Join the newly incorporated Canberra Opera Inc. for a night of scenes from two of the world’s most loved operas, Carmen and Rigoletto. A performance showcasing Canberra’s emerging operatic talent.

The music of Carmen has been widely acclaimed for its brilliance of melody, harmony, and atmosphere and for the skill with which Bizet represented, musically, the emotions and suffering of his characters. For this performance we have selected extended scenes from Acts One and Two. Highlights will include the Habanera, Toreador’s song and the lovely duet between Micaela and Don José.

The second half will feature an exciting abridged version of Rigoletto. It tells a tale of two cursed men, the Duke of Mantua and Rigoletto, his hunch-backed court jester. The curse is fulfilled when Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter, falls in love with the Duke and eventually sacrifices her life to save him from the assassins hired by her father.

Rigoletto has many well-known favourites including La donna è mobile (The Duke), Caro nome (Gilda), Fawning Courtiers (Rigoletto) and The Quartet(The Duke, Gilda, Maddalena and Rigoletto). This opera is filled with revenge, hatred, love and passion. The ending should leave you horrified and feeling completely shattered.