Opera's greatest stories are still being written, here and now. Proving definitively that opera is a vibrant, living artform, Jessica O'Donoghue and Jack Symonds's undead. is a virtuosic celebration of Australian musical and literary talent. Jessica's performances are known to be a "tour de force of dramatic range held together with brilliant vocal precision and control" (Sydney Morning Herald) which "deftly juggle vocal virtuosity and searing energy" (Limelight). The arias in undead. have all been especially composed for and tailored to Jessica's unique musical and theatrical abilities, mostly premiered within the scintillating productions of Sydney Chamber Opera, where Jack is Artistic Director.
This recital not only showcases Jessica’s deep commitment to representing modern, complex female characters but also includes premieres and original works by both Jessica and Jack, offering a compelling cross-section of Australia’s contemporary operatic landscape. As a spectacular finale, Thomas Adès's Life Story, a wild portrait of a Tennessee Williams one-night stand as seen through the vocalism of late-period Billie Holiday receives a scorching interpretation by these two artists who have "redefined operatic performance in Australia" (Australian Book Review).
About Jessica O’Donoghue
Jessica O’Donoghue is one of Australia’s most compelling vocalists and contemporary music makers, known for her magnetic stage presence, genre-defying artistry, and deep storytelling instincts. Classically trained (University of Sydney, VCA), she began her career as a Young Artist with Opera Queensland and London’s Royal Opera House before carving out a singular path across opera, experimental music, and beyond.
Jessica is Co-Artistic Director of The Song Company and a frequent principal artist with Sydney Chamber Opera. She collaborates closely with leading composers, premiering roles in works by Nico Muhly (Aphrodite) Mary Finsterer (Antarctica/Biographica), Huw Belling (Fumeblind Oracle), Andree Greenwell (Three Marys), Peggy Polias (Commute) and Jack Symonds (Gilgamesh).
Celebrated for her “tour de force of dramatic range” (SMH), Jessica’s accolades include an APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award for ‘Performance of the Year’, an AIM Fellowship, and finalist for the 2024 AWMA Opera Australia Impact Award. She also releases acclaimed solo albums blending classical, pop, and experimental styles. Rise Up (2022), a striking fusion of classical, pop, and experimental sound worlds, was a finalist for Album of the Year at the international ProgSpace Awards.
Jessica is completing a PhD in composition at Sydney Conservatorium of Music under supervisors Liza Lim and Paul Stanhope. Her first opera, Menarche, premiered in 2024, followed by Running Man for 2026/2027.
About Jack Symonds
Jack Symonds is a composer, conductor and pianist, and Artistic Director of Sydney Chamber Opera. He studied composition at the Royal College of Music, London under Kenneth Hesketh and at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he received the University Medal. His stage works represent “a striking and impressive new operatic voice” (Sydney Morning Herald) and he is “one of those performers who seemingly can play anything” (Australian Book Review).
He specialises in the performance of new music, including conducting and playing major stage works by Britten, Janáček, Dusapin, Kurtág, Saariaho, Maxwell Davies, Kancheli, Rihm and has given world premieres of operas by Gyger, Finsterer, Smetanin, & Ricketson.
His recent performances have shown “masterly musicianship, projecting an engrossingly cogent understanding of complexities and expressive purpose” (SMH), the ability to “draw an emotional throughline so clear that every unexpected melodic or dynamic turn feels comfortable and logical” (Timeout), and is “impressive as ever at the piano, creating a vital palette of carefully gradated tone colours.” (Backtrack). He is a frequent guest conductor for new music ensembles across Australia and internationally, performing in and making work for the Holland, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide Festivals, Opera Australia, Dark MOFO, Sydney Opera House, Biennale of Sydney, Carriageworks, Melbourne Recital Centre, National Gallery of Australia, among many others.
His opera Gilgamesh was premiered to critical acclaim in 2024 by the combined forces of Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Australian String Quartet & Ensemble Offspring. In 2025 Gilgamesh won two APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards including Work of the Year: Dramatic and Performance of the Year: Notated Composition as well as the NSW State Luminary Award.
MARY FINSTERER
Your Dusk is Near from Biographica (2017)
JACK SYMONDS
The Flood from Gilgamesh (2024)
ANDRÉE GREENWELL
Speak Our Names from Three Marys (2023)
MARY FINSTERER
Eternal City from Antarctica (2022)
JESSICA O'DONOGHUE
The Witness from Running Man (2022)
HUW BELLING
The Canon & Katharsis from Fumeblind Oracle (2021)
PEGGY POLIAS
Dawn from Commute (2020)
PAUL STANHOPE
Hanging Rock from Picnic at Hanging Rock (2023)
THOMAS ADÈS
Life Story (1993)
Tickets: Free, by ballot only