Virtue triumphs as Nina soars in the land of pirates
She’s the very model of a major opera star – acclaimed First Nations soprano Nina Korbe takes on The Pirates of Penzance – In Concert.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s most adored and popular comic operettas is returning to QPAC – and it will feature one of Australia’s fastest-rising stars.
Taking on the cherished lead role of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance – In Concert (a role that features the famous solo Poor Wandering One) – continues a thrilling year of debuts for award-winning Queensland First Nations soprano Nina Korbe.
The Koa, Kuku Yalanji, Wakka Wakka woman and Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, graduate is still flying high on stellar reviews for her portrayal of Maria in Opera Australia’s March production of West Side Story for the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.
Korbe played opposite fellow graduate Billy Bourchier who played Tony in West Side Story. She reunites with Bourchier in this Prospero Arts Concert Series version of The Pirates of Penzance when he stars as the naive pirate apprentice Frederic.
With a growing number of pivotal shows under her belt now, Korbe is quickly establishing herself as a rising star, praised for her creamy tone, brilliant top notes and sensitive performances.
“I’ve had a fantastic year of really fulfilling new repertoire, so it’s been a wonderful time,” Korbe says. “It’s been quite a year of debuts. I debuted as a principal with Opera Australia as Maria, but also as a principal working with Victorian Opera for the first time. I’ve also had some wonderful experiences with orchestral repertoire this year, so it’s been a colourful palette of music that I’ve been able to undertake.”
And now Korbe is extending herself as the head-strong Mabel in her first foray into the Gilbert and Sullivan canon.
“With G&S, you really have to rely on the text,” she says. “It’s not until you sit down with that text and pick it all apart that you realise how clever it is. Poor Wandering One, Pirate King, Modern Major General – these are three incredible hits that you see in stand-alone concerts all the time. It is lovely to be able to do a production that is so beloved by so many.”
The Pirates of Penzance – in Concert also reunites Korbe with renowned director Stuart Maunder, who she worked with while studying at the Queensland Conservatorium.
“I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in Australia with a more passionate and encyclopedic knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan,” Korbe says. “The show is in very good hands. I worked with him first in my postgraduate year, just before I headed to London to do my masters. He’s so very well-versed in the material. The fact that students are able to work with him at this stage in their development is such a gift. “
It’s Korbe’s First Nations heritage that she credits with giving her a life-long passion for storytelling in all its forms, and she’s thrilled that some of her extended family will be in the audience to see her star turn as Mabel, the daughter of the operetta’s Major-General Stanley.
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“I think the First Nations side of myself is always something that I’ve been very proud of, whether that’s been public or private, but what it particularly brings to my performing is the storytelling ability,” Korbe says. “We share so much of our culture through stories and our heritage.
“To be able to do that on stage and share stories with audiences – it really is the most beautiful gift. Being able to bring my unique perspective as a First Nations artist definitely adds another layer to that.”
The Pirates of Penzance – In Concert plays the Concert Hall, QPAC, December 5-8.
qpac.com.au