GIUSTINO BY GIOVANNI LEGRENZI

Making its Australian premiere, Giustino is a triumph by Legrenzi, one of the most important opera composers in Venice in the late 1670s. It’s a classic rags-to-riches story of the peasant Giustino who, through a series of adventures and magical interventions, ultimately becomes the Emperor of Rome. Director Dean Bryant will head an impressive artistic team to reimagine Giustino for today’s audiences. Dean is well known for his sensitive and insightful staging of main stage operas and musicals in Australia and internationally, Giustino will be his first production for Pinchgut Opera.

A feast for countertenor lovers, Giustino features three: American Nicholas Tamagna makes his Pinchgut debut in the title role, and English star Owen Willetts (The Coronation of Poppea, 2017) makes his anticipated return, alongside Australian favourite Russell Harcourt (Artaserse, 2018). Soprano Lauren Lodge-Campbell and tenor Jacob Lawrence both return to Pinchgut after standout performances in Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses (2019).

Giustino exemplifies the heart and soul of Pinchgut Opera: bringing together the finest Baroque specialists to discover one of the forgotten treasures of the past in a fresh and exciting context.