Editing Opera Australia (section)

===Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company, 1957–70===
By 1957, it changed its name to the Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company.

In 1959 the company's laid-off singers gave the first of many regional tours (presented by [[Regional Arts Australia|state Arts Councils]]) with Rossini's ''[[The Barber of Seville]]'' using reduced scenery and conducted from the piano by [[Georg Tintner]] (Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland). Subsequent Arts Council tours included ''[[Rigoletto]]'' (1960; Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales), ''[[Così fan tutte]]'' (1961; New South Wales, Queensland) and ''[[La traviata]]'' (1962; New South Wales, Queensland), all conducted by Tintner. However, by 1963 a permanent nucleus of singers and staff was retained throughout the year and the company had made appearances at regional festivals, including the [[Adelaide Festival]]. It was also able to establish the first Elizabethan Trust Orchestra for the company by 1967 with additional government aid. During this time, [[Stefan Haag]] played an important role in the development of the company.

A major milestone for the company was a television recording of Puccini's ''[[Tosca]]'' filmed in 1968 at the Adelaide Festival. This starred [[Tito Gobbi]] as Scarpia alongside two Australian singers, soprano [[Marie Collier]] in the title role, and tenor [[Donald Smith (tenor)|Donald Smith]] as Cavaradossi, with the Argentinian born, Italian conductor [[Carlo Felice Cillario]] conducting. This was the commencement of a long and fruitful association between the Australian Opera and Cillario until his retirement in 2003. Some of his first rehearsals in the country involved conducting the Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and the Australian Opera Chorus, both newly formed and on permanent contracts.<ref>Hall. S, "Opera Conductor a Humble Wizard in Oz", ''[[The Australian]]''. 20 December 2007. Accessed 15 December 2008</ref>

While not yet appearing with this company, [[Joan Sutherland]], then an internationally known Australian soprano, and her husband, the conductor [[Richard Bonynge]], helped the cause of opera in general in Australia during the 1960s. Sutherland's name was also linked to the progress of the [[Sydney Opera House]], begun in 1957 and still undergoing a lengthy and controversial construction.{{sfn|Adams|1980|p=126}} By the time "La Stupenda" appeared there in 1974, one year after the opening of the theatre, the company was a leading repertory company with a large chorus and a roster of experienced Australian principals supplemented by guest singers and conductors.{{sfn|Adams|1980|pp=235–236}}