Dame Nellie Melba Celebration Performance

Name: Dame Nellie Melba Celebration Performance
Start: 2025-05-18T14:00:00+10:00
End: 2025-05-18T16:00:00+10:00
Location: BMI – Minerva Space

May 18 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

$35

Venue

An afternoon of song, arias and duets…

The BMI in partnership with Melba Opera Trust.

Meet the 2025 Melba artists, as they perform a repertoire that celebrates the Birthday of Dame Nellie Melba – program coming soon…

The Artists

SOPHIE HAMER
British-Australian Sophie Hamer holds a Bachelor of Music (Classical Vocal Performance) from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Her roles include Ino (Australian Premiere of Eccles’ Semele), Angelina (Trial by Jury), Mabel
(The Pirates of Penzance), and The Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel). Sophie has appeared as the soprano soloist in the Australian premiere of Goodall’s Invictus: A Passion, Messiah, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen and in Enchanted Encounters – Songs of the Supernatural with West Australian Opera.

She is the current recipient of The Amelia Joscelyne Memorial Scholarship with Melba Opera Trust.

AIDAN HODDER
Aidan Hodder holds a Master of Music Studies from Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. Aidan made his professional debut in 2023 in State Opera South Australia’s G & S FEST, singing John Wellington Wells (The Sorcerer). Recently Aidan performed as Samuel (The Pirates of Penzance) at Queensland Performing Arts Centre presented by Prospero Arts and directed Stuart Maunder AM. Aidan is an advocate for children’s education and currently works for the Brisbane-based educational entertainment company Dino Encounters.

He is the current recipient of the John Wegner AO Opera Scholarship and the Max & Jill Schultz Opera Society Scholarship with Melba Opera Trust.

CHLOE JAMES

Chloe James holds a Bachelor of Music (Classical Voice) and a Master of Music (Opera Performance) from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and she is an alumna of Opera Scholars Australia. Chloe’s performing credits include Hansel and Gretel, The Magic Flute, and The Old Maid and the Thief (Melbourne Conservatorium), as well as English Eccentrics, Parrwang Lifts the Sky, The Grumpiest Boy in the World and Il Mago di Oz (Victorian Opera).

She is the current recipient of the Ruskin Opera Scholarship and the Jo Horgan & Peter Wetenhall Opera Scholarship with Melba Opera Trust.

SHAROLYN KIMMORLEY AM

After studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sharolyn Kimmorley joined the Music Staff of The Australian Opera and has assisted in the preparation of a vast range of works with many distinguished singers and conductors.

In 1985 she became Principal Répétiteur for The Australian Opera and in 1987 was appointed Head of Music Staff. From 1994 to 1999 she was the company’s Artistic Administrator, following which she was Opera Australia’s Director of Music Administration until June 2003. Sharolyn Kimmorley is regarded as one of Australia’s finest vocal coaches and accompanists. She has recorded for ABC Classics, taken part in chamber music
concerts and accompanied some of the world’s most distinguished recitalists. In January 2009 Sharolyn became a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her work as an accompanist and the nurturing and mentoring of emerging artists.

Sharolyn is currently Artistic Manager and Artist Advisor to Melba Opera Trust and recently joined the board of Victorian Opera.

Melba Opera Trust

Melba Opera Trust, a legacy of the visionary soprano Dame Nellie Melba, delivers Australia’s leading development program for exceptional young opera singers and repetiteurs.

Nellie once said ‘in order to succeed in opera, you have to engage in the business of singing. A beautiful voice is not enough.’ This is at the heart of our philosophy: our artists are trained to be more than a voice, to be equipped with the skills they need to build sustainable careers.

The Melba Program, a year-long scholarship funded program, supports artists from around Australia through a bespoke course of artistic development, mentoring in business, professional and personal skill development, and performance experience.

Following in Nellie’s footsteps, many of Melba’s talented alumni are realising their dreams and performing in opera houses around the world.

Join us to hear these future stars!

Includes

A sumptous Devonshire tea (scones are made to a tradional Victorian recipe – Amelia Cotterel) served on vintage Johnston Brothers china, in the Minerva Space.