F R I  D  A  Y     2  9     M  A  Y      |     7  P  M

Opera Gala

Cathy-Di Zhang & Helen Sherman

Thomas Victor Johnson

UPDATE : Cathy-Di Zhang will perform in place of Jane Ede. Programme details remain unchanged.

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“So sublime you want to cry”

- LIMELIGHT

“A revelation…”

- EWART SHAW

“A mezzo with dramatic strength and depth”

- THE AUSTRALIAN

“Melodic intelligence and dramatic vivacity”

- GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE

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Cathy-Di Zhang and Helen Sherman, two radiant stars of Opera Australia, share the stage for a gala evening of treasured arias and duets.

A celebration of voice, artistry, and Australia’s rich operatic legacy.

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Programme

Cathy-Di Zhang SOPRANO

Helen Sherman MEZZO-SOPRANO

Thomas Victor Johnson PIANO

Arias

PUCCINI “Un bel di vedremo” from Madame Butterfly‍ ‍

DVOŘÁK “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka

MOZART “Come scoglio” from Così fan tutte

PUCCINI “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi

MOZART “Parto, Parto” from Clemenza di Tito

BIZET “Habanera” from Carmen

ROSSINI “Una voce poco fa” from Barbiere of Seville

MOZART “Voi che Sapete” from Le nozze di Figaro

Duets

MOZART “Ah guards sorella” from Così fan tutte

MOZART “Prendero quel brunettino” from Così fan tutte

BELLINI “Mira Norma” from Norma

MOZART “Ah, perdona al primo affetto” Clemenza di Tito

OFFENBACH “Barcarolle” from Tales of Hoffmann

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Two of Australia’s brightest operatic stars — soprano Cathy-Di Zhang and mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman — join forces for a glittering evening of opera’s most beloved arias and duets. From soaring lyricism to dramatic passion, this gala concert celebrates the power and beauty of the female voice in full flight. Ede and Sherman stand as the next great chapter in Australia’s illustrious operatic story breathing new life into the classics that have stood the test of time.

Helen Sherman, a star of Opera Australia and an internationally acclaimed mezzo, has graced the stages of Covent Garden and the Royal Albert Hall, represented Australia at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, and wowed critics globally with her blend of elegance and power. Described as "fiery and focused"  and “a revelation”, award-winning Australian soprano Cathy-Di Zhang has long established herself on major opera stages both nationally and internationally.

Together, these two Aussie pearls now walk the Snow Concert Hall stage — a force to be reckoned with as they honour the past and shape the future of Australia’s great opera tradition.

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Helen Sherman

Born on a lettuce farm in rural New South Wales, Australian-British mezzo soprano Helen Sherman trained at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM); she represented Australia at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition and at the Francisco Viñas International Singing Competition.

Recent appearances include Flora in La traviata (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Opera North), Tamiri in Farnace, Sesto in Giulio Cesare and Irene in Theodora (Pinchgut Opera), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Teatru Manoel, Malta), the title roles in Carmen (State Opera South Australia) and Giulio Cesare (Bury Court Opera) and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Sesto in La clemenza di Tito (Classical Opera Company and The Mozartists).

After debuting with Opera Australia in 2024 as Dorabella in Così fan tutte and Mistress of the Novices in Suor Angelica, Helen returns to the company in 2025 as Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) and Mercédès (Carmen).

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Cathy-Di Zhang

Award-winning Australian soprano Cathy-Di Zhang is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London.

For Opera Australia, she has appeared as Musetta in La bohème, Micaëla in Carmen, Euridice/Amore in Orphée, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Paquette in Candide and Rosina in The Barber of Seville; for Pinchgut Opera - Amour/La folie in Rameau’s Platée and Créuse in Charpentier’s Médée; Mimì in La bohème for State Opera South Australia; Zhu YingTai in Richard Mills’ new work The Butterfly Lovers for Victorian Opera.

Prior to the pandemic, Cathy-Di sang the role of Mädchen in a new production of Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny for Festival d’Aix-en-Provence under Esa-Pekka Salonen and, subsequently, for Dutch National Opera under Markus Stenz. Her other operatic roles have included Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) and Lisa (La sonnambula).

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Thomas Victor Johnson

Thomas Victor Johnson is a vocal coach and pianist living on the unceded lands of the Gadigal people, where he works as a répétiteur with Opera Australia and vocal coach at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Winner of the prestigious Richard Bonynge Accompanists Award at the 2018 Sydney International Song Prize, Thomas has worked with many of the world's leading conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Antonio Pappano, Simone Young AM, Daniel Harding, Philippe Auguin, Pietari Inkinen, Thomas Guggeis, Speranza Scappucci, Andrea Battistoni and Maxime Pascal. 

Between 2019-2023 he served on the music staff at Staatsoper Unter den Linden under Maestro Daniel Barenboim, where he worked as stellvertretender Chordirektor.

Not only has Thomas performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia, Australian Youth Orchestra, Gondwana Indigenous Children's Choir, Sydney Children's Choir, The Choir of Christ Church St Laurence Sydney, Sydney Chamber Choir, and many other leading ensembles, his dedication to nurturing emerging talent has seen him on the adjudication panel of the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition. He was the recipient of a study scholarship from the Wagner Society of NSW in 2019.