It’s an old, revered art form, but opera is far from dying. It’s becoming increasingly popular as it’s shared en masse on social media and featured in video games, and there was even an uptick in ticket sales earlier this year thanks to Timothée Chalamet’s high-profile critique of the music.
One of the most beloved opera singers in the world is our very own Danielle de Niese, and lucky for us, she’s returning to her hometown of Melbourne to perform at two exclusive Winter Gala concerts with conductor Jaime Martín and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
The 2026 Winter Gala celebrates composers from the Americas with de Niese singing classic favourites from early 20th century legends Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern.
For de Niese, the performance is not just a chance to bring her joyful touch to the Golden Age of American musicals, but an emotional, full-circle moment.
“My sentimental soul remembers so many wonderful moments from my young life in Melbourne. [It] is where I was given those early chances to learn and achieve,” she told WHO.
“My dreams were born in Melbourne, and it’s the people of [there] who gave me those early chances, those early votes of confidence… and so it’s incredibly fitting to be returning home to sing this Golden Age program.”
Dubbed “opera’s coolest soprano” by the New York Times, de Niese is internationally acclaimed and has a long list of career achievements.
She won an Emmy at 16, made her Broadway debut in Les Miserables at 18 and even appeared in Hannibal in 2001.
The singer will be performing at the 2026 Winter Gala on Thursday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1 at Hamer Hall, and will sing an array of iconic songs, including works by Bernstein, Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern.
Don’t know them off the top of your head?
We guarantee a quick Spotify search will have you nodding along in recognition.
You don’t need to speak a foreign language to enjoy opera
A huge misconception about opera is that audiences will be sitting there all dressed up and without the faintest of clues on what is being sung.
Gone is the concept that opera is only accessible to the elites.
Now, everyone can enjoy it.
“You’ll find this hard to believe, but there are still some people who don’t make it into an opera because they falter at the first perceived hurdle — people can worry they ‘won’t understand it because it’s in a foreign language’ — completely missing the fact that we have had surtitles for decades!” she explained.
These are basically the same as subtitles but, instead of appearing on a screen while watching a film or TV show, the words are projected above the stage during a live performance.
“I’ve spent my entire life working hard to get new (and different and more diverse) and younger audiences introduced to classical music…,” de Niese says. “I believe in the plausibility of opera, and when performed well in its totality, it can become a hugely transformative experience at the theatre.”
For tickets and more information on the 2026 Winter Gala, click here.
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