Deborah Cheetham Fraillon is a force to be reckoned with in the world of opera. At 58 years old, she has accomplished more than most in the industry, breaking barriers and pushing for greater diversity and representation on stage.
Born Yorta Yorta and a member of the stolen generation, Cheetham Fraillon has always been determined to make her mark on the world of opera. And she has done just that, with her work as a composer and performer aimed at bringing new stories to the stage that resonate with contemporary audiences.
Her first opera composition, Pecan Summer, was a retelling of an important moment of protest for her Yorta Yorta clan – the 1939 Cummeragunja walk-off. And her work as a professor of vocal studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music has allowed her to bring First Nations artists and stories to the forefront of the industry.
Cheetham Fraillon’s approach to opera is rooted in an “Indigenous lens,” one that acknowledges the art form’s colonial heritage and seeks to expand the traditional canon to find new resonances. She also encourages her students to bring their own backgrounds and experiences to the stage, making opera a more inclusive and accessible art form.
At a recent workshop with vocal performance students at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Cheetham Fraillon emphasized the importance of connection to character and story. She also underscored the power of opera as a way of knowing and being, and urged her students to bring an understanding of what it means to live on this continent and be part of a nation with the longest continuing music practice in the world.
For Cheetham Fraillon, storytelling is central to Indigenous culture, and she wants to see it at the heart of opera. Her production company, Short Black Opera, is in its 14th year of bringing First Nations artists and stories to the stage. And while she acknowledges that companies like Opera Australia have a big-budget model built on long runs of known works, she believes that audience development and diversity on stage can “save opera from itself.”
Cheetham Fraillon’s uncompromising insistence on diversity and representation in the world of opera is nothing short of revolutionary. With her work, she is breaking down barriers and opening up the industry to new voices and stories.