Opera is dead, scaremongers have been saying for years. Yet Perth is witnessing an operatic renaissance, and recently a company was launched, the third new one in six years. The emergence of these organic, grassroots organisations is all the more remarkable given the devastation inflicted on small-to-medium arts sector by government funding cuts in May 2016.

These new companies are distinctive for their flexibility, open-mindedness, and their ability – despite Perth’s post-boom economic downturn – to attract a diverse, enthusiastic audience. But how has it happened? Is it due to the quality of the singers, the compact art scene, a nose for where to find money, or the WA entrepreneurial spirit?