Dane Lam Launches a Bold New Era for State Opera South Australia

As State Opera South Australia approaches its milestone 50th anniversary next year, a powerful new vision is taking shape under the artistic direction of internationally acclaimed Australian conductor Dane Lam.

His message is clear: Opera Without Borders – A world-class artform. A South Australian stage. A place to belong. With this guiding statement, Lam sets the tone for a reimagined future—one where opera is more connected, contemporary, and culturally alive than ever before.

This is opera as it’s meant to be—visceral, immediate, and human, says Lam. Opera singers are the Olympians of the voice. They train their whole lives to perform without microphones, using a technique passed down for generations, throwing their unamplified voices over a full orchestra and into a theatre. When this vocal magic takes place, it reaches right to the heart. That power doesn’t belong behind glass. It belongs in the world, and on our South Australian stage, Lam said.

The 2025 season kicks off on 8 May with Jonathan Dove’s Flight—a modern operatic masterpiece that blends humour, poignancy, and soaring vocalism. It’s a bold first step that sets the tone for what’s to come. Based around a group of disparate travellers thrown together in an airport shutdown, Flight builds on the tradition that opera must be relevant to everyday people while still elevating the human spirit. The remainder of the season will be unveiled later in May, with Lam hinting at beloved titles reimagined through a fresh cultural lens, alongside new works that reflect Australia’s place in a globally connected operatic landscape.

Lam’s appointment, alongside CEO Mark Taylor also signals a generational shift in operatic leadership in Australia, one that blends deep respect for tradition with a drive to innovate.

Opera without borders means removing barriers that separates people from this artform.

We’re taking stories that have spoken across centuries—of love, jealousy, comedy, revenge—and letting them breathe in today’s world, he says. That might mean updating the setting,
collaborating with artists from across the Asia-Pacific, or simply trusting the raw power of the music
and voices to do the work, and always having subtitles! This is not opera in aspic. It’s living,
breathing, and fiercely relevant, he said.

Together, they’re shaping a new State Opera South Australia—anchored in Adelaide but open to the
world.

Born in Brisbane to a Singaporean-Chinese father and Australian mother, Lam is a Juilliard graduate
and former protégé of the late Kurt Masur. His career has spanned continents and cultures, from
conducting Mahler in Xi’an to reimagining Mozart in Sydney, to championing contemporary Pacific
Rim composers in Honolulu.

Lam’s vision reflects his global career as Artistic Director of State Opera South Australia, Music &
Artistic Director of the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of the Xi’an Symphony
Orchestra in China.

Opera is one of the most powerful ways we can connect across borders—geographic, generational,
and emotional,” Lam says. “At a time when the world feels fractured, cultural diplomacy is more
important than ever. Art, and opera especially, is how we meet as people—not through politics.

His approach is ambitious but rooted in connection—with audiences, with artists, and with
community.

We want people to walk through the doors and feel like they belong. Whether it’s their first time at
the opera or their fiftieth. Whether they grew up with Verdi or have never heard a note of Mozart.
This company is for all South Australians, and it’s a company that the world is watching.

As State Opera builds toward its 50th year in 2026, Opera Without Borders sets the agenda: fearless
programming, world-class storytelling, and a stage that welcomes all.

Opera without borders. Stories that speak to now. A company that belongs to South Australians—
and resonates far beyond, Lam said.

When: Thursday 8 – Saturday 10 May

Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, 58 Grote St, Adelaide SA, 5000

Tickets: CLICK HERE