There is a distinctly Irish flavour to this year’s Wexford Festival Opera (October 22nd to November 3rd), the details of which were announced on Friday last. The programme will feature two Irish composers on the O’Reilly Theatre stage of the National Opera House, including the world-premiere of a newly-commissioned opera by Irish composer Andrew Synnott, ‘La cucina’.
There will also be a concert version of ‘The Veiled Prophet’ by Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford, to be conducted by David Brophy (presented in association with Heritage Music Productions) headed by international pianist and Irish music specialist Una Hunt, and supported by a grant from The Arts Council.
‘La cucina’ will be presented as a companion piece to one of Gioachino Rossini’s lesser known operas, ‘Adina’. This year’s programme will also feature the first Baroque opera to be performed at WFO in over 30 years, ‘Dorilla in Tempe’ by Antonio Vivaldi.
The Festival will continue its long association with Massenet, presenting its 10th opera production by the French composer, Don Quichotte. Once again audiences are encouraged to experience a taste of Wexford with the daytime ShortWork productions, which this year will feature ‘Le Docteur Miracle’ (Doctor Miracle) by Georges Bizet, ‘Cendrillon (Cinderella)’ by Pauline Viardot and ‘L’inganno felice’ by Gioachino Rossini.
The annual Dr Tom Walsh Lecture this year will be an ‘in conversation’ with two women closely connected to the Festival’s past, present, and future. Elaine Padmore (Artistic Director 1982–1994) and Artistic Director designate Rosetta Cucchi.
Priority booking for Friends of Wexford Festival Opera (Ensemble+, Aria, Cabaletta and Bravura Friends) opens on Saturday, March 23rd, for all other Friends of the Festival on Saturday, March 30th, and general booking opens on Saturday, April 13th at 9:30am.
For full programme details go to wexfordopera.com
Wexford Festival Opera '19 comes with an Irish flavour
