Cover story- Armenian-Australian soprano Natalie Aroyan, a rapidly rising star, discusses the two role debuts she is making for Opera Australia this year, as prisoner Odabella in Verdi's revenge opera Attila and as Rachel in Halevy's grand French opera La Juive about a dangerous affair - both rarely seen in Australia.
Interview- Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja is one of the last of the great Russian school. The 'Russian lioness' chats to Limelight as she plays Beethoven's transcendent final trilogy of piano sonatas.
Interview- British conductor and pianist Howard Shelley made his first Australian appearance at the Perth Festival in 1984. Since then he has visited annually and is hugely popular with Australian audiences, particularly at Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. We celebrate the maestro's 70th birthday.
Preview- Bell Shakespeare begins its 30th anniversary year with a new production of Hamlet - the first play the company ever performed. Artistic Director Peter Evans sets the play in Denmark in the 1960s with Harriet Gordon-Anderson as the 'sweet prince'.
World Premiere- Australian composer Gordon Williamson recalls his adventure aboard the icebreaker Aurora Australia, and tells us how he composed his new work Far South in Antarctica, as Melbourne Symphony Orchestra prepares to give the first performance.
Reviews- Beethoven's only opera Fidelio at Melbourne Opera; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Season Opening Gala in which Beethoven's Ninth is performed with members of Circa Contemporary Circus to convey ideals of joy and brotherly love in physical form; Black Cockatoo, Geoffrey Atherden's new play about legendary Indigenous cricketer Johnny Mullagh, which premieres at Sydney Festival.
What's on- live performance and radio highlights for March 2020.
