While talent is the first and foremost prerequisite for a successful career on the opera stage, it can also come down to a lot of lucky circumstances.

Trigg-raised mezzo-soprano Ashlyn Tymms’ latest serendipitous turn of events in the lead-up to singing the role of Olga in WA Opera’s season of Eugene Onegin, in Russian, stems from her recent experiences performing in Rusalka, sung in Czech.

“Czech was a big learning process which I found quite difficult, but because they have a lot of similarities, I found learning Russian an easier process,” says Tymms, whose latest of three Rusalka productions saw her perform alongside her Eugene Onegin co-star Eleanor Lyons in Queensland.

“Between the two operas, we’ve spent a few months together in Brisbane and now here. Both Eleanor and her husband, who’s a conductor, speak fluent Russian, so she’s been my Russian language coach.

“That’s the thing in this business — you need a lot of luck.”

Tymms also places WA Opera artistic director Chris van Tuinen in the same category of good fortune, for giving her the time and opportunity after making her debut with the State opera company in 2018’s The Cunning Little Vixen, to taking centre stage as the titular character in Carmen, performed at the WACA Ground for Perth Festival in 2023.

“It was an interesting time of COVID where it got delayed for the year, but it was a fabulous opportunity to do that role for a home audience,” says Sydney-based Tymms, who is back in Perth with her adorable groodle Otis.

“I had a lot of support from the company to do it. It was a positive experience, and from there, I went on to do many more performances with having that confidence in my back pocket. I guess that was a turning point for me.

“I really enjoy doing the bigger roles. Mezzos do have a lot of smaller roles in operas because it tends to be the soprano and the tenor, but from the Carmen experience, I started to really want more leading roles and to take on the bigger parts . . . So I guess it was a big confidence boost.”

That self-assurance is worlds apart from Tymms’ time at London’s Royal College of Music where the emotionally challenging and intense training was far from being about hyping up its students.

“I wanted to go to where it was happening, and at the time I felt that’s where I would get really solid training,” Tymms says.

“I was up against people from all over the world who were incredible . . . It was tough, and you’re either going to continue after those experiences, or you’re maybe going to find something else.”

Surrounded by an eclectic range of music during her formative years, Tymms studied percussion — she loved drumming — and began singing lessons at age seven through her mum Tracee’s friend, and classical singer, Janis Laing.

“They would have a cup of coffee, and I would have a singing lesson,” she shares.

This evolved into Tymms performing as a tween in En-Chant Productions, a small production company Laing started, which presented variety concerts at Playhouse Theatre, where Tymms was always the youngest in the cast of mature-age students.

“I remember helping ladies with their false eyelashes and getting into their costumes,” she recounts.

“I adored being in the theatre and that fascination of the magic that happens on stage. I think that fundamental love of the theatre has stayed with me, and the technical aspect has slowly developed along the way over many years.”

Her latest foray on stage is in director Cameron Menzies’ production of Eugene Onegin — where Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score transformed the novel by Alexander Pushkin — premiered in Belfast during 2024 by Northern Ireland Opera, where Menzies is artistic director.

Menzies’ version of this love story echoes across eras, with the opera set between two entwining time periods as Tatyana (Lyons) reminisces about her love affair with Eugene Onegin and the ramifications of when her sister Olga (Tymms) danced with him at a ball, while already in love with poet Lensky.

“I know it’s called Eugene Onegin, but for me, Tatyana’s journey is more intense,” Tymms explains.

“There’s a lovely actor who’s stepping into the role of older Tatyana, who is right there amongst the action as it all plays out.

“It’s this idea that we take all the stories that have shaped us as we age. So his (Menzies) concept is much more than just the opera itself, with this other flip side to it of the human essence.

“You get this beautiful contrast between the scenes playing out all the time, so it’s not just a straight standard opera.”

WA Opera’s Eugene Onegin, featuring WA Opera Chorus and WA Symphony Orchestra, is at His Majesty’s Theatre, August 6 to 15. Tickets at waopera.asn.au.