Four years after its acclaimed world premiere of Ned Kelly at the two thousand nineteen Perth Festival, Lost and Found Opera has relaunched to produce Maurice Ravel’s rarely heard L’Heure Espagnole (Spanish Time). The comedian opera about a Spanish clockmaker’s wife and her three lovers will unite Lost and Found co-artistic directors Melissa Cantwell and Label Coughlan, the founding company chair who left to be CEO of the WA Symphony Orchestra.

The production is expected in the second half of two thousand twenty-three, with a look for for a venue and dates to match the mantra of Lost Operas, Found Spaces. Also returning to the fray is founding co-artistic director Chris Van Tuinen, presently artistic director at WA Opera, who'll continue on the board. W Opera artistic director Chris van Tuinen. W Opera artistic director Chris van Tuinen. Credit: Alana Blowfield New chair Mary-Ellen King said COVID had delayed the revival and restructure of the company founded in two thousand-twelfth, which spent this year reviewing leadership and the appointment of Cantwell and Coughlan “Highly respected practitioners, Mel and Label are the ideal team to lead Lost and Found into its following stage of growth and development,” King said. Cantwell’s recent work includes Mary Stuart and Whale Fall for Perth Festival, The Elders Project (Fremantle Festival); Slap and Tickle (Adelaide Cabaret Festival); Blink (City of Perth Winter Arts Festival) and The Average Joe (Summer Nights).

Coughlan is currently artistic director of Music on the Terrace at Government Ho, and regularly appears as a concert pianist and conductor in addition to executive and board appointments in academic, arts and other organisations. His focus on nurturing youth in the arts will turn to creating opportunities for early career singers and other arts professionals. “Having been involved with Lost and Found the very beginning as founding chairman, I’m extremely excited to be stepping into the role of co-artistic director with the brilliant and celebrated Mel Cantwell and that we'll once again be creating compelling and unique opera experiences in quirky and surprising venues in WA,” Coughlan said.