Performer: Samuel Dundas

An updated staging of this 17th-century opera, with great singing and acting, is more successful than its somewhat distracting updated orchestration. 

New Zealand Opera's new production impresses with its stunning set design and art direction, and its restrained emotional tone. 

An enjoyable performance of Die Fledermaus from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and an excellent cast of singers is somewhat mitigated by the venue, as the celebrated Perth Concert Hall undergoes renovation.

80% less of Shakespeare's text adds up to more intensity in Brett Dean's Hamlet as Neil Armfield's staging is mounted by Opera Australia. 

Much delayed by the pandemic, Giordano Bellincampi's Beethoven symphony cycle with the Auckland PO finally reaches its conclusion with a triumphant closing concert.