(Photo: Frances Marshall) With Ireland’s Blackwater Valley Opera Festival about to get underway, OperaWire thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty, who will be playing the role of Sesto in the festival’s headline presentation, Handel’s “Giulio Cesare.” 2024 is proving to be a busy year for Carty. She has had a full calendar, {…}
The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival has announced its 2024 season. Ireland’s Summer Opera Festival will return from May 26 through June 3, 2024. Handel’s “Giulio Cesare“ will headline the season at the Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford. The Irish Baroque Orchestra and the BVOF Chorus will be conducted by Nicholas McGegan and will star Ingeborg Bröcheler, Anna Devin, Nils Wanderer, Patricia {…}
(Photo: Patrick Redmond) Soprano Kelli-Ann Masterson continues to notch up wonderful reviews for her performances across Ireland with Irish National Opera, Opera Collective Ireland, Blackwater Valley Festival and Wexford Festival Opera. At present, she is on tour with Irish National Opera wowing audiences with her Norina in the company’s riotous “Don Pasquale” OperaWire: What was the first opera you saw? {…}
(Photo: Patrick Browne) Opera in Ireland has recently been going through a boom time. Whereas only a few years ago, Irish singers were being forced to look abroad to establish a career, owing to the lack of opportunities at home, now, with the emergence of Opera Collective Ireland, the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, and, most significantly, Irish National Opera, along {…}
During his lifetime the Irish composer, William Balfe, was considered to be the most important opera composer in the United Kingdom (Ireland at the time was still part of the UK), responsible for at least 28 titles, alongside many other vocal and instrumental works. With the possible exception of “The Bohemian Girl,” his operas have now been largely forgotten. The {…}