Lyster Opera

Welcome To

Victoria’s Regional Touring Opera Company

About Us

Lyster Opera derives its name from William Saurin Lyster (1828-1880), an Irish born entrepreneur who made it his mission to provide opera to the growing population of Australia. Under Lyster’s auspices, Australians were given their first taste of operatic composers as diverse as Mozart, Donizetti, Auber, Meyerbeer and Wagner. Local stars such as Marie Carandini and Fanny Simonsen brought these works to a new public. Lyster’s extraordinary life and career were documented by Harold Love in his book The Golden Age of Australian Opera (Currency Press, 1981) and today the Melbourne suburb of Lysterfield is named in his honour.

Don Giovanni Coming Soon!

Tickets Available Now!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

DON GIOVANNI

6 September 2026 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Level 5, 45 William St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000

12 September at 2:00pm

Irene Mitchell Studio, South Yarra

44 St Martins Ln, South Yarra VIC 3141

20 September at 2:00pm

MOE PLAZA

22 Moore Street, Moe VIC 3825

3 October at 2:00pm

Milawa Hall

181 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa VIC 3678

10 October at 2:00pm

Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine

212 Barker St, Castlemaine VIC 3450

17 October at 2:00pm

Rye Civic Hall

12 Napier Street Rye Vic, 3941

24 October at 2:00pm

Creswick Town Hall

70 Albert St, Creswick VIC 3363

31 October at 2:00pm

Warburton Arts Centre

3409 Warburton Hwy, Warburton VIC 3799

14 November at 2:00pm

Talbot Town Hall

15 Ballarat St, Talbot VIC 3371

Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice finale and curtain calls

The closing moments of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice at the Irene Mitchell Studio, South Yarra (28 March), met with a well-earned ovation.

Orchestra led from the keyboard by Pamela Christie, with Paul Biencourt (Orphée), Laura Slavin (Eurydice) and Adelaide Soccio Greenaway (Amour), this is Lyster Opera at its finest.

Past Events

See our artists in action in our gallery of past events

"What are we singers but the silver-voiced messengers of the poet and the musician?" - Dame Nellie Melba

Support Us

Lyster Opera Ltd is a registered charity, which aims to celebrate and perform the art of opera in regional areas, as well as to Melbourne audiences, at an affordable price.As an approved Deductible Gift Recipient, donations of $2 or more to Lyster Opera are tax deductible in Australia.Ticket sales cover only a fraction of our running costs. Your donation could assist us with any of the following:

Production costs, such as sets and costumes
Theatre hire
Sponsorship of artists
Touring costs, such as travel and accommodation
Administration and office costs

Your donation would be used to assist Lyster Opera continue its success in bringing opera to new audiences. Donors are acknowledged on our website and in our programmes.If you would like to make a donation to Lyster Opera, please email us at info@lysteropera.com.au or via our contact page.