Join renowned opera singer Conal Coad to hear insights into the art collection of him and his partner, Colin Beutel, where he will discuss his fascination with printmaking, early modernism and abstraction.
Alongside his successful international opera career, Coad’s long-held passions include collecting the work of little-known Australian women artists such as Dorrit Black and Anne Dangar and the European teachers who influenced their work in London and Paris in the 1920s and 1930s. Coad and Beutel are also significant collectors of abstract Australian artists Ralph Balson and Frank Hinder, as well as many of today’s contemporary painters and photographers.
Highlighting his love of obscure gems, Coad will also discuss with Griffith Artworks Director Angela Goddard a century-old collaboration between Guillaume Apollinaire and Raoul Dufy (with a little help from Picasso), which brought together music, poetry and art. Accompanied on the piano by Mitchell Leigh, Coad will sing the song cycle “Le Bestiaire” by acclaimed French composer Francis Poulenc and the matching work from Poulenc’s fellow Les Six member, Louis Durey.
Born in Feilding, New Zealand, Coad trained at the NSW Conservatorium of Music Opera School before joining Opera Australia. He made his European debut with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie and has sung with all the major companies of Belgium in the principal bass roles, as well as throughout Europe and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
Particularly known for his Britten roles, in 2016 Coad appeared in the role of Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Valencia, Spain, and also performed as Timur in the Handa Opera at the Sydney Harbour production of Turandot.
In 2017, Coad has been asked to repeat the role of Bottom in Palermo, Italy, as well as roles in Australia and New Zealand.
Time: 6pm for refreshments. Talk will commence at 6:30pm.
Bookings are essential, limited capacity.
Image Credit: Conal Coad as Dansker in Billy Budd, Covent Garden, UK.
