High Notes and Anecdotes

Ep 44 - It’s the end-of-season party you didn’t know you needed: Helena and Adam bring back their favorite tenors for Tim Tam chaos, geeky banter and more backstage opera shenanigans than anyone can handle. Expect ridiculous aria mashups (Wombles, Fresh Prince and yes, Barbie Girl meet opera), true-or-false showdowns about tight trousers and vowel tricks, and a totally serious plan to rob the Louvre involving a ninja, a locksmith and a sneaky Santa. Grab a cuppa, tune in, and enjoy this absolutely bonkers, warm and silly finale — and PS, there might be a mini bonus episode next week...

Ep 41 - Join Helena and Adam as they catch up with Tanja Binggeli the Berlin-based German language coach who makes German sing as beautifully as Italian. Helena and Adam dig into her accidental career, rehearsal-room tales, coaching hacks and even a surprising love of garlic. It’s warm, nerdy, funny and full of practical tips to help singers sound and be their best.

Ep 45 - Hey friends! Can you believe season two has actually wrapped up? We recorded a cheeky bonus encore where Helena and Adam trade backstage stories from Adelaide, ridiculous rehearsal moments (yes, pelvic thrusts feature) and a delightfully silly IMAGINARY heist involving the skills of our 2026 season 2 guests. For legal reasons, we DEFINITELY didn't plan a heist of the Louvre...

Ep 43 - Friends! Join Helena and Adam as they sit down with the irrepressible Rose Chong, the costume-maker extraordinaire who’s dressed divas, made giant cupcakes and turned Fitzroy into a veritable treasure trove of theatrical magic. Expect fascinating stories, the joys of reinventing old fabrics, practical costume wisdom for performers and a warm, funny chat!

Episode 42 - Hey friends! Tune in to Helena and Adam’s chat with Declan Costello, the choral scholar-turned-laryngologist who explains vocal health in plain, caring terms: baseline scopes, stroboscopy, reflux, aging voices, and how to tell the psychological from the physical. Don't miss it!

Ep 40 - Hi friends! Grab a cuppa and join Helena, Adam and the legendary Tony Legge for a behind-the-scenes chat about bel canto, the boring-but-brilliant exercises that actually save your voice and the wild stories that happen in rehearsals and auditions. Don't miss this one!

Ep 39 - Helena and Adam sit down with Caitlin Vincent, author of Opera Wars, for a chat that's equal parts love letter and expose. There are high notes, audition nightmares, messy rehearsal-room gossip and big questions about who opera is by and for. Warm, funny and full of insider stories, this episode makes opera feel human. It's perfect if you love it, want to understand it, or just enjoy a juicy behind-the-scenes story.

Ep 38 - Friends! Don't miss this chat as Helena and Adam catch up with the hilarious, generous and thoughtful, Michael Lapina, who just happens to also be a world-class tenor! Michael spills stories about starting at Disney, juggling 3D printers and how Rotary helped him create real opportunities for young singers and the community. It’s warm, nerdy and full of practical inspiration.

Episode 37 -  Friends! Helena and Adam back for 2026 and catching up on the past couple of months: think backyard barbies, the world’s sexiest mac and cheese and a glorious performance of Gilbert & Sullivan at the Palais. We trade hilarious backstage stories from Spain, festival chaos and surreal memories from London, before diving into what’s coming up for the year. Grab a drink, get comfy and come along for the ride! It’s a season full of passion, pratfalls and plenty of operatic goodness.

Episode 36 - Hey friends! Welcome to our festive season wrap! Helena and Adam get silly, swap stories from a wild year of opera and podcasting and dish on highlights, humiliations and big life moments (think moving house, role debuts and embarrassing gym tales). Grab your seasonal drink of choice and join us for a warm, laugh-out-loud look back at the year. Merry Christmas and we'll see you on the other side!

Episode 35 - Hi friends! We had the most inspiring chat with Melissa Wegner, Executive Director with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Laffont Competition. She walks us through international outreach, how the Met picks and develops singers and why mentorship, mental health and practical skills all matter, just as much as talent. If you’re an aspiring singer, you’ll love her clear audition checklist (voice, musicianship, interpretation and career potential), plus reality checks about covers, timing and when to jump into the professional world. She also explains the newer, kinder side of industry training: financial coaching, performance psychology, intimacy coordinators and real community support. Tune in for honest, friendly and super-useful advice whether you’re auditioning, considering a young artist program, or just want an insight into how singers can thrive in this wild opera life.

Episode 34 - Hey friends! Come hang with Helena and Adam as they catch up for a meandering chat: from hilarious Aussie lingo (like the Poddy) to TikTok triumphs and the importance of great repetiteurs. We get the tea on viral videos, strange fan mail, masterclasses with young performers and even nude stage stories. Tune in and laugh along.

Episode 33 - Hi friends! Jump on in to this thoughtful, laugh-out-loud conversation with David Hobson as he shares tales of writing a rock opera version of Macbeth, swinging metres above a stage without a net and the time a hubcap doubled as a bonnet. It’s full of backstage madness, career pivots and genuine advice for young singers. Expect candid stories about touring, teaching, authenticity in performance and why great artists keep learning. Don't miss this one!

Episode 32 - If you’re into behind-the-scenes opera gossip, this episode is for you. We hang out with Gerard Quinn and Chloe Morgan as they unpack life in Germany’s Fest system: the crazy rehearsal hours, costume nightmares, language mishaps and that infamous director who had everyone talking. Expect high notes, wild backstage moments and honest talk about surviving and thriving in the Fest life.

Episode 31 - Watch out! We jumped in the car, braved the rain and took you straight into the Melbourne Recital Centre for the Herald Sun Aria final. Expect backstage vibes, on-road banter and honest takes on six incredible young singers. There’s talk about conductor magic, judging pressure and how repertoire and orchestra placement can change everything. Grab some road trip snacks and join us!

Episode 30 - Welcome back, friends! Catch up with Simon Lobelson, baritone, conductor, teacher and "angry fiddler" as he chats to Helena and Adam about Mozart obsessions, contemporary opera surprises and the honest lessons he gives to young singers. Tune in for warm laughs, practical teaching gems and delightfully weird stories from the stage (think Kafka insects, squeaks, burps and farts). It’s a cozy chat with a great mate. Don't miss this one.

Ep 29 - Helena and Adam are back for a mischievous chat with Helen Hogh: artist manager, custard tart courier and the kind of honest, fiercely-caring person every singer hopes for. You’ll hear about the messy, human side of helping manage careers, like turning down gigs, holding artists’ hands after performances and why a good manager is basically your backstage superhero. It’s funny, candid and full of fascinating insights. Tiaras and Tanqueray even make cameos.

Episode 28 - Today it's just Helena and Adam and it's like you're just hanging out with us while we talk about upcoming gigs, oratorio and Helena's new teaching studio. We trade Aussie food hot takes (dim sims, mushy peas and pie floaters) and reminisce about touring pranks and backstage hijinks. Come for the opera gossip, stay for the laughs and don't miss Bastien's cameo at the end...

Episode 27 - Hey friends! Join Helena and Adam as they hang out with Wagnerian superstars, Christine Goerke and Brian Mulligan. The conversation wanders from crocodile-headed costumes and cupcake mishaps to mozzarella-in-the-dressing-room survival hacks. They get real about finding the right repertoire, the terrifying-but-beautiful leap into Wagner and the backstage camaraderie that keeps you going through four-hour marathons. Funny, warm and full of oddly specific opera life hacks, you’ll laugh, you’ll learn and you might never hear a duck noise the same way again.

Episode 26 - Hi friends! Don't miss Helena and Adam's fascinating chat with the brilliant conductor, Ben Northey. He tells stories from his jam-packed life on podiums around the world, including that now-famous mallet catch, how opera is its own glorious chaos and why great conducting is really about connecting people, not just waving arms. We chat about mentoring, bringing Indigenous voices to the orchestral stage, managing an insane schedule and little rehearsal tricks that actually work. It’s warm, funny and full of behind-the-scenes gold. Tune in if you love music, want to understand what a conductor really does, or just want a brilliant, honest conversation with someone who’s living at full tilt.