Opera · Artist Development · Europe
France · Germany · Italy · 2015–16
An international investigation into opera-house practice, the role of the Head of Music and répétiteur, and the training and development of the next generation of professional opera artists.
Award: The Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New Churchill Fellowship
David’s role: 50th Anniversary Churchill Fellow
The Fellowship
In 2015, David was awarded a 50th Anniversary Churchill Fellowship while working as Head of Music at the State Opera of South Australia.
The Fellowship supported an extended period of professional development and research in France, Germany and Italy, examining the work of the Head of Music, opera répétiteur and vocal coach within major European opera houses, alongside different approaches to the training and development of emerging professional artists.
At its heart was a practical question: how could the working practices of established European opera houses and academies inform the preparation of young singers and opera pianists for professional life?
France · Germany · Italy
The Fellowship provided David with direct access to contrasting European operatic traditions and approaches to professional training.
In Paris, his research explored opera-house practice and the development of young artists. In Berlin, time at the Deutsche Oper Berlin provided an opportunity to observe rehearsals, coaching, music preparation and performance within one of Germany’s major repertory opera houses.
In Italy, the Fellowship focused particularly on vocal tradition and artist development. In Venice, David observed the bel canto teaching of Sherman Lowe and worked with Joyce Fieldsend of Teatro La Fenice. His research also examined the work of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan and continued in Florence, exploring approaches to the preparation of emerging opera professionals.
Young Artists & Opera Training
A central strand of the Fellowship was the transition between advanced musical training and professional opera-house practice.
David investigated approaches to vocal coaching, répétiteur training, Young Artist programmes and the integration of emerging musicians into professional companies. Particular attention was given to the highly specialised role of the opera pianist: the combination of linguistic, vocal, orchestral, stylistic and practical skills required to work effectively within an opera house.
The research built upon David’s work in Australia as a Head of Music, répétiteur and Young Artist mentor, while providing an international perspective on how singers and pianists could be better prepared for the realities of the profession.
A Continuing Influence
The Fellowship had a lasting influence on David’s subsequent work in opera, higher education and artist development.
At the University of Melbourne, its findings significantly informed his work co-developing the curriculum for the Master of Music (Opera Performance). Later, at the New Zealand School of Music, the experience of the Fellowship similarly influenced his development of curriculum in collaborative piano, with a particular emphasis on connecting advanced musical training with the practical demands of professional life.
The relationships established through the Fellowship also continued beyond the original research period. Having first worked with the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino through his Fellowship, David was invited to return to Florence in 2022 as a guest coach, working with a subsequent generation of emerging opera artists.
His career would later bring him back to Europe on a longer-term basis, including three seasons at Landestheater Linz, working professionally within the German-speaking opera-house system.
Fellowship Report
David’s complete Fellowship report records the institutions, artists and training programmes encountered during the research period, together with his observations and recommendations for the future training of professional opera artists.
