Undead

Album

A COMPELLING ALBUM OF CONTEMPORARY OPERATIC ARIAS, UNAPOLOGETIC, UNAFRAID

Black and white stylized illustration representing the letter 'V' with a textured, distressed appearance.

AN ORIGINAL ALBUM FUSING OPERATIC GRANDEUR WITH A DEEP SENSE OF INTIMACY. BY JESSICA O’DONOGHUE.

AUSTRALIA’S OPERATIC PRESENT IS NOT ONLY ALIVE, BUT KICKING, WEEPING, WHISPERING IN TONGUES

Jessica O’Donoghue & Jack Symonds

A compilation of arias from new Australian operas, featuring original work by Jessica O’Donoghue and Jack Symonds, released on ABC Classic.

undead showcases Jessica’s deep commitment to representing modern, complex female characters, offering a compelling cross-section of Australia’s contemporary operatic landscape.

“Jessica’s versatility and beauty of tone are immediately apparent…and O’Donoghue’s undoubted narrative skills and theatricality are on display.” Limelight

PHOTO CREDITS: Michelle Pitiris (press shots), Bronte Godden (live show at The Church)

undead on Spotify

The Music Show Interview

undead album cover

Reviews

“Mezzo-soprano Jessica O’Donoghue – Co-Artistic Director of The Song Company – and composer Jack Symonds present a convincing case that opera is still very much a living and evolving artform with undead, a compelling digital album featuring 11 world premiere recordings of works by Australian composers.”
- Limelight
“The premise of the album is compelling: arias pulled from new Australian operas, works mostly premiered by Sydney Chamber Opera over the last decade, many written for O’Donoghue herself, and all composed by living, breathing artists for living, breathing audiences. Some of these operas had a season or two in the sun. Others flickered briefly before vanishing into the shadows. But Undead revives them, preserving their songs, channelled through the incandescent voice of a singer who is a superb dramatic interpreter as well as a master vocal technician.”
- Classikon
“[Undead has]redefined operatic performance in Australia”
- AUstralian Book Review

The vIDEO Singles

Your Dusk Is Near by Mary Finsterer

The Flood by Jack Symonds

Eternal City by Mary Finsterer

Speak Our Names by Andrèe Green

Running Man: The Witness I by Jessica O’Donoghue

Running Man: The Witness III by Jessica O’Donoghue

Running Man: The Witness II by Jessica O’Donoghue

The Canon by Huw Belling

Katharsis by Huw Belling

Dawn by Peggy Polias

Hanging Rock by Paul Stanhope

Life Story by Thomas Adès

Jessica O'Donoghue lying on a bed of hay in a dark setting, looking up with an expression of surprise or curiosity, wearing a light-colored dress, with the word 'dusk' in white text on a black background.

Fashionably dressed Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair, wearing a red ruffled crop top, shiny silver pants, and metallic boots, standing next to black tulle fabric.

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair wearing a red off-shoulder top and a man with a beard dressed in a black jacket and shirt stand together in front of a grey background.

Jessica O'Donoghue in a checkered coat walking in the dark with a large digital display behind her showing a giant spider and the words 'dawn' and 'new day'

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair wearing pink gloves, a black dress with white polka dots, and pink sleeves, holding a butterfly in her hands.

Jessica O'Donoghue with wild, curly hair and pink gloves is posed on the floor, wearing a polka dot dress, against a plain gray background.

Jessica and Jack posing against a plain background, one wearing a black jacket and the other in a white shirt with a black tie and a black tulle skirt.

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair, wearing a jewelry necklace and earrings, dressed in a pink ruffled dress, is in a seated pose with her head resting on her hand, against a plain gray background.

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair wearing a black embroidered jacket and light blue jeans sits on the floor, holding the foot of a person with a ring on their finger. The background is plain gray.

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair and light skin wearing a white top and a large, fluffy pink tulle skirt, sitting with her chin resting on her hand, looking at the camera against a plain background.

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly brown hair, wearing a black jacket adorned with rhinestones and earrings, poses against a plain background.

Jessica O'Donoghue with curly hair wearing a black dress with white polka dots, pink gloves, and bold makeup.

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church

Live show at The Church