Australian mezzo-soprano, Allegra Giagu, made her solo debut at the Sydney Opera House at the age of eleven. Joining the Sydney Children’s Choir, Gondwana Voices, and Opera Australia soon led to collaborations with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and notable artists such as Richard Tognetti, Brett Dean, Neil Finn, and Michael Leunig.
International recognition came when Leo Schofield selected Allegra as the soloist for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo-Salute to Australia, accepting offers of work in the United Kingdom with Classic FM and Dame Judi Dench, and the opportunity to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, followed by the Royal College of Music, coaching with experts including Thomas Hampson, Roger Vignoles, and Graham Johnson.
On the path towards an Opera career, Allegra quietly explored her love of Early Music, receiving coaching from Artists such as Sir Michael Chance and Dame Emma Kirkby. The realisation of this journey culminates in the ARIA-nominated album Curious Caledonians with Evergreen Ensemble, Neal Perez da Costa, Danny Yeadon, and Concerto Caledonia on ABC Classic; and in her role as the Artistic Director of Mamás Bravas, a new ensemble exploring interpretations of rare Iberian manuscripts, highlighted by Ópera Española commissioned for Shepparton Festival in 2023.
Bridging traditional operatic roles with performances that seek to propel the art form forward, Allegra sustains engagements across the UK, Europe and Australasia, including Cabaret and Circus Opera on London’s West End, contributions to Dario Marianelli’s Ivor Award-winning and Oscar-nominated Anna Karenina soundtrack, and art installations in Vienna, and London, including the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Allegra has spent significant time in New York, under the guidance of coaches from LA Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. As a result, she is engaged in doctoral research inspired by the Foundation for Iberian Music at CUNY. She is currently delving into the Spanish musical archives at New Norcia, Western Australia, supported by the University of Melbourne, exploring our musical heritage through performance.
Arriving in Ardmona to be with her family, Allegra hopes to continue collaborating with Shepparton Festival to diversify classical music programming. The upcoming event, Opera & Ivory with pianist Sally Whitwell, seeks to extend their classical music and opera style to a broader audience, blending authenticity and humour.
