Enjoying the Arts in Nature

Castlemaine's latest entrepreneur Michael Smith has joined Workspace Castlemaine to continue his affection for both the Arts and Nature. Michael creates high level classical music events outdoors in nature. Other events are developed to sync with not only nature itself but with the annual nature cycle and calendar. We look forward to seeing some of Michael's events as they unfold.

Michael’s experience began as a tenor emerging at Melbourne High School. He won the Victorian Secondary School Vocal Solo Championship, was the first student in the school’s history to sing solo at the school’s speech night at Melbourne Town Hall and at 18 became the youngest ever member of the Victorian College of the Arts Opera studio. While at the VCA, he was cast in the Australian premiere of British composer Harrison Birtwistle’s Bow Down at the Arts Centre Studio and created the lead tenor role of Ernest in the world premiere of Australian composer Michael Easton’s opera The Obelisk, based on E M Forster’s novella of the same name. In London, he received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music and lived with world famous Australian-born piano accompanist Geoffrey Parsons. While studying at RAM, he performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre and sang solo on the BBC Radio World Service. Michael has performed in operas in the UK, with The Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv and with opera companies in Australia, including Victorian Opera. He created the tenor role in the Australian world premiere of The Hive, which won Green Room and Helpmann Awards for Best Opera and Best Direction. Michael also sang cabaret at the Princess Club Resort on the Red Sea in Egypt.