Auditions: 15 November 2026
Audition venue: TBC, Sydney
Performance season: 13 August - 4 September 2027
Final studio rehearsal period: 2-8 August 2027
Stage production week: 9-13 August 2027

Operantics is seeking singers for all six principal roles in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, to be presented at Hayes Theatre Co in August–September 2027.

The production will be double cast, with each cast performing 14 of the 28 scheduled performances. The production may be performed without a chorus.

About the production

Mozart and Da Ponte’s Così fan tutte is a sharply observed comedy about love, fidelity, desire and the stories we tell ourselves about each other.

For Operantics’ Hayes Theatre Co debut, Director Matthew Barclay and Music Director Dr Philip Eames bring Mozart’s comedy into the carnival world of wartime Sydney’s Luna Park. Alfonso turns the carnival into the setting for a dangerous experiment in love and fidelity. Created for the intimacy of the Hayes, this fresh, playful production embraces the work’s theatricality, humour and emotional complexity for a contemporary audience.

The opera will be performed in the original Italian, with English surtitles, accompanied by a chamber ensemble.

Roles

Auditions are open for all principal roles:

• Fiordiligi: Soprano

• Dorabella: Mezzo soprano

• Guglielmo: Baritone

• Ferrando: Tenor

• Despina: Soprano/Mezzo soprano

• Don Alfonso: Bass

Each performer will also be required to cover their counterpart in the alternate cast in the event of short-term illness or emergency.

Audition panel

Matthew Barclay: Director
Dr Philip Eames: Music Director
Katie Miller-Crispe: Artistic Director, Operantics

Rehearsals and performances

The final rehearsal schedule will be developed with consideration for the availability of the confirmed cast. Applicants will be asked to provide details of any known conflicts during the rehearsal period as part of the audition process.

Performers must also have sufficient availability across the full performance season to cover their counterpart in the alternate cast if required due to illness or emergency.

Rehearsals and required availability

Music rehearsals will commence from mid-April 2027, with staging rehearsals commencing from Saturday 8 May.  Calls are minimum three hours, and performers should expect approximately 2-3 calls per week outside of business hours (evenings or weekends). Scheduling will take account of cast availability wherever possible.

Final Rehearsal period: 2–8 August 2027
The week immediately before stage week will involve more intensive rehearsals, including full runs of the opera. Performers must be available for 3-4 calls.  These dates are a required commitment for both casts, although individual calls may differ.

Stage Production week: 9–13 August 2027
Performers must be available for all scheduled technical, stage and dress rehearsals. Calls will take place during the day and in the evening.  The performance season begins with previews from 13 August.

Performance season: 13 August–4 September 2027
The production will be double cast, with each performer scheduled for 14 of the 28 performances, Monday through to Saturday.  There are no Sunday performances.

Each performer will also cover the same role in the alternate cast in the event of illness or emergency.

Applicants should disclose all known conflicts between May and September 2027, particularly during the final rehearsal period, production week and performance season. Any agreed exceptions to the required availability will be confirmed before an engagement is accepted.

Remuneration

At minimum, performers will be engaged on a guaranteed minimum fee plus profit-share arrangement.

Operantics is actively fundraising for the production and has several applications for additional project funding pending. The performer fee structure will be reviewed as further funding is secured, with the intention of increasing guaranteed artist fees.

Auditions

Auditions will be held 15 November 2026 at a Sydney venue to be confirmed.

Applicants will be asked to prepare two arias, including at least one Mozart aria and one Italian aria.

To apply, please submit:

• a current CV

• a recent headshot

• details of the role/s for which you wish to be considered

• any known scheduling conflicts between May and September 2027

• a recent recording of you performing an operatic aria

Applications close: 11:59pm Wednesday, 4 November, 2026
Audition notification: Monday, 9 November 2026

About Operantics

Operantics is a Sydney-based independent opera company creating high-quality productions that bring opera closer to audiences. We believe opera should be theatrically compelling, musically excellent and accessible to people regardless of their previous experience with the art form.

Since 2015, Operantics has created opportunities for emerging and established Australian artists while presenting opera in ways that invite new audiences into the form. Our work combines a commitment to the music and craft of opera with an open, contemporary approach to how it is presented and experienced.

Così fan tutte marks Operantics’ debut season at Hayes Theatre Co.