On 14 April 2009, Opera Australia presents the Australian première of Vincenzo Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Arts Centre. This rare bel canto masterpiece will star Hye Seoung Kwon and Catherine Carby as the young lovers, Giulietta and Romeo, with Brad Cohen conducting.

The Capulets and the Montagues retells the classic Romeo and Juliet story. Although Shakespeare's play about the star-crossed lovers is the best-known version, Bellini actually drew on Renaissance sources, which in turn draw on Medieval and Classical sources. When I Capuleti begins Romeo and Giulietta have already met, their families are political rivals, Juliet is betrothed to Tebaldo and Romeo is trying to broker peace. The negotiations fail and so the lovers must resort to subterfuge. Bellini wrote the work in only six weeks, with the première on 11 March 1830, at La Fenice in Venice.

Making a major role debut as Giulietta is Hye Seoung Kwon who will be remembered most recently for her touching portrayal of Dorinda in Orlando and Micaëla in Carmen. Hye Seoung, a former member of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program from 2005-2006 has sung many major roles with Opera Australia including Pamina (The Magic Flute), Mimì (La bohème), Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Liù (Turandot), Nanetta (Falstaff), LÏla (The Pearlfishers) and Oberto and the title role in Alcina. Hye Seoung follows in the wake of such artists as Maria Callas, Dame Joan Sutherland and Natalie Dessay and most recently Anna Netrebko as the tragic heroine.

Free Opera Talks: May 1 & 7 - 45 minutes before performances