'House Seat' - Opera Australia Artistic Director, Lyndon Terracini

Lyndon Terracini is the Artistic Director of Opera Australia. He has also enjoyed a highly successful, international opera career; and received accolades as an actor, director and writer. He is a renaissance man! Lyndon was appointed Artistic Director and CEO of the Queensland Music Festival in 2000 and directed the 2001, 2003 and 2005 festivals. He was appointed Artistic Director/CEO of Brisbane Festival in 2005 and Artistic Director/CEO of Major Brisbane Festivals in November 2007. He is the recipient of many awards including an Honorary Doctorate in Music Theatre by Central Queensland University, a Fellowship by the Music Fund of the Australia Council for the Arts, an Honorary D. Univ. from Southern Cross University and the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award by the Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF). In 2005 Lyndon Terracini was also appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland. In 2007 he was awarded a D.Univ. from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Lyndon was also a member of the International Jury for the Venice Biennale for Music and Savonlinna Opera Festival, and delivered the 2011 Peggy Glanville-Hicks address. His service to the performing arts as an opera performer, director and administrator was recognised in 2014 with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In 2018 Lyndon was awarded one of the highest civilian honours in Italy, Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy (Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia). It is an impressive list of accolades and they make him admirably equipped to steer the cultural flagship of Opera Australia. The 2021 season of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is about to commence with a lavish production of La Traviata. Lyndon elaborates on his introduction of this elaborate staging of opera and how it has grown to become one of the most anticipated on the cultural calendar. He also describes navigating the company through a pandemic and reflects on a sterling career as performer and producer, in this joyous episode of STAGES.