LYSTER Opera proudly presents Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice at Rye Civic Hall on Saturday 7 February at 2:00pm, marking the company’s first appearance on the Mornington Peninsula.
Now celebrating its tenth year of operation, Lyster Opera is recognised for touring high-quality professional opera to regional centres across Victoria. With a strong commitment to accessibility, the company aims to present professional opera at an affordable price to communities that otherwise have limited access to the art form. The Rye performance represents an important expansion of this mission, bringing fully staged opera to Peninsula audiences close to home.
Christoph Willibald Gluck composed this Paris version of Orpheus and Eurydice in 1774, expanding and elaborating the score and assigning the title role to a tenor. Lyster Opera is delighted to welcome back acclaimed tenor Hew Wagner, who takes on this demanding and lyrical role, requiring exceptional stamina, expressive depth, and dramatic intensity.
The opera tells the ancient Greek story of the poet Orpheus, devastated by the death of his wife Eurydice. Moved by his grief, the Gods allow him to journey into the underworld, where he confronts the terrifying Furies of Hades. Though Orpheus is reunited with Eurydice, fate has a cruel twist in store, testing love, trust, and human frailty.
This myth has inspired countless retellings, most recently in the musical Hadestown, yet for many audiences Gluck’s emotionally charged setting remains the timeless and definitive interpretation of the Orpheus legend.
This production is directed by Jamie Moffat, with Musical Direction by Pamela Christie, who also conducts the chamber orchestra. New set designs by Blair Parkinson and costumes by Maddy Connellan create a vivid and immersive theatrical experience to complement Gluck’s powerful score.
Orpheus and Eurydice tours regional Victoria between February and April, with the Rye performance offering Mornington Peninsula audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of opera’s great masterpieces live, locally, and at an accessible price point.
Tickets are available from lysteropera.com.au or by calling 0410 890 388
First published in the Mornington News – 27 January 2026
