Q & A: Sharon Carty on her Position as Artistic Director of the Sligo Baroque Festival & her Role as Mary in Irish National Opera’s Production of “Testament”

(Photo: Frank McGrath/Irish Independent) Mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty is a name familiar to anyone with an interest in classical music in Ireland. Known mainly for her many performances in operas and concerts across the country, she also active in other areas associated with the classical musical scene, not least in her role as the recently appointed artistic director of Sligo Baroque {…}

Jul 27, 2026

Q & A: Soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh On Her Rising Profile & Her Role As Cora In The World Premiere Of The Curing Line At The Kilkenny Arts Festival

(Photo: Roberto Santos-Luy) Having just watched the splendid Irish soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh, one of Ireland’s rising stars, in her role debut as Donna Anna in Blackwater Valley Opera Festival’s production of “Don Giovanni” as well as being scheduled to review her next role as Cora in the world premiere of Michael Gallen’s award-winning new opera “The Curing Line” at {…}

May 15, 2026

David Bizic, Atalla Ayan, Sinéad Campbell Wallace, Celine Byrne & Sean Michael Plumb Lead Irish National Opera’s 2026-27 Season

The Irish National Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. The company will present Absolute scenes from “Carmen,” “The Barber of Seville” and “Così fan tutte.” The evening will feature Laura Aherne, Heather Sammon, Olga Palazhchenko, David Kennedy and William Pearson. Performance Date: June 28 & July 4, 2026 Tarik O’Regan & Colm Tóibín’s “Testament” will be conducted by Elaine Kelly and {…}

Feb 28, 2026

Irish National Opera 2025-26 Review: The Cunning Little Vixen

(Photo: Ruth Medjber) Irish National Opera’s production of Janacek’s “The Cunning Little Vixen” proved to be a valid, yet commonplace, sentimental, child-centered reading, which unfortunately failed to delve below the surface narrative, although this was not the intention of its director, Sophie Motley. The Director’s Ideas Fail to Translate into Practice In her program notes, Motley explained that her aim {…}

Jan 6, 2026

Irish National Opera 2025-26 Review: The Bartered Bride

(Photo: Pato Cassinoni) Irish National Opera‘s (INO) recent tour of Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” took in a number of small venues across Ireland that rarely, if ever, get featured in its normal schedule. Included were towns such as Birr, Monaghan and Manorhamilton, situated in the rural hinterlands, far distant from the Dublin metropolis and the smaller urban areas of Galway, {…}

Jun 2, 2025

Salome Jicia, Sinéad Campbell Wallace, Celine Byrne & Mario Chang Lead Irish National Opera’s 2025-26 Season

The Irish National Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with a darkly comic new opera, “MARS,” a commissioned work from Jennifer Walshe and Mark O’Connell. The work will star sopranos Nina Guo and Jade Phoenix, and mezzo-sopranos Doreen Curran and Sarah Richmond. Performance Dates: July 25–27 & August 7–9, 2025. The company will present “Viva Verdi, Viva Wagner” with Irish soprano Sinéad Campbell Wallace, US {…}

Apr 21, 2025

Irish National Opera 2024-25 Review: Der fliegende Holländer

(Photo: Patrick Redmond) Since its inception in 2018, Irish National Opera has made remarkable progress with a series of innovative and imaginative productions that have entertained audiences from both home and abroad, garnering praise from the national and international media for the variety and quality of its output. Now, in its seventh season, the company decided to stage four performances {…}

Mar 1, 2025

Q & A: Soprano Giselle Allen on ‘Der Fliegende Hollände’ & the Repertory She Prefers to Sing

(Photo: courtesy of Giselle Allen) Later this month, Irish National Opera will be staging a new production of Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer,” conducted by Fergus Sheil and directed by Rachael Hewer, with baritone Jordan Shanahan as the Dutchman. OperaWire recently met up with the Northern Irish soprano, Giselle Allen, who is currently preparing for the role of Senta, to talk {…}

Nov 6, 2024

Irish National Opera 2024-25 Review: Mary Motorhead / Trade

(Photo: Ros Kavanagh) (WARNING: This review features explicit language.) Irish National Opera recently completed its tour of a pairing of operas by the exciting Irish composer Emma O’Halloran and librettist and playwright, Mark O’Halloran. Both works contain intimate psychological portraits of characters who find themselves in emotionally difficult situations. The first, entitled “Mary Motorhead,” focuses on a young woman jailed {…}

Aug 23, 2024

Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Sarah Richmond on Her Forthcoming Role as Olga for Northern Ireland Opera

(Photo: Ross Kavanagh) This September, Northern Ireland Opera premieres its new production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”, with its quality cast members directed by Cameron Menzies, and conducted by Dominic Limburg. This production looks certain to be another hit with local audiences, following its sell-out productions of “La Traviata” and “Tosca.” OperaWire met up with one of its stars, mezzo-soprano Sarah {…}

Aug 5, 2024

Q & A: Emma O’Halloran on ‘Mary Motorhead’ & ‘Trade’ at Irish National Opera

(Photo: Alex Dowling) During the pandemic, the composer, Emma O’Halloran, and librettist, Mark O’Halloran, produced a piece for Irish National Opera’s hugely successful and innovative “20 Shots of Opera.” The work, entitled “The Wait,” is an impressive opera that brilliantly showcased O’Halloran’s compositional skills, in which OperaWire drew attention to her “wonderfully evocative score, with its contrasting densities and textures, {…}