic operetta Orpheus In The Underworld by Jacques Offenbach celebrates the fifth anniversary of the company. Under artistic director Jeong Ae Ree’s leadership, it has made huge strides artistically, catalysed many Singapore singers to take up careers in opera and helped attract new audiences to the genre.

L’incoronzaione di Poppea (by C. Monteverdi)

If you thought opera in Singapore is still old, stuffy and uncomfortable, then do yourself a favour and catch a production by New Opera Singapore. If anything, an annual production like L’incoronazione should be one of the biggest operatic highlights of the year to look forward to – you’ll find yourself all smiles and re-invigorated with life, walking away with a newfound spring in your step when you leave the theatre after. Seeing the strong turnout tonight, one can only believe in the future of opera, which seems poised to continue to reach still greater heights.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

New Opera Singapore’s production with a largely local cast, directed by Jeong Ae Ree and conducted by Chan Wei Shing, was nonetheless impressive for its freshness of ideas and ebullience of delivery.

Dialogues of the Carmelites

New Opera Singapore (NOS) has done it again. By mounting the Singapore premiere of Francis Poulenc’s 1957 opera Dialogues Of The Carmelites (Dialogues Des Carmelites), it defied the conventions of what operas should local companies be presenting. No Verdi, no Puccini, no Mozart, but no worries. NOS had Purcell, Britten and Monteverdi on its books, and has now added 20thcentury Frenchman Francis Poulenc to its list of successes.

Orpheus in the Underworld

If anything, New Opera Singapore has convinced me that opera can be accessible while remaining a class act, and has opened my eyes to the possibilities that the art form offers. A pity there is only one show remaining, as this truly is something we believe many people would be able to appreciate and act as a good lead in to the world of opera.