The Drawing Room

Don Carlos is a grand work, with opera’s eternal themes of love, betrayal and faith.

These days, it's beloved by fans of Verdi, but that hasn’t always been the case. The opera has appeared in many forms over the years, with some acts edited out and even the language changed.

The latest production by the Metropolitan Opera is performed for the first time by the company in the original French.

The production's star, Matthew Polenzani, takes listeners back to the origins: the character's and his own.

In an old apartment in Kings Cross, Maureen keeps a notebook in which she lists her friends in the order that she expects them to die.

On stage, she shares the stories of the friends who are gone, and her own experiences along the way.

In the Drawing Room, Jonny Hawkins remembers the women who inspired their new play, Maureen: Harbinger of Death.

What does it take to power a one kilometre long laser above the surface of the Yarra river?

And when you’re composing a soundtrack for dance to be played by nine drummers, is it possible to create a quiet, gentle moment?

These are the questions that Robin Fox has been asking himself over the last few months as he prepares for a series of big festival shows.

In the Drawing Room, he explores the answers and explains why classical music caused him to break his own rules.

Søren Solkær made his name with celebrity portraits, taking photos of everyone from Paul McCartney to David Lynch.

Over a ten year run, starting in the mid-90s, Arab Strap released a half-dozen albums that brought them critical and public acclaim. They were the sort of artist that was your favourite band’s favourite band.

Then one day, they called it quits: moving on to other bands and other sounds.

Last year announced a return, their first album together in 16 years, called As Days Get Dark.

In the Drawing Room, Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton reminisce about the early days and the way the world has changed.

From haunting minimalist melodies to an almost overwhelming mix of synths and techno rhythms, Nils Frahm is one of the piano’s most interesting practitioners.

He's spent the pandemic-induced pause going back through his archives and finding musical friends—old and new—to share.

Ahead of his return to Sydney for his first concert since 2019, Nils talks about the importance of the subconscious and why he prefers improvisation.

Ferruccio Furlanetto is one of the world's greatest operatic basses.

Over five decades, Furlanetto has stamped his authority on the works of Verdi and Mozart with his powerful voice and impressive stage presence.

In the Drawing Room, he looks back over his career so far, and talks about taking on the role of Mefistofele.

As a worker, a theatre producer, an activist, and a businessman, William Onus was a tireless campaigner for the rights of his people in Australia, and a leader for the referendum that saw Australia's Indigenous peoples finally counted as people in their own country.

He was also, perhaps, the first Aboriginal filmmaker.

A new documentary, Ablaze, begins with the discovery of Bill's film in the National Film and Sound Archive and goes on to tell his story, and the story of his fight for equal rights.

Co-director Alec Morgan shares Bill's story and the story of the film.

A good photo can capture the mood of a moment, but a great photograph tells us something deeper: it layers history and emotion and can change our understanding of the world.

When Covid broke out in New York, Philip Montgomery was in the public hospitals and the funeral homes, capturing the moment.

When protests broke out over the death of black men and women by police violence, Philip was there to cover it and was shot with rubber bullets for his troubles.

In the Drawing Room, he talks about his new monograph and exhibition, American Mirror.

His beautiful voice and remarkable cover versions brought him a devoted following online, but it's his own songs that have turned Teddy Swims into a burgeoning superstar, with a sound that's a throwback to the classic moments of soul.

In the Drawing Room, Teddy Swims talks about his path to music and the promises he's made and kept, to himself and to his friends.