We’ve got a problem in Australian opera. Not enough new work. When companies program contemporary opera, it’s usually importing productions from overseas. Local composers get the occasional chamber piece or development workshop, but rarely a full mainstage production with proper resources.

Which is frustrating, because there’s genuine talent here creating work that deserves bigger platforms. I’m not talking about token Australian content to tick a box. I’m talking about composers writing opera that’s actually good, that audiences would enjoy if given the chance.

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon

If you’re not familiar with Cheetham Fraillon’s work, start with “Peridot” — a one-woman opera about a Yorta Yorta girl’s journey. It’s powerful, musically sophisticated, and deals with themes Australian opera has historically avoided. First Nations stories, intergenerational trauma, cultural identity.

She’s a soprano herself, which shows in how she writes vocal lines. They’re challenging but singable, sitting in ranges that show off voices without destroying them. That might sound basic, but plenty of contemporary composers write vocal parts that are more theoretical exercises than practical music.

“Eumeralla: A War Requiem for Peace” is her latest major work. It’s not opera in the traditional sense — more oratorio — but the theatrical scope is there. She’s dealing with the Convincing Ground massacre, which is exactly the kind of Australian history opera should be engaging with but mostly doesn’t.

What I respect is she’s not compromising to make her work more “accessible” or palatable. The music is complex, the subject matter is confronting. But it’s compelling. That’s what contemporary opera needs to be — not just new, but necessary.

Constantine Koukias

Koukias has been around longer than most people realize. He’s been composing since the 80s, largely in Tasmania, which probably explains why the eastern capitals haven’t paid as much attention as they should.

His work draws heavily on Greek Orthodox liturgical music, which creates this really distinctive sound world. It’s not to everyone’s taste — can be quite dense and atmospheric rather than melodic in traditional ways. But when it works, it’s hypnotic.

“Icon” is probably his best-known opera, dealing with religious imagery and devotion. The music has this ritualistic quality that fits the subject matter. It’s contemplative, sometimes austere, but emotionally intense in a way that sneaks up on you.

He’s also done substantial work with electronics and multimedia, which I’m typically skeptical of in opera. Too often it feels like technology for technology’s sake. But Koukias integrates it as part of the musical language rather than decoration, which makes a difference.

The challenge with his work is it requires committed, patient listening. You can’t approach it like Puccini. But if you engage with it on its own terms, there’s real depth there.

Mary Finsterer

Finsterer’s done more opera commissions than most Australian composers, which tells you something. Opera Australia and Victorian Opera keep coming back to her, because she understands how to write for the form.

“Biographica” was her first major opera, back in 2002. It’s based on Julian Burnside’s memoir about defending asylum seekers. Heavy political content, but the music balances that with enough dramatic shape that it works theatrically. Not just a lecture set to music.

More recently, “Mayakovsky: A Revolution” shows her range. It’s about the Russian poet, dealing with art and politics and personal passion. The score is more modernist than Biographica — less tonal, more fragmented — which suits the subject’s fractured life.

What I like about her approach is she’s not afraid of beauty. A lot of contemporary opera feels like composers are scared of writing something actually lovely, like it’s not serious enough. Finsterer will give you dissonance and complexity, but also moments of genuine melodic warmth. That emotional range is crucial for opera.

She’s also good at text setting. You can actually understand the words most of the time, which shouldn’t be a special achievement but somehow is in contemporary opera. The vocal lines follow natural speech patterns while still being musical. It’s harder than it looks.

Why This Matters

Australian opera companies program the same 20 European operas over and over. La bohème, Carmen, La traviata, Barber, repeat. They’re great works, I’m not knocking them. But if opera’s going to stay relevant here, we need local stories and local voices.

Not just because of cultural nationalism or whatever. Because contemporary composers are engaging with themes and sounds that reflect the world we actually live in. They’re writing about Australian history, current social issues, modern relationships. Things audiences might actually connect with more than 19th century Italian romance.

The economic argument matters too. When we program overseas productions, money leaves the country. When we commission local composers, it creates work for Australian librettists, directors, designers, performers. It builds an ecosystem.

The Barriers Are Real

Programming new work is risky. Audiences are conservative, especially opera audiences. Tried-and-true classics sell tickets reliably. An unknown contemporary piece might struggle to fill seats, and opera companies are chronically underfunded as is.

The solution some companies have found is pairing new work with popular classics in the same season. Use the box office from Carmen to fund the Australian commission. It’s a compromise, but it works.

Development opportunities matter too. More workshops, smaller productions, concert performances. Let composers test ideas and develop work before demanding a full production. The lack of this kind of infrastructure in Australia means composers don’t get the iterative process that’s normal in Europe or America.

What I Want To See

More risk-taking from the major companies. Not relegating Australian work to studio spaces and limited runs. Give it main stage productions with proper marketing and resources. Some will fail — new work always has higher failure rates. That’s fine. The successes will be worth it.

Better pathways for mid-career composers. There’s support for early-career artists and then suddenly you’re expected to be established. The middle ground — composers with some experience who need the next opportunity — gets neglected.

And audiences willing to try something new. I get it, opera tickets are expensive and you want to know you’ll enjoy it. But if you never take a chance on unfamiliar work, you’re contributing to the cycle that keeps programming conservative.

These three composers — Cheetham Fraillon, Koukias, Finsterer — are creating work that proves Australian opera composition is alive. They need bigger platforms and more consistent support. Because right now, we’re undervaluing our own talent and wondering why opera feels increasingly like a museum art form.

The work is there. We just need to program it.