Emma Matthews AM

I’m delighted to have been asked to join Daniel Sumegi as a Patron of Rockdale Opera Company.
A great honour indeed!

🎭✨Rockdale Opera Company is proud to announce Emma Matthews AM as its newest Patron 🎭✨

We are absolutely delighted to welcome international opera star Emma Matthews AM as Patron of the Rockdale Opera Company.

For many years, ROC has been privileged to have the support of two of Australia’s most distinguished artists, Daniel Sumegi and José Carbó. Their generosity and encouragement have meant a great deal to our company, and we are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support. 💐

As José steps down from his role as Patron, we extend our sincere thanks for his many years of involvement with ROC. Having begun his own journey with the company, José has been a passionate advocate for ROC providing a platform for the next generation of singers to learn, perform, and grow. We deeply value his support of ROC over many years. 🙏

We are so thrilled that Emma Matthews has graciously accepted an invitation to join Daniel Sumegi as co-Patron. Australia’s most highly awarded soprano, Emma has performed with leading opera companies, orchestras, and festivals across Australia and internationally, and is Head of Classical Voice and Opera Studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. 🎶

Emma has won seven Helpmann Awards, nine Green Room Awards, the Remy Martin Australian Opera Award and Limelight Awards for Music Personality of the Year and Australian Artist of the Year and her extraordinary career spans an astonishing range of roles—from Lucia, Lakmé, Partenope and Lulu to Cleopatra, Violetta, and the four heroines in The Tales of Hoffmann among many others. She returned to Opera Australia in 2025 as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, and will appear in its 70th Birthday Galas this year. 🏆✨

Emma’s artistry, generosity and deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of singers is an inspiration and we are honoured and privileged to have her support as ROC continues to grow. 🌱🎼

Please join us in welcoming Emma to ROC. 👏🎉

Photo: Stephen Heath Photography

Huge Congratulations to Charis Postmus and Lachlan Higgins!
Two talented WAAPA classical voice grads making their mark in the industry.
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
West Australian Opera
Edith Cowan University (ECU)

This week the Classical Voice dept welcomed the baritone James Clayton to Vocal Workshop. He worked with four singers Anthony Ottobrino, Adam Lynch, Joshua White and Caleb Stevens. The incomparable Tommaso Pollio was accompanying. We are so lucky to have James back at WAAPA on staff now, such a current artiste and generous colleague.
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
West Australian Opera
Tommaso Pollio
Edith Cowan University (ECU)
Club Diva

I’m very much looking forward to singing with the WAAPA Symphony Orchestra next week, with my friend Jessica Gethin conducting, and the incredible Finlay Lambuschagne playing the Elgar Cello Concerto.
I’ll be singing Mozart’s Voi avete un cor fedele.
There are only a few tickets left!

Elgar's Cello Concerto, and Emma Matthews AM For over 30 years, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts has been helping students realise their dreams of successful careers in the performing arts and entertainment industries.

Today we welcomed mezzo soprano Louise Fenbury, WAAPA classical voice Alumnus, to WAAPA for our Vocal Workshop.

Sienna Freeman, Aimee-Rose Keppler, Bridie King and Olivia Muir got to work with this wonderful artiste on German language detail and vocal and language placement.
We were also fortunate to have Tommy Seah playing for us.
A wonderful class. We’re all going to collect corks now! Welcome home Diva x

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
West Australian Opera
Opera Australia
Opera
Club Diva

Huge congratulations to Michael Lewis OAM, Tommaso Pollio and the English Song Concert Company on a beautiful concert last night. The first classical voice concert in the McCusker Recital Hall.
It was a huge success, and each and every singer acquitted themselves with aplomb.
Having Michael Lewis on stage with the students was an experience they and I will treasure forever.
Some special guests were there in the audience, the mighty Bruce Martin and his wife Pat and some classical voice alumni of the past and recent years, including Kathryn McCusker, Penny Reynolds, Fiona Campbell and lots of Michael’s students honouring his teaching and legacy. Respected staff Megan Sutton, Jana Kova and Anna Sleptsova… and future collaborators James Pratt, Burhan Gurner, Alessandro Pittorino and David Woods. All celebrating the beauty of English Song and the future of classical voice in this country.
Very proud of the singers, and honoured to have colleagues like Michael Lewis and Nicole Youl on staff.
Congratulations to the wonderful singers. What a McCusker Recital Hall debut!

It was wonderful to meet the conductor of West Australian Opera’s production of La Traviata, Lochlan Brown today, and welcome him back to the new WAAPA.
Congratulations to Lochlan, his reading of the score is true, respectful of traditions and brave. A graduate of the WAAPA BMUS classical piano course… and now a significant conductor of opera on the world stage.
I look forward to future collaborations.
Toi Toi Toi for tonight’s last show.

Wishing the third and fourth year classical voice students, Michael Lewis and Tommaso Pollio a fabulous performance tonight in the beautiful McCusker Recital Hall.
Here are some lovely pictures taken at the dress rehearsal last night by Jamie Kafetzis.
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
Michael Lewis - Baritone
Tommaso Pollio