‘Said I to Myself - Said I’ - Opera Impresario and Godfather; Moffatt Oxenbould

Moffatt Oxenbould’s contribution to the development of opera in Australia and Opera Australia (OA) spans a period of more than fifty years. He was Artistic Director of Opera Australia from 1984 – 1999, during which time he also directed a number of milestone productions for the company including Il trittico, Madama Butterfly, La bohème, Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Rossini’s Semiramide, Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito based on the production of the late Göran Järvefelt and Idomeneo . In 2000 he directed a new production of Simon Boccanegra for OA in the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival. Having retired from the position of Artistic Director of the Australian Opera at the end of 1999, he continued an active role as an Opera Director and Broadcaster. He has remounted and directed a number of highly regarded productions including Idomeneo at Houston Grand Opera, La Clemenza di Tito and Il trittico for Opera Australia, and Madama Butterfly for Opera Queensland. Moffatt Oxenbould was awarded an AM for his services to Opera in 1985 and was the recipient of the inaugural Dame Joan Hammond Award, in recognition of his contribution to opera. To honour his dedication to developing the talents of young Australian artists, Opera Australia named its Young Artists Development Program – The Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program. He is a blessed artist and administrator, who navigated every stage of his career, with tremendous joy, education and passion. And through this investment, Moffatt has enabled legions of performers to embrace their craft …. and audiences to embrace the most mysterious and magnetic of all art forms - the Opera! The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au