Charlotte Goode didn’t grow up with opera. She grew up in Kyabram, surrounded by local theatre, music and country life. But classical singing? That wasn’t something she ever saw up close.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
“If you want to go see an opera, you have to go to Melbourne,” she said.
“And if you’re not interested in it straight away, then you probably won't be exposed to that art form at all.”
Now a classically trained soprano, Charlotte is working to change that.
On Friday, May 30, she’s bringing something new to Victory Hall in Tatura — a free opera workshop for local primary school students, followed by an evening public concert where the kids will sing alongside trained performers.
The program is part of Opera in the Country, a new initiative founded by Charlotte in partnership with Opera Scholars Australia.
The aim is simple: give country kids a chance to try something different.
“Maybe there’s one little kid that goes, ‘This is really for me, I really love this’ — because that would have been amazing for me at that age to actually have people come and show me,” she said.
Charlotte came to opera by chance.
“It just happened by accident,” she said.
“I loved singing but was never really good at singing contemporary music.
“Then someone said to me at one point, ‘If you really want to be trained really well vocally, you should go and study classically.’”
After completing Year 12, she auditioned for the Melbourne Conservatorium and got in — without any prior training in opera, but thanks to a lot of YouTube videos.
On May 30, she’ll help primary school students in Tatura take their own first steps into opera.
The ‘Big Voices and Little Voices’ workshop will be led by Mei Wah Chan, a conductor with the Australian Girls Choir and an opera singer herself. Students will learn an English-language chorus from Carmen, broken down with games and acting layered in to keep it fun.
Join Opera in the Country for an unforgettable night and secure your seat today!
“We’re not turning them into opera singers straight away,” Charlotte said.
“This workshop is just a taster, and it’s going to be very engaging.
“The opportunity to be exposed to opera singing, as well as having a go at singing some operatic music, is what students can expect from this workshop.”
Emerging singers from Opera in the Country will also join the kids on stage. For these early-career artists, the concert is more than a gig, it’s a step forward.
“They sing two to three solo items, as well as ensemble numbers,” Charlotte said.
“These events help develop young professional singers because they require certain expectations, a certain level of preparation, which is really important to becoming a professional singer.
“It’s a good opportunity for a young professional to get their name out there to lots of different people.”
For Charlotte, bringing opera to small towns isn’t about prestige, it’s about access.
“There are a lot of people in the country who actually do love opera,” she said.
“But for whatever reason, it's not possible for them to get to the city to see it.
“Maybe they’re elderly, or maybe they have a disability and they can’t drive, there’s no public transport.
“It’s expensive.”
Of all eight Opera in the Country performances so far, one kind of moment keeps repeating.
“At every concert I have at least one person that comes up to me and tells me how much they enjoyed it,” she said.
“People come up and say, ‘I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. We really want more of this,’ which is always the best thing to hear.”
Make sure you don’t miss out — tickets can be purchased here or at the door, depending on availability.
