ABOUT
ALI MCGREGOR is a Melbourne based singer & producer. She started her career as a principal soprano with Opera Australia then ran away with the circus in the form of hit show La Clique (La Soiree). She is now an award winning cabaret performer who has performed everywhere from Glastonbury to Carnegie Hall and is one of the most in demand performers on the international festival circuit. She was nominated for an ARIA award in 2014 and in 2015 was awarded a Green Room Award for her contribution to cabaret and she most recently won a coveted Helpmann Award for her cabaret show Yma Sumac - The Peruvian Songbird after successful seasons at Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the Sydney Opera House. She has sung extensively with both the Sydney Symphony and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, most recently making her solo debut with the MSO with a sold out show at Hamer Hall
After wrapping two critically acclaimed seasons as co - Artistic Director for Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2016/2017 alongside Eddie Perfect, Ali then returned as sole Artistic Director in 2018. She was returned alongside all previous ADs for the 2023 season. She conceived an opera ‘Lorelei’ with music/lyrics by Casey Bennetto, Gillian Cosgriff & Julian Langdon produced by Victorian Opera in November 2018 and was a part of both Opera Queensland's & Victorian Opera's 2021 season.
In 2020 she formed FLUXUS to continue to create concepts and develop new Australian work for the operatic stage. Their first production 'The Call' written by Kate Miller-Heidke & Conor D'Netto debuted at Brisbane Festival in September 2022. It was a co-production with Opera Queensland directed by the company's Artistic Director Patrick Nolan.
She has been an Australia Council Fellow for 2023/24 and is the recipient of the 2024 Frank Van Straten Fellowship.
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Read more on Ali's Opera Career here
To read about Ali's Concept Creation go to fluxus.com.au
NOTABLE recent PERFORMANCES
Theatre/Opera
Opera Queensland | The Call | 2022 |
Victorian Opera | Happy End | 2021 | The Fly
Victorian Opera | A Little Night Music | 2019 | Desirée​
Victorian Opera | Lorelei | 2018 | Lorelei B​
Sydney Theatre Company | A Convict's Opera | 2008 | Polly Peachum
Festivals
Edinburgh Fringe (2005 - 2018)
Melbourne International Comedy Festival (2005 - 2019)
Adelaide Cabaret Festival (2009 - 2018, 2023)
Sydney Festival 2014
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2005 - 2012 & 2021)
Perth Fringe, Auckland Festival, Glastonbury UK, Wexford Festival, World Busker's Festival, Festival of Voices (TAS)
Television/
Digital
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: A Perfect Christmas 2021
Choose Your Own Variety (Arts Centre Melbourne) 2020
Spicks & Specks (ABC) (2020-2005)
Courtney Act's Christmas Spectacular (Channel 4 UK) 2019
Concert
​Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Ali McGregor in Concert | 2023
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Hans Zimmer | 2023
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Performance of A Lifetime | 2021
Sydney Symphony Orchestra | Speakeasy | 2020 | Singing Yma Sumac​​
Carnegie Hall, NYC | Michael Feinstein celebrates Harold Arlen | 2018
AWARDS
Helpmann Award | Winner - Cabaret Performance | Yma Sumac - The Peruvian Songbird 2019
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Green Room Award | Winner - Contribution to Cabaret | Ali McGregor's Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night 2018
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ARIA | Nominee - Best Family Release | Jazzamatazz (ABC MUSIC) 2014
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Three Week's Editor's Award, Edinburgh | Winner - Best Family Show | Jazzamatazz 2015
QUOTES
"...matching the trumpets note for note in the high register or delivering some incredibly shimmering, whistle-like slides into the stratosphere. Her spectacular mambo take on Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria, à la Sumac, had the audience eating out of her hand."
Limelight Magazine for SSO The Latin Lounge Feb 2020
"First class, and top shelf. There’s no reason why Yma Sumac, The Peruvian Songbird should not tour all over the world. It is that good."
Adelaide Advertiser for Yma Sumac
"Ranging from deep, earthshaking bass to dizzying, sky-scraping high notes there are not enough superlatives to describe Mc Gregor's voice, or how listening to it makes you feel right in the core of your being. Completely exhilarating."
"Five stars really do not fully import the wonder that is this show. Don’t miss it."
"This is an unforgettable show."
"...powerful, empathetic, and a little bit miraculous."
"the big star of McGregor’s act is her voice, that does tricks that even a circus performer could only dream of replicating.'
"Ali McGregor In Decadence was faultless."
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'Somewhere between opera and pop sits a genre of music called 'Ali McGregor'
HERALD SUN
'Ali McGregor has the kind of silky smooth singing voice that transports you to a different plane, in a way that makes you forget everything you were doing before walking in to the theatre and everything you intended to be doing when you walk out again' THE SCOTSMAN
‘McGregor’s voice is phenomenal’ TELEGRAPH ★★★★
'Money can’t buy this much heart, sass and pure, mainlined joy' ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Herald Sun
'Fun, unpretentious, but underpinned with incredible musicality, superb dynamics and spectacular vocal feats, some of which are so breathtaking and 'death-defying', as to be almost circus-worthy' AUSTRALIAN THEATRE
'at the end of each song I found myself slightly out of breath.'
THE NEW CURRENT ★★★★★
'McGregor’s vocal range and quality of sound is extraordinary, as is the energy she exudes' 'McGregor’s vocal range and quality of sound is extraordinary, as is the energy she exudes' ★ ★ ★ ★ Edinburgh Guide
Download Full CV
