Sophie Salvesani made her operatic and role debut as Violetta in Opera Australia’s production of La Traviata at the Sydney Opera House in 2022. This followed both her professional and principal debut in 2019 as Maria in their touring production of West Side Story.

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Since becoming a Principal Young Artist with Opera Australia in 2021, Sophie debuted as both Donna Anna (Don Giovanni, 2023) and Gilda (Rigoletto, 2023). She also covered the roles of Hanna Glavari (The Merry Widow), Princess Eudoxie (La Juive) and Olympia (Les contes d'Hoffmann). Most recently, she debuted as The Governess (The Turn of the Screw, 2024) with the Hayes Theatre Co.

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On the concert stage, Sophie recently received praise for her performance in Opera Classica Europa’s Italienische Opernnacht. She has also performed with the Opera Australia orchestra, most notably for HSBC Opera in the Gardens and Opera Gala at Uluru, as well as Orchestra Victoria for BMW Opera for All.

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Sophie has also received a number of prestigious awards, most recently First Prize for both the 1st Vienna Opera Competition and the 2nd Romana Vaccaro Opera Singing Competition and The Opera Foundation for Young Australians ‘2025 Deutsche Oper Award’. Following these recent triumphs, Sophie looks forward to her upcoming Königin der Nacht debut in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Classica Europe this July, as well as the upcoming 2026/27 seasons with Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Brendan Murtagh is a Brisbane-based répétiteur, pianist/keyboardist, and music director with over 15 years of experience across musical theatre, opera, and choral music. He has performed for major touring productions presented by The Michael Cassel Group, Crossroads Live Australia, TML Enterprises, The Really Useful Group Asia Pacific, and Opera Australia. His credits include Wicked, Tina, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, tick, tick…Boom!, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Frozen, Chess, School of Rock, The Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, The Lion King, My Fair Lady, Annie, and many more.

Brendan is delighted to have been involved with Prospero Arts since its inaugural production Singin’ In the Rain (2022). As well as playing keys in Jersey Boys (2024), he was Associate Music Director for Pirates of Penzance (2024) and The Wizard of Oz (2023).
In 2021, Brendan was Assistant Musical Director for the national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, conducting in Brisbane and Perth.

He regularly collaborates with Underground Opera, Opera Queensland, Queensland Conservatorium, and the University of Queensland, and has toured internationally with Voices of Birralee. Brendan also teaches piano and accompanies choirs at St Rita’s College Clayfield. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the University of Queensland.

Part 1:

1. Blessed Assurance (Knapp)

2. Somewhere - West Side Story (Bernstein)

3. Think of Me - The Phantom of the Opera (Lloyd Webber)

4. Poor Wandering One - The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan)

5. In My Life - Les Misérables (Schönberg)

6. Pie Jesu - Requiem in D Minor (Fauré)

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Part 2:

7. Brindisi - La Traviata (Verdi)

8. Non mi dir - Don Giovanni (Mozart)

9. Caro nome - Rigoletto (Verdi)

10. How Beautiful It Is - The Turn of the Screw (Britten)

11. È strano…Sempre Libera - La Traviata (Verdi)