Queensland Ballet Announces Principal Singers
Queensland Ballet Announces Principal Singers
Queensland Ballet is pleased to announce the principal singers for its 2026 season opener, Messa da Requiem. Sopranos, Eva Kong and Naomi Johns, Mezzo Sopranos, Milijana Nikolic and Cassandra Seidemann, Tenors, Diego Torre and Kyle Stegall, and Basses, Jud Arthur and Jeremy Kleeman join a cast of 35 dancers, 110 choristers and 67 musicians for this epic production. Opening on 27 March, 2026 in the new Glasshouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane, Messa da Requiem promises to be a powerful and unforgettable start to the inaugural season of Artistic Director, Ivan Gil-Ortega.
Currently in rehearsal, Messa da Requiem marks Queensland Ballet’s first collaboration with acclaimed German choreographer, Christian Spuck, renowned internationally for his innovative storytelling, sophisticated musicality and emotionally charged choreography.
Artistic Director, Ivan Gil-Ortega, said Spuck’s choreography seamlessly blends classical ballet with contemporary sensibilities, creating performances that resonate deeply with audiences.
“Messa da Requiem is a masterpiece which has endured for centuries. Driven by Giuseppe Verdi’s transcendent score and brought to life by Christian Spuck with the dancers, singers and Queensland Symphony Orchestra, this collaboration promises to be a monumental fusion of dance, music, and opera that fully immerses audiences in the emotional and spiritual journey at the heart of the work,” Gil-Ortega said.
Conductor, Simon Hewett who will lead the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the singers said Verdi’s score demands the highest calibre of musicians and vocalists.
“Messa da Requiem is Verdi at his most magnificent, brought to life in the hands of top-tier musicians and singers. Performed live, with a thunderous orchestra and the combined power of the choristers and principal singers, it captures both our fears and our hopes, emotions that lie at the heart of the human experience,” Hewett said.
Messa da Requiem is made possible through the generous support from the Queensland Ballet Messa da Requiem Giving Circle and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Queensland Ballet also acknowledges the administrative support of Opera Queensland in the recruitment process of the Soloists for Messa da Requiem.
Messa da Requiem
27 March - 4 April
Tickets available HERE.
