High Tea at the Opera in Killcare

Cheryl Barker

Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel, Restaurant & Spa and the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts have teamed-up to present High Tea at the Opera! a prestigious event to be held on Sunday, September 22 at 3pm.

Following a delicious high tea, the audience will thrill to the wonderful voices of two of Opera Australia’s legendary stars, Cheryl Barker and her husband Peter Coleman-Wright.

During their long and illustrious careers, Barker and Coleman-Wright have sung in the world’s most acclaimed opera houses, including La Scala (Milan), The Met (New York), Covent Garden (London) and the Paris Opera.

After a conversation with the Bouddi Foundation’s Chairman, John Bell, the couple will share with the audience some of their favourite pieces in their opera repertoire.

A renowned soprano, Barker is particularly noted internationally for her performances as Madama Butterfly, singing this role for English National Opera, De Vlaamse Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Netherlands Opera and Houston Grand Opera for whom she has also performed Sarah in the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair. 

She appears regularly with Opera Australia, where her roles have included Nedda/Pagliacci, Countess/Le nozze di Figaro, Mimì in the award-winning Baz Luhrmann production of La bohème, Violetta/La traviata, Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni, Tatyana, Giorgetta, Suor Angelica and Lauretta (Il Trittico) and the title roles in Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Jenufa and Rusalka.

Coleman-Wright is widely considered one of the most versatile singers in the world today, equally home in opera, concert and recital.

His extensive and varied repertoire has taken him to many of the world’s greatest opera companies and concert halls.

He has sung throughout Europe at La Scala Milan, La Fenice Venice, Netherlands Opera, Munich, Geneva, Paris, Bordeaux, Flanders and at the Aix-en Provence and Bregenz Festivals.

In the United Kingdom, he has been a frequent guest of the Royal Opera Covent Garden, English National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival and has worked for the Aldeburgh Festival at the BBC Proms and with all the leading orchestras at London’s South Bank, Albert Hall, The Barbican, Bridgewater Hall and the Wigmore Halls.

High Tea at the Opera! promises to be an intimate encounter with two of Opera Australia’s greats, an event not to be missed by lovers of fine music.

Book via https://www.bellsatkillcare.com.au/whats-on-in-killcare/

A raffle will be available on the day where for $50 per ticket, entrants have a chance of winning a two-night, all-inclusive stay at Pretty Beach House.

Money raised from the event goes directly to the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts, a foundation dedicated to supporting and encouraging young artists on the Central Coast.

It does this by seeking donations from supporters from which it awards grants and scholarships to young creative people to pursue their career in the Arts.

This year the Foundation has more than 90 applicants for grants, 29 per cent more than last year’s record, meaning more donations than ever are needed to help young artists.