Inaugural Opera Australia Impact Award for Linda Thompson

Inaugural Opera Australia Impact Award for Linda Thompson

East Melbourne resident and Australian Contemporary Opera Company (ACOCO) founder and CEO Linda Thompson has been honoured with the inaugural Opera Australia Impact Award at the prestigious Australian Women in Music Awards. 

Held at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall in October, the ceremony celebrated trailblazing female, non-binary, and gender-diverse artists from across Australia’s music industry. 

Ms Thompson’s recognition highlights her profound contributions to opera as a creative producer, stage director, and soprano.

Her journey in opera began as a teenager, inspired by a teacher who introduced her to the art form.

“It was Joan Sutherland singing,” Ms Thompson recalled, “and [my teacher] said, ‘You could do that.’ I had no idea what I was letting myself in for, but I’ve been involved in opera ever since.” 

Ms Thompson described opera as a “constant source of inspiration,” noting its power to combine music, drama, and storytelling.

Over the past 15 years, she has built ACOCO into a pivotal platform for both emerging and established artists, showcasing more than 40 new operas and 12 contemporary Australian works. 

“I founded that company, and it’s been 15 years now,” Ms Thompson explained. 

“It started small, but over time it gathered its own identity and momentum. Now we work with artists from across Australia and internationally. It’s really exciting to be bringing stories that people can relate to, broadening horizons.”

ACOCO has grown to include Australia’s only international contemporary opera festival, set to run in Melbourne from February 21 to 28, 2025. 

“This festival is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, with three Australian premieres,” Ms Thompson said, underscoring her commitment to pioneering new forms of expression in opera.

Receiving the award was an unexpected thrill for Ms Thompson who observed that “I didn’t know too much about award ceremonies and thought I’d be warned if I was likely to win!”

“But suddenly I was up on stage, needing to thank people,” she said.

“Fortunately, running a company has taught me how to speak in front of audiences.”

Living in East Melbourne has been essential to Ms Thompson’s work-life balance and sense of community.

“We moved here to be closer to the city, thinking it’d be temporary,” she said.

“Fourteen years later, we can’t imagine living anywhere else. East Melbourne has this beautiful, supportive village feel.” The area, she notes, helps her juggle family and work with ease.

Ms Thompson’s award is a testament to her dedication to enriching the Australian arts landscape and supporting artists across disciplines. 

Coming up next in late February, Ms Thompson will be at the centre of the first contemporary opera and song festival to be staged in Melbourne.

This event is also the only one of its kind to have ever been held in this southern half of the globe, “so we’re really excited about that!” •

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