Stephen Phillips, who was the State Opera of South Australia’s General Director, passed away due to illness.
In a statement, the State Opera noted that Phillips was a significant contributor to the company’s history.
He was a supporter of the company’s various firsts, such as the construction of the Ring Cycle in 2004 as well as the first performance of Dead Man Walking, which was performed in other countries.
Born in the UK, Phillips came to Australia in 1973 and served as a staff member at the Sydney Opera.
From 1995 to 2011, Phillips was the General Director of the State Opera of South Australia.
He oversaw the development of the Ring Cycle, as well as the company’s first Australian production, which was directed by Elke Neidhardt.
Other premieres that he oversaw included Dead Man Walking, Little Women, and Moby-Dick.
In 2013, he received an award from the Queen for services to the arts industry.
He was also named a Member of the Order Of Australia for his contributions to the development of Australian opera.
In 2010, he described himself as an opera-aniac. West Australia Opera praised him for being an advocate for the country’s artists.
He stated that opera was unique in that it was able to suspend the disbelief of its audience.
He also noted that it had to be performed to the highest standards in order to achieve this.