The Cork Opera House puts on Bizet’s “La tragédie de Carmen” on Feb. 14 for one night only. In the title role is mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan. She is joined by tenor Dean Power as Don José, bass-baritone Rory Dunne as Escamillo, and soprano Kelli-Ann Masterson as Micaëla. The performers will be accompanied on the evening by an ensemble of 15 {…}
(Photo: Pat Redmond) The reaction of the audience at Dundalk’s Táin Theatre to Irish National Opera’s performance of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” said it all! Every scene, every joke, every overplayed reaction, every facial exaggeration was met with unaffected laughter. Rarely does one find an audience so totally engaged with a piece. At the final curtain, the performance was met with {…}
(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: House of Photography – Mark Ivory) There can be few singers with such a diverse and impressive CV as that of the Irish soprano Deirdre Masterson. Having made her stage debut at the age of 12 in the role of the Spirit in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” and followed the usual training programs, she seemed destined for a successful {…}
(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 {…}
(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 {…}
Following its successful “20 Shots of Opera,” which streamed to widespread acclaim, Irish National Opera has created “A Thing I Cannot Name,” a newly filmed opera, which it recently premiered at the West Cork Literary Festival. With a running time of approximately 20 minutes, it builds upon the company’s experience of presenting short new works through the medium of film, {…}
(Photo: Hugh O’Conor) With the closure of the theatres, opera companies have turned to streaming their productions. However, with all the goodwill in the world, they tend to fall into the category of second-hand, second-rate experiences. In fact, many would argue that watching an opera on the screen in the comfort of your own home does not work at all. {…}
Irish National Opera has announced the continuation of its season with “20 Shots of Opera,” which will be filmed and made available on Dec. 17, 2020. The work features 20 compact operas from 20 Ireland-based composers including Gerald Barry, Éna Brennan, Irene Buckley, Linda Buckley, Robert Coleman, David Coonan, Alex Dowling, Peter Fahey, Michael Gallen, Andrew Hamilton, Jenn Kirby, Conor {…}