IOpera is an incorporated not-for-profit performing society (Inc. No. A0051907G) formed in 2007 by Peter Tregear and Gert Reifarth. We mount productions of chamber operatic works from the fringes of the repertoire, with the ultimate aim to increase access to and interest in opera as a vibrant and relevant contemporary art form, particularly among young people.

Click here to read an article about us in Limelight, August 2012.

Peter Tregear

Peter is a Principal Fellow of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and the former Head of The School of Music at ANU, and Fellow in music at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He has worked extensively as a singer, conductor, and academic, in opera and music theatre.

He has particular research interests in music between the two world wars. In 2001 he conducted the UK stage premiere of Max Brand’s Maschinist Hopkins at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London to international acclaim, and in 2005 he he conducted the first ever performance in English of Venyamin Fleishmann’s opera Rothschild’s Violin in Cambridge

Stage roles include Elmiro (Rossini Otello), Haly (L’Italiana in Algeri), Belcore (L’Elisir d’amore), Pluto (L’Orfeo), Marchese D’Obigny (La Traviata), Drebednyov (Moscow Cheryomushki) and Don Poppone (La Diavolessa).

http://www.petertregear.com/

Gert Reifarth

German born and educated, Gert has worked as a lecturer in German and Cultural Studies in Germany, Ireland and at the University of Melbourne in Australia. At present he teaches German at Scotch College, Melbourne.

He was the stage director of Erwin and Elmire, IOpera’s first ever production, in 2008. He also directed and co-produced the company’s 2012 Emperor of Atlantis.

As a director and producer, Gert’s credits include plays by Peter Hacks, Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Bertolt Brecht. As a Writer/Director his work Who’s afraid of Harry Heine? A Radio-play-live-on-stage about the Last Romantic, was performed in October 2006 at the Open Stage in Melbourne. Herakles High 5, written with Xan Colman, was performed in 2010 at the Meat Market under the direction of both writers.

Gert has also published extensively about German literature, poetry and theatre practise. Among other things, he has written a book on political fairy tales in the GDR and edited another on German poetry.

Louise Keast

Currently based in Melbourne, soprano Louise Keast is emerging as a skilled and versatile Australian performance artist. Initially trained at the Queensland Conservatorium, Louise is a current member of the Richard Divall Emerging Artist Programme with Melbourne Opera and studies with eminent dramatic contralto Liane Keegan and vocal coach Raymond Lawrence. In February 2020 Louise made her companydebut with Melbourne Opera in the role of Marzelline (Beethoven’s Fidelio), and she is looking forward to further engagements with Melbourne Opera in 2021 as Wellgunde (Das Rheignold), Freia (cover, Das Rheingold) and Dama di Lady Macbeth (Macbeth).

In recent years Louise has gained experience in community-music leadership, primarily as the Festival Director of the Warrnambool Organ Festival (2018-2020) and community-chorus master of the 2019 Port Fairy Spring Music Festival. Additionally, Louise enjoys concert curation and production, utilising skills which she developed during her Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship at the Australia National University, and employing them in a variety of projects – most notably in her ongoing collaboration with Australian visual artist Hannah Quinlivan which has seen her premiere site-specific performances in Australia and Germany.

In 2019 Louise represented Australia at the final rounds of the 38th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Villach, Austria. She was also the recipient of the Margreta Elkins Encouragement Award, Bel Canto Award, Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation and in 2018 a finalist in the Sydney International Song Prize, Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation. In 2018 and 2019 Louise has been a semi-finalist in the Herald Sun Aria and in 2018 received the Gertrude Johnson Studio Artist Fellowship, performing principal roles in the inaugural Yarra Valley Opera Festival with Gertrude Opera. 

Jane Magão

Jane Magão is a Melbourne based soprano, graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music in 2016 and Graduate Diploma of Education from The University of Queensland in 2017. Jane is a current member of the Richard Divall Emerging Artist Programme with Melbourne Opera.

Performed roles include Adele in Die Fledermaus (Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria) 2019, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro (Melbourne Opera RDEAP studio production 2019 and Millennium Opera 2018 – understudying Susanna), Soeur Constance in Dialogues des Carmelites (Melbourne Conservatorium of music, 2018) Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel (Queensland Conservatorium of Music) and Cis in Albert Herring (QCM). Jane has been engaged by Melbourne Opera to cover Woglinde in their 2021 production of Das Rheingold and to perform Susanna in a future production of Le Nozze di Figaro.

Jane has been the recipient of various scholarships including the the John Dorrington Scholarship with Opera Scholars Australia (2018), Sue and John Thompson Vocal Scholarship (QCM, 2016) and the Ruth Fairfax Memorial Scholarship (Country Women’s Association, 2015). Jane was winner of the 2016 Margaret Nixon Vocal Prize at the Queensland Conservatorium, runner up of the 2018 Alton Budd Memorial Award Murwillumbah, finalist in the 2018 National Liederfest Melbourne, finalist in the 2018 Bettine McCaughan Memorial Award, and finalist in the 2018 Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Oratorio Competition. Jane’s most recent engagement was performing as a semi-finalist for the German Australian Opera Grant 2020.

Shakira Dugan