Upcoming Concerts
We believe in creating meaningful experiences that inspire and connect. Let us help you bring your vision to life.
Stormlight
Shadow to Champagne
Upcoming Events
Masterclass with Maija Kovalevska
5.30 pm Sunday 29 November
TOSC is delighted to present a Masterclass with internationally acclaimed Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska.
Winner of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia, Maija made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimì in La bohème and has since given more than 50 performances in leading roles at the Met. Her international career has also taken her to the Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Scala and the Salzburg Festival. For many years, she studied under the legendary soprano Mirella Freni.
Five selected professional singers will work with Maija in this intimate masterclass.
Observers are warmly welcome — a rare opportunity to watch an internationally distinguished artist work closely with professional singers on technique, interpretation and performance.
Observer admission: $30 per person. Bookings essential. Sunday29 November | 5.30 pm
📍 Sydney Unitarian Church, Darlinghurst
✉️ toscea1@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
3pm Sunday 27 September - Return of the Queens - Kings Arise!
Where power and passion collide - For Full Programme Order
3pm Sunday 25 October - Stormlight -
A festival of contemporary voices
3pm Sunday 20 December - Shadow to Champagne - Strauss and Strauss
Return of the Queens - 3pm Sunday 27 September
Kings arise our Queens reclaim their voices — where power, identity and hidden truth collide
Return of the Queens - Kings Arise centres on figures of authority — women whose public power often stands in tension with private truth. These are roles of weight and stillness, requiring clarity of intention and dramatic integrity. With music by Handel, Gluck, Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi, this programme brings royal ambition, conflict and revelation vividly to life.
Queens, kings, love, betrayal and power come alive in a thrilling afternoon of opera and music theatre. Journey through history and legend as TOSC soloists and ensemble bring legendary rulers to life through music filled with drama, passion, intrigue and unforgettable melodies.
From moments of triumph and political ambition to vulnerability, romance and heartbreak, these fascinating characters step from the pages of history onto the stage in a richly entertaining concert experience. Featuring music by some of opera’s greatest composers, Return of the Queens: Kings Arise showcases the artistry and storytelling for which The Opera and Song Collective has become known.
Under the musical direction of Maestro Simon Kenway, Sydney’s leading operatic and song ensemble invites you to experience an afternoon of powerful music and compelling drama. Following the concert, join the performers and fellow audience members for refreshments and conversation in the courtyard.
Planning to join us for Return of the Queens – Kings Arise Sunday 27 Sept?
Booking ahead helps us enormously with our concert planning — and advance-booked patrons will have access to preferred seating on arrival.
🎟️ Book ahead if you can.
And if Sunday suddenly becomes free? Walk-ins are always warmly welcome.
Stormlight - 3pm Sunday 25 October
STORMLIGHT Contemporary Voices • Living Music
Stormlight - A Festival Afternoon of Contemporary Voices
More than a concert, Stormlight is a festival afternoon celebrating the richness and diversity of contemporary vocal music.
Across one immersive afternoon, audiences journey through music theatre, chamber music, Shakespeare, contemporary song and new Australian composition. Internationally acclaimed masterpieces stand alongside works by living Australian composers, many presented under the guidance of the artists who know them most intimately.
The programme features scenes from Thomas Pasatieri's Lady Macbeth, performed by soprano Samanta Lestavel under the musical direction of Tristan Entwistle, who also directs and performs in his own Shakespeare-inspired Much Ado About Nothing. Pianist Bradley Gilchrist leads David Tunley's evocative A Wedding Masque, with soloists Emily Turner as Ceres, Emma Häll as Iris, Emmeline Booth as Juno with flute solo played by Philip Murray. Soprano Leah Thomas, flautist Christine Draeger and pianist Claire Howard collaborate in the shimmering sound world of Kaija Saariaho while Charlotte Merz and Claire Race collaborate in songs by the noted Australian composer. Ross Edwards. Bass-baritone Michael Lampard directs performances of his own cantata At the Harbour's Edge, and soprano Maria Hemphill performs songs by her father, Australian composer Nigel McDougall, celebrating a deeply personal musical legacy.
Stormlight is more than a showcase of contemporary repertoire—it is a meeting place where composers, performers and audiences come together in a shared creative experience. From psychological drama and Shakespearean wit to luminous soundscapes and intimate Australian storytelling, this festival afternoon reveals contemporary music that is imaginative, accessible and profoundly human.
Join TOSC afterwards in the courtyard to meet the performers, composers and fellow music lovers.
Shadow to Champagne - 3pm Sunday 20 December
Shadow to Champagne — Two Strausses — From Operatic Passion to Viennese Sparkle.
SHADOW TO CHAMPAGNE: STRAUSS & STRAUSS
From moonlit reflection to sparkling Viennese celebration, Shadow to Champagne explores the contrasting worlds of Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss II. Featuring selections from Ariadne auf Naxos, Arabella, Capriccio and Die Frau ohne Schatten alongside the irresistible charm of Die Fledermaus and Eine Nacht in Venedig, this elegant afternoon concert moves between introspection, romance, wit and exuberant ensemble brilliance. A radiant and uplifting conclusion to TOSC’s 2026 Light and Shadow series, Shadow to Champagne celebrates music’s power to enchant, illuminate and delight.
Under the baton of rising conductor Toby Wong, whose credits include Nabucco and Das Rheingold and who is Assistant Conductor at Christ Church St Laurence, the TOSC ensemble is joined by returning pianist Martin Lijauco.
The afternoon brings together an outstanding company of TOSC artists, with soloists Sarah Cherlin, Genevieve Dickson, Sam Elmi, Tristan Entwistle, Matt Gaskin, Emma Häll, Maria Hemphill, Louise Keast, Michael Lampard, Lisa Munckton, Kerry Nicholson, Laura Scandizzo, Jill Sullivan and Emily Turner.
Together with the singers of the TOSC ensemble, they explore the contrasting worlds of Richard and Johann Strauss — from the emotional intensity and soaring lyricism of opera and Lieder to the wit, romance and irresistible champagne sparkle of Viennese operetta.