Linda Thompson (artistic director)

Linda Thompson is an Australian operatic soprano, producer and stage director. Thompson performed 25 principal operatic roles, including two world premieres at the Sydney Opera House, with The Australian Opera. Thompson was Head of Classical Voice department at the Faculty of Arts (Music) at Monash University from 2001-2008, before founding the Opera Studio Melbourne (now Gertrude Opera) in 2008. In 2015, Thompson founded Australia's only regional international opera festival, held annually in the Yarra Valley since 2017.

Career

Thompson began her professional performing career co-producing and starring in a 1990 production of Malcolm Williamson’s The Growing Castle[1] directed by Barrie Kosky, followed by Kosky's staged version of Handel’s Belshazaar in the role of Nitocris, for which Thompson received a Green Room Award nomination for Best Female Principal Artist in Opera.[2] Thompson joined the Victoria State Opera as a Young Artist in 1990, and moved to Sydney to join The Australian Opera in 1991. Thompson created the principal soprano roles in two world premieres of new Australian operas: Clare Clairmont in Mer de Glace, with music Richard Meale and libretto by David Malouf. The production was directed by Simon Phillips, and premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 1991.[3] In 1992, Thompson took the leading principal role in Larry Sitsky's The Golem, with libretto by Gwen Harwood. The production was directed by Barrie Kosky, and opened at the Sydney Opera House in1993.[4] Thompson sang Helena in the original cast of Australian director Baz Luhrmann's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Benjamin Britten), designed by Catherine Martin for Opera Australia in 1993.[5]

From 1994, Thompson was sessional lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts and the Faculty of Music/Conservatorium at the University of Melbourne, then Head of Classical Voice at Monash University from 2001-2008, where she founded the Monash Opera Ensemble. In late 2008, Thompson founded The Opera Studio Melbourne (no) Gertrude Opera) as a repertory opera company for the development of young opera artists and as a vehicle for contemporary opera production. In 2013, Thompson re-joined Opera Australia as a freelance principal soprano, covering the role of Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Dritte Norn in Götterdammerung, as part of the company's first Wagner Der Ring das Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) in Melbourne.[6]

Since 2009, as Artistic Director and CEO of Gertrude Opera, Thompson has produced more than 12 Australian premiere productions, 40 new opera productions, and provided a performance platform for 120 young operatic artists.[7] Thompson is Founder/Artistic Director of Australia's only international opera festival - in Nagambie Lakes (2015-2016)[8] and Yarra Valley (2017-2019).[9]

Awards and achievements

Thompson was winner of Herald Sun Aria Competition (1990), the Dame Mabel Brookes Fellowship (1990) and Lady Persia Galleghan Award (1990) - Opera Foundation Australia, Victorian winner of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition, and Runner-up in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions Regional Final. In 1989, Thompson received a Green Room Award nomination for Principal Soprano (Nitocris, Handel's Belshazzar - Treason of Images Company).[10]

Thompson researched Australian Art Song, culminating in the release of Repose - Lullabies and Cradle Songs by Australian Composers on the MOVE Records Label in 1999.[11] In February 2001, Thompson was appointed Head of Classical Voice at Monash University. In 2001, she created the Monash Opera Ensemble, and in 2008 founded The Opera Studio Melbourne (now Gertrude Opera).[12]

Thompson received Opera Chaser Awards for 'Outstanding Director' and 'Outstanding Production' by an Independent Company for the Australian premiere season of The Handmaid’s Tale by Danish composer Sir Poul Ruders, with libretto by Paul Bentley (UK), at the Yarra Valley Opera Festival in 2018. Thompson followed up with the OperaChaser Award for 'Outstanding Production' by an Independent Company for The Enchanted Pig directed by Gale Edwards AM with costume design by Oscar-winner Tim Chappel at Gertrude Opera's Yarra Valley Opera Festival in 2019.[13]

Selected works

A selection of the works that Thompson has premiered in Australia, as producer, director and/or performer:

Year Work Composer/Librettist Role
2020 As One Laura Kaminsky (composer) Kimberly Reed/Mark Campbell (libretto) Stage Director, Producer[14]
2019 The Enchanted Pig Jonathan Dove (composer) Alasdair Middleton (libretto) Artistic Director, Producer[15]
2018 The Handmaid's Tale Poul Ruders (composer) Paul Bentley (libretto) Stage Director, Producer[16][17]
2016 To Hell and Back Jake Heggie (composer) Gene Scheer (libretto) Artistic Director, Producer[18]
2016 'The Scottish Opera' (Macbeth) Verdi, arr. Stopschinski,[19] Co-production Monk Parrots, NYC[20] Performer (Lady Macbeth), Producer[21]
2015 the difficulty of crossing a field David Lang (composer) Mac Wellman (libretto) Artistic Director, Producer[22]
1992 The Golem[23] Larry Sitsky (composer) Gwen Harwood (libretto) Performer (Rachel)[24]
1991 Mer de Glace Richard Meale (composer) David Malouf (libretto) Performer (Clare Clairmont)[25]
1989 The Growing Castle Malcolm Williamson (composer) Performer (Agnes), Co-producer[26]

Discography
Year Title Description Artists Label
1992 The Golem[4] Larry Sitsky (composer) Gwen Harwood (libretto) The Australian Opera ABC Classics[27]
1999 Repose Lullabies & Cradle Songs by Australian Composers 1999-1999 Linda Thompson, soprano Deviani Segal, piano Move Records
2008 Songs for Voice & Violin Rebecca Clarke, Vaughan Williams & Gustav Holst Linda Thompson, soprano Fintan Murphy, violin Resplendent Records

References
  1. "AusStage". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  2. Peter Corrigan : cities of hope. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia). Gallery. Melbourne, Vic.: RMIT Gallery. 2013. pp. 215–221. ISBN 978-0-9807710-4-6. OCLC 829929969.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Meale, Richard; Malouf, David; House, Sydney Opera; Opera, Australian (1991). Mer de Glace : an opera in two acts with prologue. Surry Hills, NSW : Australian Opera.
  4. Sitsky, Larry; Harwood, Gwen; Opera, Australian (1990). The Golem : grand opera in 3 acts. New York : Seesaw Music.
  5. "AusStage". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  6. Usher, Robin (2010-08-25). "Opera Australia to take on Ring Cycle in 2013". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  7. Taylor, Robert. "Estate of Gertrude Johnson OBE". Global NFP.
  8. "Home - Strathbogie Shire Council". www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  9. "World's best re-imagine opera for a unique festival in Victoria's Yarra Valley". Australian Arts Review. 2019-09-24. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  10. Peter Corrigan : cities of hope. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia). Gallery. Melbourne, Vic.: RMIT Gallery. 2013. ISBN 978-0-9807710-4-6. OCLC 829929969.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. Thompson, Linda (1999). "Repose [Sound Recording: MOVE Melbourne 1999]". National Library Australia.
  12. Kane, Susan Mohini (2015). The 21st century singer. Oxford University Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-0199364282.
  13. Selar, Paul (October 2019). "The Enchanted Pig". Limelight Magazine.
  14. "★★★★☆ As One (Gertrude Opera)". Limelight. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  15. "★★★★☆ The Enchanted Pig (Gertrude Opera, Yarra Valley Opera Festival)". Limelight. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  16. "★★★★☆ The Handmaid's Tale (Gertrude Opera, Yarra Valley Opera Festival)". Limelight. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  17. "★★★★☆ The Handmaid's Tale (Gertrude Opera, Yarra Valley Opera Festival)". Limelight. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  18. "Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival | Music in Melbourne". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  19. http://peterstopschinski.com/
  20. https://www.monkparrots.org/
  21. "Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival | Music in Melbourne". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  22. Editor, Performing Arts. "Unveiled: latest program announcements". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 2020-05-06.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  23. Radic, Thérèse (2002). "Sitsky, Larry (opera)". Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.o904735.
  24. "AusStage". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  25. "Pictured from the dress rehearsal of Mer de Glace at the Sydney Opera..." Getty Images. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  26. "AusStage". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  27. Sitsky, Larry; Harwood, librettist.), Gwe; Thompson, singer.), Linda, (Soprano; Dalton, singer.), Julie, (Soprano; Brown, singer.), Kerry Elizabet; Nagajek, singer.), Jolant; Doig, singer.), Christophe; Macfarlane, singer.), Graem; Natoli, singer.), Domini (2017), The golem, [Australia] : ABC Classics, retrieved 2020-04-29
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