Opera Australia (OA) CEO Fiona Allan has resigned after just three years, leaving the company in another period of turmoil. Allan's departure follows the recent exit of artistic director Jo Davies, marking the latest upheaval in a company grappling with financial challenges, internal conflicts, and criticism over programming. Allan's resignation comes as OA attempts to recover from the pandemic's impact and address issues such as bullying allegations and limited programming in Melbourne.
Opera Australia chief executive Fiona Allan has fallen on her sword barely three years after assuming the role, plunging the nation’s biggest arts company into yet another crisis.
Her departure comes less than six months after the abrupt exit of artistic director Jo Davies, the first female artistic director in the history of the company. Davies lasted just 18 months and left after repeated clashes with Allan.Allan and Davies had been touted as the new faces of Opera Australia, following the 2022 departure after 12 years of larger-than-life artistic director Lyndon Terracini.
In 2024 the company posted a $7.8 million operating deficit, which it blamed in part on cost-of-living pressures. That followed a loss of $4.9 million the previous year. Elsewhere, the company has faced repeated criticism over its limited programming in Melbourne, with many Victorian opera fans claiming they are being treated as poor cousins. The problems in Melbourne have been exacerbated by the temporary closure of theIronically, this fresh round of off-stage intrigue comes just as the company is finding its post-COVID footing artistically with a well-received 2024 season.
OPER AUSTRALIA CEO RESIGNATION ARTS CRISIS FINANCIAL CHALLENGES INTERNAL CONFLICTS
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