NEW WORK OPERA STUDIO 

Creating opera for tomorrow 

WHEN | FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER,

FIRST PERFORMANCE - 10:30 AM

SECOND PERFORMANCE - 1 PM

DURATION | 40 MIN PER PERFORMANCE

WHERE | BARN GALLERY, MONTSALVAT

TICKETS | ADULT $15, CHILD $5, FAMILY $30

LANGUAGE | SUNG IN ENGLISH

Join us at Montsalvat in the 2024 September school holidays as Victorian Opera works with young people to rehearse and bring to life Miss Lyrebird’s Voice. 

 In partnership with Montsalvat (Eltham) and as part of Victorian Opera’s commitment to the creation of new work, the New Work Opera Studio is a program where young people aged 15 – 25 years of age, can come together to create a new opera for tomorrow.

 2023 saw a group of young people meet at Montsalvat to devise a concept for a new opera and Kaleidescopia was born – a story of how a young Australian animal finds their tribe and is accepted for who they are. This piece has been further developed by composer, Peter Rutherford and librettist Jayde Kirchert and given the new title The Lyrebird’s Voice.

Participants in the 2024 program will workshop and rehearse this new piece, before presenting two performances on Friday 4 October under the direction of Elizabeth Hill-Cooper. 

Generously Supported by 
Emeritus Professor Barbara van Ernst AM 

THE LYREBIRD’S VOICE 

Family Opera 

Composed by Peter Rutherford, Libretto by Jayde Kirchert 

 The Lyrebird is a cheeky bird who loves to play tricks and mimic the sounds of other birds and animals. 

 One day, Lyrebird’s trick of mimicry goes too far, and they face a harsh punishment: Lyrebird is banished by the birds and cursed to mimic only what they hear. 

 Isolated and struggling to fit in, Lyrebird wanders alone, imitating the sounds of the wind and rain. But everything changes when they meet Lord Emu, they bond over their shared experiences of not fitting in and being misunderstood. Their budding friendship is put to the test when Lyrebird hears the dangerous sound of a domestic cat on the loose, and the two must work together to use their voices for good and save their community. 

 This coming-of-age story highlights the struggles of not fitting in and the power of friendship and understanding.