FRANKSTON resident Steven Gallop will return to the stage on 23 August as Melbourne Opera presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore.
Gallop will play Ferrando in the production, which will run for four performances at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre.
Over the years, Gallop has performed with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, and Opera Australia, but his journey began with school musicals in Brisbane.
“I was always in involved in school musicals and that sort of thing, but it never really became serious until probably my mid 20s,” said Gallop.
At the time, he was teaching while singing with the Queensland Light Opera Company and then Queensland Opera Company.
It was his singing teacher, Margreta Elkins, who challenged him to pursue singing professionally.
“She basically gave me an ultimatum to either teach or sing,” said Gallop.
“And I made the decision because I thought ‘Well, you only have one life’.”
After studying at the Queensland Conservatorium for a year, Gallop secured a contract with Opera Australia before winning the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera (formerly known as the Sydney Sun Aria) Scholarship in 1992.
The win launched Gallop’s international career, which took him to Vienna for 14 years.
He returned to Australia in 2008 and settled in Frankston with his partner, where they continue to live with their son.
“It’s got everything,” said Gallop. “It’s a great city.”
Gallop said performing Verdi’s work is a great opportunity to show his voice.
“It’s a great privilege, I think, to be able to sing Verdi’s work,” said Gallop.
“It really shows what singers can do.”
In Il Trovatore, Gallop’s character Ferrando opens the opera by recounting a dark story which drives the plot.
“It’s a melodramatic opera, a fantastic drama with incredible music and familiar tunes that the audience will know,” said Gallop.
As well as the famous score, Gallop said the opera continues to resonate with audiences for a number of reasons.
“There’s a lot of political themes, with the conflicts, and so it resonates with audiences today in that you still see those sorts of conflicts existing in the world, unfortunately,” said Gallop.
“You also have, the other thing, of course, which is most important, that people can relate to, which is love, and all those emotions.”
Gallop has been preparing for his role for months, including coaching sessions with conductor Raymond Lawrence before rehearsals begin.
Gallop said for him, the reward lies in connecting with audiences.
“I love being on stage,” said Gallop.
“I love the connection with audiences and being able to move audiences in some emotional way, and take them away from their reality, take them away from their real lives.”
Tickets are now available for Il Trovatore, which opens 23 August at Melbourne Athenaeum Theatre.
First published in the Frankston Times – 11 August 2026