Welcome to Voxalis Opera's 2026 season

Our 2026 Season is deeply personal. It reflects the world we live in today through the lens of opera and art song; embracing realism, vulnerability, and emotional connection. The season unfolds across three interconnected chapters: Society, Relationships, and Belonging.

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We begin with the big picture: our society. In a world that feels increasingly divided, where violence is amplified and constantly replayed through social media, one work felt particularly resonant - Britten’s Les Illuminations. “I alone hold the key to this savage parade.” Paired with Rameau’s stunning opera excerpts, The Savages presents society at its best and worst: love stories, mythological figures, danger, multiculturalism, transformation, and civilisation. 

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We then turn inward with our Triple Bill, exploring raw human relationships beyond the traditional operatic love story. Featuring three short works by Poulenc, Bell, and Heggie, the program opens with Poulenc’s La voix humaine, a revolutionary work in French opera and a devastating portrait of heartbreak. This is followed by the Australian premiere of Iain Bell’s Comfort Starving, centred on a teenager experiencing body dysmorphia, and Jake Heggie’s Facing Forward / Looking Back, a song cycle examining a mother–daughter relationship as they reflect on the past while seeking understanding in the present.

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The season concludes with our much-anticipated performance of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. Originally planned for 2025, this work ultimately found its true home in this season’s theme. At its core, this is a story of belonging. Mélisande, an enigmatic outsider, struggles to find her place within a dark world, finding solace only in Pelléas. He, too, exists on the edges of his family—drawn towards escaping yet anchored by Mélisande’s presence. Together, they embody the longing to belong, even when the world offers no clear refuge.