14 May 2025, 7:30 PM
fortyfivedownstairs, Naarm (Melbourne), Australia
Lyric Opera of Melbourne
fortyfivedownstairs Chamber Music Festival

Role: Composer
Piece: Kiss My Sword: Sword Songs (World Premiere)
Tickets

Prepare for an electrifying evening of world premieres and daring musical narratives. Australian rising star Meta Cohen unveils a thrilling and major new song cycle Kiss My Sword. With a libretto by Evan Bryson, this fiercely queer reimagining of history plunges into the untamed world of Julie d’Aubigny—the 17th-century opera singer, swordswoman, and unapologetic rebel. A lover of women, a defeater of men in duels, and a trailblazing performer, d’Aubigny’s story blazes across the stage – this opera explores her mythologisation and the multiplicity of stories about her. Scored for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and piano, this premiere promises a powerful fusion of drama and desire. Being developed into a forthcoming full-scale opera production by renowned dramaturg/director Alyson Campbell, this daring work is a major new addition to the classical Australian art song repertoire.

With an internationally renowned cast bringing their talents to three exciting song cycles – mezzo-soprano Jessica Aszodi, soprano Breanna Stuart, soprano Livia Brash, tenor Alexander Gorbatov and pianist Coady Green, and hosted by Lyric Opera Artistic Director Patrick Burns, this is an unmissable night where music ignites the stage and queer voices break boundaries.