Sunday 15 November 2026, 2:30 pm
Handel: The Messiah
Experience the enduring power of Handel’s Messiah, a masterpiece that has captivated
audiences for nearly three centuries. From its lyrical arias to the triumphant “Hallelujah”
chorus, Messiah traces a sweeping musical journey through prophecy, passion, and
redemption. This performance brings together 4 soloists, large chorus and orchestra to
illuminate Handel’s dramatic storytelling and famous melodies. Whether you are
rediscovering a beloved tradition or hearing it for the first time, Messiah offers an afternoon of
inspiration, beauty, and transcendent musical craft.
Join us for a celebration of one of the most iconic works in the choral-orchestral
repertoire—an uplifting testament to hope, humanity, and the enduring power of music.
Conductor: Willem Van Der Vis
In collaboration with:
Soloists:
Raymond Khong
Raymond Khong is a versatile Australian performer with nearly 30 years’ experience across television, radio and stage. Since beginning in 1993 with Victoria State Opera and The Australian Opera, he has worked with numerous companies including Co-Opera, Eastern Metropolitan Opera, Melbourne City Opera and Chamber Made Opera.
His roles include Rodolfo in La Bohème, Don José in Carmen, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Belmonte in The Seraglio and Ferrando in Così fan tutte. A career highlight was his Green Room Award-nominated performance as Tian Qing in Chamber Made Opera’s The Possessed.
Raymond has toured nationally for over 15 years, notably as one of Australia’s Three Chinese Tenors, and has performed with major concert groups including The Australian Army Band, The Viennese Musical Society, The Victorian Concert Orchestra and Macquarie Philharmonia. He continues to produce touring “popera” shows with a comedic flavour.
He has recorded three albums, received a Fellowship Diploma in Music in 2019, and earned acclaim for his role as The Doctor in the Australian premiere of A Handmaid’s Tale opera. During COVID-19, he continued performing in theatre and television, including Gang of Five, Toyota USA, Department of Defence and Love Me.
Lisette Bolton
Green Room Award nominated soprano and director Lisette Bolton is a Master of Music (Opera Performance) graduate from the University of Melbourne and an alumna of Opera Australia’s Regional Student Scholarship, the Young Songmakers Development Program, Opera Scholars Australia and the Australian Shakespeare Company’s Graduate Players. She was a 2025 sponsorship recipient of the Cope-Williams Arts Foundation and was a semi-finalist in the 2024 Australian Singing Competition and 2023 Herald Sun Aria. She made her directorial debut in 2025 with a production of Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief at the Atheneum II with IOpera Company.
Her performance credits include Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel, Humperdinck), Parrwang (Parrwang Lifts the Sky, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon), Laetitia and Miss Pinkerton (The Old Maid and the Thief, Menotti), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte, Mozart), Second Wood Nymph (Rusalka, Dvořák), First Soprano (Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt, Missy Mazzoli), Kala/Elle (Pieces of Margery, May Lyon), Bird (The Grumpiest Boy in the World, Joseph Twist), Second Woman (Dido and Aeneas, Purcell), Olive (Fly, Barry Conyngham) and Girl (Emperor of Atlantis, Viktor Ullmann). She has also understudied Blanche (Dialogues des Carmélites, Poulenc) and Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart)
Glenda Smith
Glenda Smith has enjoyed a rich and varied musical life spanning opera, oratorio, choral singing and performance. After singing extensively throughout her school years, including Gilbert and Sullivan and oratorio, she continued her musical journey at university with Town and Gown music societies, performing roles such as Maurya in Riders to the Sea and Olga in Eugene Onegin. She was also a member of the Elizabethan Madrigal Singers.
Glenda went on to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama before joining the Scottish Chorus, performing professionally in theatre and concert productions across Europe. Highlights of this period include Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress in Jerusalem and Schoenberg’s Die Gluckliche Hand at La Scala.
Alongside her professional work, she has continued to perform in a wide range of settings, from choirs and oratorio to jazz, pop backing vocals, television and film. Among her more unusual musical adventures are performing for tea dances at the Ritz and busking in Covent Garden with a plastic lobster. She now sings with Melbourne’s Women’s Choir, the Yarra Valley Singers and the Yarra Valley Chamber Singers.
Venue:
George Wood PAC, Yarra Valley Grammar, Kalinda Rd, Ringwood 3134
Get Tickets:
https://www.trybooking.com/DMXOF
Adult $35, Concession $30, (plus booking fee if applicable); School-age children free but must book a seat
Ticket Enquiries: