The Love of the Nightingale is a new chamber opera from the composer of Batavia, one of the most significant works ever created for the Australian stage. Richard Mills and librettist Timberlake Wertenbaker have taken a powerful ancient Greek myth and given it a contemporary operatic voice. Two Athenian sisters, Philomele and Procne are taken from their home in Athens to barbaric Thrace, where their separate stories of love, cruelty and revenge are played out. A story as relevant today as it was 3000 years ago.

The Love of the Nightingale is an explosive drama about the power of words and the human cost of using violence to enforce silence. It ultimately carries a message of transformation and freedom. Lindy Hume, who collaborated with Mills on Batavia, will direct this landmark World Premiere with an outstanding creative team, and one of the finest ensemble casts ever assembled in Australia.

With the Opera Queensland Chorus and The Queensland Orchestra