Opera Australia’s leadership turmoil continues more than a year after losing CEO, artistic director

The nation’s biggest performing arts company will announce one of its most important seasons without a permanent CEO or an artistic director.

The nation’s biggest performing arts company will announce one of its most important seasons without a permanent CEO or an artistic director, as Opera Australia continues to recruit for its two most senior leadership positions.

The company’s previous artistic director, the acclaimed director Jo Davies who stepped down in August after less than a year in the role, is yet to be replaced, as is the company’s previous chief executive Fiona Allan, who departed in January.

Opera Australia will announce its 2026 season, the company’s 70th, in August, a year after Davies left.

It is expected to include some works programmed by Davies as well as works chosen by the company’s artistic and productions units.

The ongoing leadership turmoil is underscored by the company’s abysmal 2024 financial results, which saw Opera Australia post a staggering $10 million deficit.

Opera Australia’s production of La Bohème in 2019. Picture: Supplied

The company blamed the poor performance of last year’s production of Sunset Boulevard, which was critically panned in Melbourne and failed to meet box office forecasts there and in Sydney.

Leo Schofield, a former director of Sydney Festival and board member of Sydney Symphony Orchestra, said the fact the company was without artistic leadership for nearly a year was “an appalling position for them to be in”.

Arts identity Leo Schofield. Picture: John Feder

“Artistic direction is vital. I look at the companies that are thriving and they have strong boards, strong public support and interesting repertoire,” Mr Schofield said.

“In the end there’s only two things that matter in any cultural organisation, the product and the audience, and without a product you don’t have the audience.”

Former Opera Australia board member Philip Bacon, said drama and turmoil were no strangers to the company: “With Opera Australia we used to say there is more drama off stage than on”.

Bacon said the company had been hit by a series of unfortunate events that began with the departure of former artistic director Lyndon Terracini, who left the company a year earlier than planned.

“It’s like when a plane crashes, there’s a cascading lot of incidents that culminate in one big bang,” he said.

Opera Australia declined to answer detailed questions but in a statement said its recruiting process for the senior positions was “well advanced”.

Originally published as Opera Australia’s leadership turmoil continues more than a year after losing CEO, artistic director