Dimity Shepherd | Weaver Artist Management

Melbourne – Australia

After graduating from the WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS, Dimity Shepherd made her professional operatic debut for OPERA AUSTRALIA in 1998 singing the role of Rosina in the company’s OZ OPERA production of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, performances of which OPERA~OPERA wrote, …as wondrously delicious a Rosina as I ever hope to encounter.

She subsequent appearances for OPERA AUSTRALIA have included Cherubino in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Rebecca in LOVE IN THE AGE OF THERAPY a role for which she received a GREENROOM AWARD and most recently the role of CARMEN in 2021.

Other early appearances included creating the title role in Jonathan Mill’s THE GHOST WIFE in the world premiere seasons at the Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney festivals and at London’s BARBICAN CENTRE, performances of which the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD said, Dimity Shepherd in the title role, was evocative, illusory, extraordinary, while THE TIMES said, Dimity Shepherd is brilliant in the role. She creates a heartbreaking, yet flawed figure and her vocal insensity underlines the music’s strange lyricism., and THE GUARDIAN wrote, Shepherd is absolutely compelling…the musical and dramatic core of the piece… and lead roles in world premiere productions of CROSSING LIVE and THE CHILDREN’S BACH for CHAMBER MADE OPERA.

She has gone on to become a regular principal artist for VICTORIAN OPERA, originally making her debut for the company as Orphee in Gluck’s ORPHEE & EURYDICE in 2007, and since, appearing in the lead role of Alice in THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, as Flora in LA TRAVIATA, Arsamene in Handel’s XERXES and Nireno in JULIUS CAESAR, Mercurius in JS Bach’s DER STREIT ZWISCHEN PHEOBUS UND PAN and Cherubino in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO for which she was awarded a GREEN ROOM AWARD and Lucy in THE THREEPENNY OPERA in Melbourne and Sydney receiving a HELPMANN AWARD nomination, Jazz in the premiere production of HOW TO KILL YOUR HUSBAND, the lead role of Clara Johnson in the world premiere production of MIDNIGHT SON, the Second Secretary in NIXON IN CHINA, three principal roles in Sondheim’s SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, The Begger Woman in SWEENEY TODD, the Forester’s Wife and the Owl in THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN and The Nursemaid in Ernst Toch’s THE PRINCESS & THE PEA, The Cat in Respighi’s SLEEPING BEAUTY, Die Erste Dienerin in ELEKTRA and roles in the premiere productions of BANQUET OF SECRETS, THE RIDERS, GALILEO, for which she won a further GREENROOM AWARD, and in EUCALYPTUS in 2024.

Her performances for VICTORIAN OPERA in LORELEI, won her a further GREENROOM AWARD nomination, THE AGE said, as a siren, as a singer, as a woman … Shepherd most accomplished., while of HELPMANN AWARD nominated performances as Katchen in THE BLACK RIDER the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD wrote …extraordinary., and SIMON PARRIS: MAN IN A CHAIR said, Shepherd’s stylised portrayal is at the heart of the humanity of the piece and her vocals are exquisite… a gorgeous vocal delight.

Her roles for OPERA QUEENSLAND include Maddalena in RIGOLETTO, Stephano in ROMEO & JULIET and Tisbe in LA CENERENTOLA while for STATE OPERA OF AUSTRALIA she has appeared as Pearl in THE SUMMER OF THE SEVENTEENTH DOLL and Nettie Fowler in CAROUSEL as well making a return to the role of Jazz in HOW TO KILL YOUR HUSBAND in 2022.

Shepherd’s roles for MELBOURNE OPERA include Carmen, the THE AUSTRALIAN writing of her performances, Shepherd’s realisation was recklessly compelling… She was in splendid voice confirming herself as one of our finest singing actresses., the role of Smeaton in ANNA BOLENA of which SIMON PARRIS: MAN IN A CHAIR reviewing said, Elevating the stature of this role with her highly committed performance, talented singing actress Shepherd once again shows why she is one of Melbourne’s most valued stage performers and Emilia in Rossini’s OTELLO, in 2019, for which she received a GREENROOM AWARD, Orsini in LUCREZIA BORGIA and performances as both Fricka and Schwertleite in DIE WALKÜRE both roles to which she returned in the company’s season of the complete DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN cycle in 2023.

Her concert appearances include Sculthorpe’s STRING QUARTET NO.13 ISLAND DREAMING in the SYDNEY FESTIVAL, MESSIAH with the QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, of which THE AUSTRALIAN wrote, In terms of generating empathy, Dimity Shepherd’s account of He Was Despised was the finest I have seen., while of her MESSIAH for the ROYAL MELBOURNE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY, ARTS REVIEW said, Singing with searing and emphatic sculptural class, Dimity Shepherd shared the joy of engagement with her own music generously … Drawing palpable meaning and belief from the text, Shepherd exhibited every bit of the seasoned artist she is… a magnificent He Was Despised to embed in one’s memory. And of performances of the Berio FOLK SONGS with the TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA during 2022, LIMELIGHT magazine wrote, Shepherd was extraordinary. Her powerful, charismatic voice created seemingly limitless tone colours and characters… she was the highlight in a concert of highlights… This was a truly memorable performance of Berio’s songs.

Of her work as soloist in Goliyov’s AYRE at the FREMANTLE ARTS FESTIVAL, THE AUSTRALIAN wrote, In an evening of fine performances, Dimity Shepherd stole the show with her transfixing account… Shepherd inhabited these songs with total conviction, capturing the vast breadth of their emotional range.

Of her performances in the world premiere of Katy Abbott’s HIDDEN THOUGHTS II: RETURN TO SENDER with the FLINDERS QUARTET, CLASSIC MELBOURNE wrote, Dimity Shepherd’s entrance heralded the beginning of a fearless bravura performance…,

2022 included her engagement as the vocalist in the AUSTRALIAN BALLET‘s Melbourne and Sydney seasons of ANNA KARENINA.

RECORDINGS

Antonio e Cleopatra – Hasse

All enquiries to Jeff Weaver at Weaver Artist Management