and regional Victoria and, marking the release of his CD, A Little Closer, performed in two concerts in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in November. Hobson and bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes' CD You'll Never Walk Alone was released in February 2009, followed in March by an extensive Australian recital tour. One of the recitals was in Hobart, and a few weeks later Hobson returned for concerts with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in Hobart and Launceston. Much of the second half of 2009 was occupied with touring for Musica Viva, while December was devoted to another performance of Handel's Messiah with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic at Melbourne Town Hall, a season of Christmas at the House in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, and an appearance at Melbourne's traditional Christmas Eve celebration Carols by Candlelight, at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, televised nationally. Hobson's 2010 schedule began with a return to Opera in the Alps at Beechworth, with Marina Prior, and continued with a reprise performance in the title role of Candide for the Sydney Festival concert presentation of Opera in the Domain (both in January); another recital with Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Adelaide (March); and the principal role of Eisenstein – which he last performed in 2000 – in the Opera Australia production of the Johann Strauss II operetta Die Fledermaus at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, during May. April saw Hobson's debut as a specialist presenter on the new pay-TV STVDIO arts channel. Hobson followed the Fledermaus season of traditional operetta with something completely different when he appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in his stagework Am I Really Here? in June 2010 and a performance of Zender's contemporary interpretation of Schubert's Winterreise at the Brisbane Powerhouse in July. The CD album Singing for Love, a compilation of work by Hobson and Yvonne Kenny, was released in 2010 before their nationwide concert tour. A busy and varied year concluded with a series of concerts in four states, including three performances in Brisbane for the 25th anniversary season of Spirit of Christmas at QPAC and a regulation appearance at Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight. Hobson's 2011 schedule included a West Australian Opera concert performance of Die Fledermaus in Perth; a flying visit to New Zealand in March; a third concert appearance with the Victoria Welsh Choir in June; his role debut as Count Danilo in Opera Australia's new production