More Than Opera is a Melbourne-based arts organisation committed to performing opera in a broad range of settings in the community. Founded in 2000, by Dr David Kram, More Than Opera has a rich history of taking opera to diverse audiences, to those who know and love opera, and to those who are hearing it for the first time.

We love opera for its own sake: opera sits at the pinnacle of the performing arts combining music, text, theatre and dance with the power of the human voice to entice, entertain and transport us with timeless stories about life and love.

We support the development of opera singers and mentor emerging artists (singers, composers, conductors, directors) in their professional journey by engaging them to work with us on opera projects. We engage professional artists to conduct masterclasses and share their technical knowledge, experience and insights about working as professional musicians.

Since 2003, More Than Opera has partnered with Hessische Staatstheater in Wiesbaden to administer the German Australian Opera Award (GAOG). Each year, four finalists compete for the opportunity of working professionally at the Wiesbaden State Opera.

And we’re proud to have helped many artists who are now working as professional musicians in Australia and overseas.

But More Than That...
We believe opera has a proven benefit for health and well-being for everyone in the community.

We’ve tailored specific opera-health projects to produce shows like Scattered for the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre where a team of singers, musicians and a rap artist collaborated with young people at the centre to write and produce their own show.

And we’re tailored specific opera-education projects to make opera more accessible to school children. Meraviglia composed by David Kram is a 45-minute pantomime which uses opera to teach children about Italian language and culture. It’s fun, engaging and educational.

We’re excited about our next opera-health project, a new opera about Alzheimer’s.

Innovation, creativity, accessibility and artistry is what More Than Opera is all about.

How will the funds be used?  

Donations are used for the company- to enable it to operate efficiently in the present and to plan effectively for the future, and for More Than Opera's projects, which in 2019 include:

Opera & Health - MTO is supporting emerging composer, May Lyon, to produce and stage her new chamber opera, delving into the lives of a married couple confronted by the reality of early-onset Alzheiner's Disease. An opera that will not only raise awareness of the plight of those suffering, but also of their carers.

All donations above $2 are tax-deductible.