BMW and Opera Australia strike a chord with Opera for All free concert in Federation Square. Support of local arts and culture scene in partnership with Opera Australia.

Melbourne. Soaring symphonies and thrilling high notes rang out in Melbourne’s Federation Square on Saturday, 3 February 2024, when thousands flocked to the highly successful, second Australian edition of BMW’s annual Opera for All concert series.

Under brilliant blue skies, and the experienced baton of Maestro Brian Castles-Onion, four of Opera Australia’s finest singers, all Melbourne-based, soprano Olivia Cranwell, mezzo-soprano Dimity Shepherd, tenor Shanul Sharma and baritone Simon Meadows, accompanied by Orchestra Victoria, performed a selection of opera’s biggest hits, all for free.

Opera Australia’s CEO Fiona Allan was in attendance and soaking up the atmosphere. “It was a thrill to welcome so many people to Fed Square to enjoy another spectacular presentation of Opera for All. Victorians were out in force including newcomers to opera and longstanding opera-lovers. The creative excellence for which Opera Australia is known is thanks to our exceptional teams of artists, artisans and arts workers. It’s also due to the close collaboration we enjoy with our partners, sponsors, donors and the many communities with whom we work around Australia. We thank BMW for their continued commitment to bringing more opera to more people through this global initiative. We are now looking forward to our exciting 2024 Victorian season, the first by our new artistic director, Jo Davies, that will kick off at the end of May with two very different productions - a new staging of Tosca at Margaret Court Arena and the musical Sunset Boulevard at the Princess Theatre.”

Wolfgang Buechel, CEO of BMW Australia, expressed his enthusiasm, stating: "For more than fifty years, BMW has spearheaded hundreds of cultural initiatives globally that support art, jazz, classical music, and opera. As responsible corporate citizens, we are committed to investing in people and society in countries where we operate. Here in Australia, we support education, sport, and art and culture initiatives, which helps Australia to perform at its best. This shared commitment brought Melburnians together for our second BMW Opera for All event, celebrating local talented singers and musicians. We thank Opera Australia and Orchestra Victoria for their superb performances.”

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement with exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.