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, {…}
(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 {…}
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 {…}
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 {…}
The Wexford Festival has announced that it will be rescheduling its 2020 season to October 2021. However, the company will move forward with plans to present a reimagined event that takes place solely online. This showcase will be called “Waiting for Shakespeare… The Festival in the Air” and will take place over the course of eight days between Oct. 11-18. {…}
