FROM humble beginnings 23 years ago the Opera in the Vineyard has grown to be widely recognised as one of the signature events on the Granite Belt calendar.
The Stanthorpe Rotary Club and Ballandean Estate ensured that the event was a great success despite Friday night’s cyclonic conditions which had threatened to derail it according to Ballandean estate’s Leanne Puglisi, who co-ordinates the event with Stanthorpe Rotary.
“Last year freezing conditions with icy winds, sleet and minus temperatures forced the event under cover for only the second time in its history,” she said.
“This year cyclonic winds threatened to bring down the iconic 60-plus-metre marquee and damaged the netting over the open air concert amphitheatre so we were again forced to hold the event inside the marquee.”
Many of the 800 patrons had to battle the elements to get to Stanthorpe for the afternoon concert.
Four years ago Opera in the Vineyard forged a partnership with Opera Queensland – and baritone Michael Lewis, soprano Natalie Peluso, tenor Jaewoo Kim and mezzo-soprano Nicole Youl delighted patrons with a program that included a well balanced selection of pieces from traditional operas. The second half of the program was dedicated to a selection of lighter popular songs.
A number of charities including the Wesley Hospital, Carramar, Careflight, Hear and Say and Angel Flight have benefited from donations from the Rotary of Stanthorpe who have raised over $1 million for charity since the inception of Opera in the Vineyard.
