High Notes & Michael Lapina

Ep 45 - Hey friends! Can you believe season two has actually wrapped up? We recorded a cheeky bonus encore where Helena and Adam trade backstage stories from Adelaide, ridiculous rehearsal moments (yes, pelvic thrusts feature) and a delightfully silly IMAGINARY heist involving the skills of our 2026 season 2 guests. For legal reasons, we DEFINITELY didn't plan a heist of the Louvre...

Ep 44 - It’s the end-of-season party you didn’t know you needed: Helena and Adam bring back their favorite tenors for Tim Tam chaos, geeky banter and more backstage opera shenanigans than anyone can handle. Expect ridiculous aria mashups (Wombles, Fresh Prince and yes, Barbie Girl meet opera), true-or-false showdowns about tight trousers and vowel tricks, and a totally serious plan to rob the Louvre involving a ninja, a locksmith and a sneaky Santa. Grab a cuppa, tune in, and enjoy this absolutely bonkers, warm and silly finale — and PS, there might be a mini bonus episode next week...

Ep 43 - Friends! Join Helena and Adam as they sit down with the irrepressible Rose Chong, the costume-maker extraordinaire who’s dressed divas, made giant cupcakes and turned Fitzroy into a veritable treasure trove of theatrical magic. Expect fascinating stories, the joys of reinventing old fabrics, practical costume wisdom for performers and a warm, funny chat!

Episode 42 - Hey friends! Tune in to Helena and Adam’s chat with Declan Costello, the choral scholar-turned-laryngologist who explains vocal health in plain, caring terms: baseline scopes, stroboscopy, reflux, aging voices, and how to tell the psychological from the physical. Don't miss it!

Ep 41 - Join Helena and Adam as they catch up with Tanja Binggeli the Berlin-based German language coach who makes German sing as beautifully as Italian. Helena and Adam dig into her accidental career, rehearsal-room tales, coaching hacks and even a surprising love of garlic. It’s warm, nerdy, funny and full of practical tips to help singers sound and be their best.

Ep 40 - Hi friends! Grab a cuppa and join Helena, Adam and the legendary Tony Legge for a behind-the-scenes chat about bel canto, the boring-but-brilliant exercises that actually save your voice and the wild stories that happen in rehearsals and auditions. Don't miss this one!

Ep 39 - Helena and Adam sit down with Caitlin Vincent, author of Opera Wars, for a chat that's equal parts love letter and expose. There are high notes, audition nightmares, messy rehearsal-room gossip and big questions about who opera is by and for. Warm, funny and full of insider stories, this episode makes opera feel human. It's perfect if you love it, want to understand it, or just enjoy a juicy behind-the-scenes story.

Ep 38 - Friends! Don't miss this chat as Helena and Adam catch up with the hilarious, generous and thoughtful, Michael Lapina, who just happens to also be a world-class tenor! Michael spills stories about starting at Disney, juggling 3D printers and how Rotary helped him create real opportunities for young singers and the community. It’s warm, nerdy and full of practical inspiration.

Episode 37 -  Friends! Helena and Adam back for 2026 and catching up on the past couple of months: think backyard barbies, the world’s sexiest mac and cheese and a glorious performance of Gilbert & Sullivan at the Palais. We trade hilarious backstage stories from Spain, festival chaos and surreal memories from London, before diving into what’s coming up for the year. Grab a drink, get comfy and come along for the ride! It’s a season full of passion, pratfalls and plenty of operatic goodness.

Episode 36 - Hey friends! Welcome to our festive season wrap! Helena and Adam get silly, swap stories from a wild year of opera and podcasting and dish on highlights, humiliations and big life moments (think moving house, role debuts and embarrassing gym tales). Grab your seasonal drink of choice and join us for a warm, laugh-out-loud look back at the year. Merry Christmas and we'll see you on the other side!