David Portillo, Michael Chioldi, Claudia Boyle & Soraya Mafi Lead Irish National Opera’s 2024-25 Season

The Irish National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. The company will open with a double bill featuring “Mary Motorhead” and “Trade.” Naomi Louisa O’Connell, Oisin O’Dalaigh, and John Molloy star in the production. Elaine Kelly conducts and Tom Creed directs. Performance Date: August 8–Oct. 23, 2024 Paula Murrihy and David Portillo lead Berlioz’s “Béatrice and Bénédict,” alongside Anna Devin, {…}

Nov 14, 2023

Wexford Festival Opera 2023 Review: La Ciociara

(Photo: Clive Barda) In 1943, Italy was a country wracked by the turmoil of war. Not only had the allied armies invaded, but internecine conflict had broken out amongst the Italian people. Communities and families were against each other as the patriots and fascists fought for control. The situation was depicted in Alberto Moravia’s 1957 novel “La Ciociara,” which later {…}

Oct 12, 2023

Q & A: Composer Marco Tutino On The Production Of His Opera ‘La Ciociara’ At This Year’s Wexford Festival Opera

One of the headline operas for this year’s Wexford Festival Opera is Marco Tutino’s 2015 work “La Ciociara,” written for San Francisco Opera. The opera is based on Alberto Moravia’s 1957 novel, which was later turned into a film directed by Vittorio De Sica and starring Sophia Loren, for which she won an Oscar for best actress. The film now {…}

Nov 16, 2022

Wexford Festival Opera 2022 Review: La Tempesta

(Photo: Clive Barda) Once upon a time, a magician named Prospero was overthrown and expelled from his kingdom by his brother Antonio. He eventually found refuge, with his daughter Miranda, on a small island that belonged to an evil sorceress called Sicorace, whom he imprisoned in a rock, then turned her monstrous son, Calibrano, into his slave. Using his powerful {…}

Nov 4, 2022

In Less Than Five Minutes, Get To Know – Soprano Jade Phoenix

(Photo: Clive Barda) Jade Phoenix was one of the first students to pass through Wexford Festival Opera’s Factory, a learning program for young singers starting out in their careers. As part of the course, she performed on the festival’s main stage in the role of Giuliette in Bellini’s “I Capuletti e i Montecchi.” Such was the strength of her interpretation {…}

Sep 14, 2022

Opera Collective Ireland 2022 Review: Semele

(Photo: Frances Marshall) Opera Collective Ireland’s mission is to promote the country’s next generation of opera talent “by producing quality productions that provide valuable performance opportunities in major roles.” Since its establishment in 2011 many singers have passed through its doors and gone on to establish successful careers, with names such as Jennifer Davis, Sarah Richmond and Marie Flavin springing {…}

Mar 25, 2022

Daniela Barcellona, Niklay Zemlianskikh, Karen Garde Azabal, Jennifer Davis Headline Wexford Opera Festival’s 2022 Season

The Wexford Festival Opera has announced its 2022 showcase, which kicks off on Oct. 21 and runs through Nov. 6, 2022. The season opens with “La Tempesta” by Halévy. The work will star Niklay Zemlianskikh, Hila Baggio, Giiorgi Manoshvili, Andrew Morstein, Jade Phoenix, Rory Musgrave, Conor Prendiville, Richard Shaffrey, and Emma Jüngling. Roberto Catalano will direct the opera with Francesco {…}

Nov 25, 2021

Q & A: Jade Phoenix on her Experience with Wexford Festival Opera’s Factory & on her Debut as Giulietta

One of the successes of this year’s Wexford Festival Opera was undoubtedly the Wexford Factory, a program of masterclasses introduced by the festival’s artistic director Rosetta Cucchi aimed at developing young talent. The participants are also given the opportunity to sing in an opera on the main stage during the afternoon, replacing the 60 to 90 minute opera short productions, {…}

Nov 4, 2021

Wexford Festival Opera 2021 Review: I Capuleti e i Montecchi

(Photo: Clive Barda) On taking up the post of Artistic Director for Wexford Festival Opera in 2020, Rosetta Cucchi introduced a number of innovations, one of which was the establishment of the Wexford Factory aimed at offering professional and financial support to young singers in the early stages of their careers. A central part of the initiative is the presentation {…}

Oct 25, 2021

Festival Diary 2021: Wexford Festival Opera, Day 3

Today was the last of my three day trip to the Wexford Festival Opera, and what journey it was! Every day from mid-morning to late evening was a non-stop series of events, with barely time for a coffee or a bite to eat. My morning started with a meeting with the young Irish soprano Jade Phoenix who agreed to what {…}

Oct 24, 2021

Festival Diary 2021: Wexford Festival Opera, Day 2

Following on from last evening’s wonderful production of “Edmea” come psychological thriller, in which the heroine disappeared into the nether regions of her own subconscious, the festival continued with its second opera production – Ambroise Thomas’ “Le Songe d’un nuit d’été,” starring Armenian mezzo Hasmik Torosyan, with a stunning coloratura, as Elizabeth I, French tenor Sébastién Guèze as Shakespeare and {…}