Wexford Festival Opera 2017 Friends' Newsletter

2017 NEWS FOR FRIENDS

FESTIVAL 2017

PHOTOS: PATRICK BROWNE

2017 FRIENDS’ BENEFITS

We encourage you to enjoy all the benefits available to you – as a Friend – to enhance your Festival Opera experience. Our Friends enjoy the following: • 10% discount on accommodation reservations made during priority booking – 25 March to 14 April – with our hotel partners by quoting ‘Wexford Friends’ • Access to an exclusive Friends’ Opera Tour to Italy Priority booking for the best seats • Complimentary festival programme: available for collection during the Festival from the Friends’ Lounge (12 noon to 4 p.m.) or from the Friends’ Desk in the Opera House Foyer (evenings) • Exclusive Refund/Return Policy* • Welcome Receptions

• Access to the Friends’ Lounge in the Opera House throughout the day and during opera intervals • Friends’ Newsletter and Discover the Repertoire CD • Invitations to the ‘In Conversation’ series in Dublin and London • Invitations to Friends’ recitals and events in Dublin and London • Complimentary tickets to Friends’ Parties, Lunches, and Buffet during the Festival** • Friends’ Loyalty Card and lapel pin

*See booking terms and conditions **Prelude Friends can purchase tickets at the discounted price of €15 (maximum of four tickets per membership)

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CONTENTS

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FUNDERS AND SPONSORS

WELCOME FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

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MEDEA

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MARGHERITA

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RISURREZIONE

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CONDUCTORS & DIRECTORS

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THE THOMAS MOORE SONGBOOK

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LA SCALA DI SETA (SHORTWORK)

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DUBLINERS (SHORTWORK)

RIGOLETTO (SHORTWORK)

LUNCHTIME RECITALS

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DR TOM WALSH LECTURE

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DAYTIME EVENTS PACKAGE

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OPERA LECTURE – SYLVIA L’ÉCUYER

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FRIENDS’ RECITAL DUBLIN

‘IN CONVERSATION’ SERIES

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WELCOME RECEPTIONS

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FRIENDS’ LOUNGE

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FRIENDS’ PARTIES, LUNCHES AND BUFFET

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GALA CONCERT

SUPPORTING WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA

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PIANO RECITAL – FINGHIN COLLINS

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FRIENDS’ RECITAL LONDON

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FRIENDS’ OPERA TOUR

AWARDS & BURSARIES

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ENDOW A SEAT

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VOLUNTEERS AWARDS

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WINING & DINING

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ACCOMMODATION

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HISTORICAL TOURS

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TRAVEL

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FESTIVAL CALENDAR

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BOOK YOUR TICKETS

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SEATING PLANS

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BOOKING FORM

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FESTIVAL 2017

FUNDERS AND SPONSORS Principal Funder

Grant Funders

Corporate Leaders

Corporate Sponsors

Official IT & Communications Partner

Community & Education Partners

Accommodation Partners

Preferred Hotel Partner

Media and Hospitality Partners

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WELCOME production including the remarkable Norwegian Lise Davidsen and Russian tenor Sergey Romanovsky.

PHOTO BY 21STOPS.COM

Margherita by Jacopo Foroni will be the second opera by this only recently rediscovered composer to be presented in Wexford. The surprise hit of the 2013 Festival was Foroni’s Cristina, regina di Svezia which went on to win a major prize at the International Opera Awards. Making their Wexford debuts will be director Michael Sturm and designer Stefan Rieckhoff. Our conductor will be Timothy Myers, who led the excellent performance of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa last season.

The cast will include singers on their way to promising futures. Alessandra Volpe, an impressive Italian mezzosoprano will take the lead role, and Andrew Stenson will sing the part of Ernesto. A good number of you will soon be hearing Andrew sing another Ernesto in Don Pasquale at Glyndebourne.

Dear Friends Greetings from Wexford where my colleagues and I are busy completing the plans for the 66th Festival season.

I write this letter at a most intriguing time in world affairs.

Among the fascinating developments are a new federal administration in America and Great Britain’s decision to depart the European Union. For Ireland, the coming months will be full of uncertainty concerning its relations with both Britain and the United States. Artists also face uncertainty as they await news about the implications of potential new rules regarding the movement of people throughout the world. Ever since the creation of opera, singers have travelled the globe without regard for borders. Wexford is known especially for the number of nationalities represented every season – 14 for 2017.

For the intrepid Wexford Festival, the past several years of financial challenge have prepared us for nearly any eventuality. I can confidently predict we will sail safely through any turmoil.

For the first time in many a year, all the operas for 2017 are Italian. The 66th Festival will open with Medea

by Luigi Cherubini, an opera which had a sensational reception at its premiere in 1859, after which, like so many Wexford revivals, the opera went into decline. I am delighted that two distinguished Irish artists, director Fiona Shaw and designer Annmarie Woods will make their Wexford debuts with this production. Leading the orchestra will be conductor Stephen Barlow. Several exceptional young singers will be involved in the

Closing our 2017 Festival will be Franco Alfano’s Risurrezione based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel Resurrection.

The creative team for this exciting verismo opera is in the hands of Festival veterans Rosetta Cucchi, Tiziano Santi and Claudia Pernighotti. Fresh from our 2015 Festival production of Guglielmo Ratcliff, conductor Francesca Cilluffo will lead the Wexford Festival Orchestra and Chorus.

It is good to welcome back to Wexford the outstanding Irish pianist Finghin Collins who will give a recital in the Opera House. One other offering to mention: Una Hunt, Ireland’s leading authority on Irish composers whose music has been largely forgotten or neglected, will present a programme using music from the much beloved Thomas Moore Songbook.

Thanks to your feedback in 2016 we are making additional improvements to our seating arrangement in Clayton Whites Hotel providing better sightlines and larger surtitles. It is a difficult venue, but we are taking another stab at improving your enjoyment of the ShortWorks which will include the very first performances of Dubliners by Irish composer Andrew Synnott. This show will be a co-production with Ireland’s Opera Theatre Company, a first for us.

I look forward to meeting you once again in Wexford Town.

David Agler, Artistic Director

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FESTIVAL 2017 / OPERA

MEDEA Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842)

Opéra comique in three acts Libretto by Francois Benoit Hoffman (Italian version by Carlo Zangarini) based on Euripides’ tragedy of Medea and Pierre Corneille’s play Médée Sung in Italian with English Surtitles First performed at the Théâtre Feydeau in Paris 13 March 1797 Stephen Barlow Conductor Fiona Shaw Director Annmarie Woods Set and Costume Designer Christopher Akerlind Lighting Designer A co-production with Opera Omaha

It was not only Beethoven who regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his peers. Many of the foremost 19thcentury composers from the Austro-German tradition admired Cherubini – an Italian who spent most of his career in France – and his most famous opera in particular. Medea was Schubert’s favourite work for the lyric stage, and for all his seemingly unoperatic temperament Brahms was moved to call it the work ‘which we musicians regard as the summit of dramatic music’. Yet despite all this, and the part that Maria Callas played in reviving its fortunes (beginning with her performance at the Maggio Musicale in Florence in 1952) after it disappeared from sight in the early 20th century, despite even more recent revivals in its original French form as Médée, Cherubini’s masterpiece remains a work of which everyone has heard, but relatively few opera lovers have actually experienced in the theatre.

Medea is a fierce work, and not simply because of its subject matter; plenty of uncompromising plots have been watered down before reaching the operatic stage. As the New Grove Dictionary of Opera explains, ‘In its unmitigated horror, this opera has few equals.

Its savage fury ties it closely to its Greek ancestry.’ It is all the more astonishing, then, to remember that

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Terry and Marjorie Neill

it was written a mere six years after Die Zauberflöte.

If its premiere, at the Théâtre Faydeau in Paris in 1797, was little more than a succès d’estime, it went on to inspire more enthusiasm in the German-speaking world. Cherubini, who composed over 30 operas as well as large quantities of church and chamber music, was himself fully cosmopolitan and stands apart from other Italian composers of his day. Having moved to Paris early on in his career and enjoyed aristocratic patronage, he had some trouble adapting to postRevolution conditions, though not enough to stop him being appointed Napoleon’s director of music in Vienna in 1805–6. Dying in old age in Paris in 1842, he was buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, in a plot near to where Chopin would join him seven years later.

O’REILLY THEATRE | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE TICKETS €20 – €150 Thursday 19 October – 8 p.m.

Sunday 22 October – 5 p.m.

Saturday 28 October - 8 p.m.

Friday 3 November – 8 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017 / OPERA

MARGHERITA Jacopo Foroni (1825–1858)

Melodramma semiserio in two acts Libretto By Giorgio Giachetti Sung in Italian with English Surtitles First Performed at The King’s Theatre In Milan 4 March 1848 Timothy Myers Conductor Michael Sturm Director Stefan Rieckhoff Set and Costume Designer Christopher Akerlind Lighting Designer A co-production with Oldenburghisches Staatstheater

Following the success of Cristina, regina di Svezia at Wexford in 2013, acclaimed by many as one of the most worthwhile rediscoveries in the festival’s long history, we return to another of Jacopo Foroni’s operas. The clue to the previous long neglect of Foroni (1825–1858), who scarcely features in the reference books, may lie in Foroni’s early death from cholera in Stockholm, where he had taken charge of the Italian opera company in 1849, presenting his credentials that year with his opera on the tumultuous life of Queen Christina of Sweden. As that work showed, at this stage he could still have been considered a worthy rival to Verdi as the inheritor of Donizetti’s mantle, though perhaps his willingness to leave Italy suggests that his temperament lay elsewhere. Indeed, though his music brims with Italianate vitality, he was a cosmopolitan figure, aware of the symphonic tradition north of the Alps.

with which it shares a rural setting (the action of Margherita takes place in a Swiss mountain village), and the score contains folk music tinges and evokes a Romantic landscape. Classified by its composer as a ‘Melodramma semiseria’, its libretto is an adaptation of a French text by no less a figure than Eugène Scribe, originally intended for the composer Adrien Boieldieu, who died before he could finish the work. Margherita was commissioned for Milan’s Teatro Re, a small theatre near La Scala (on a site absorbed into where the city’s famous Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele stands today), and the practicalities of writing for it are reflected in the opera’s essential intimacy.

Margherita was, significantly, his first opera, premiered one year earlier than Cristina in front of the ‘home’ audience in Milan. It was greeted with considerable enthusiasm, not least by the influential Alberto Mazzucato, who praised ‘the good balance between seriousness and comedy [and] the moderate timbre of the orchestral sound’. As this suggests, one of its models might have been Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore,

Friday 20 October – 8 p.m.

O’REILLY THEATRE | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE TICKETS €20 – €150

Thursday 26 October – 8 p.m.

Sunday 29 October - 3 p.m.

Wednesday 1 November – 8 p.m.

Saturday 4 November – 8 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017 / OPERA

RISURREZIONE Franco Alfano (1875–1954)

Opera in four acts Libretto by Cesare Hanau, based on the novel Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy Sung in Italian with English Surtitles First performed at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, Turin, Italy, 30 November 1904 Francesco Cilluffo Conductor Rosetta Cucchi Director Tiziano Santi Set Designer Claudia Pernighotti Costume Designer Christopher Akerlind Lighting Designer

Franco Alfano is remembered today less for his own operas than for his role in completing another composer’s work – Turandot, left unfinished at the time of Puccini’s death. But there is more to his output than that would suggest, more even than his own ten or so operas would indicate, since he paid closer attention to the fields of orchestral and chamber music than many of his contemporaries. Risurrezione, the opera that brought Alfano his first taste of fame, premiered in Turin in 1904 (the same year as Puccini’s Madama Butterfly). Its Russian subject matter – the opera is based on Tolstoy’s last great novel, Resurrection – anticipates a fashion in early 20th-century Italian opera; see also Giordano’s Siberia and Fedora.

Risurrezione tells of the young aristocrat, Nekhlyudov, who while serving on a jury recognises the prostitute Katerina Maslova as the young girl he had once seduced, and how he rejects his former life and follows her to Siberia, trying to undo past wrongs.

Tolstoy’s complex critique of Russian society was particularly unsparing in its gaze on the Orthodox Church, so much so that it led to the writer’s formal excommunication, and the first complete Russian text was actually published in England. Ironically, given the adaptations that have been made of his work for the

21 OCTOBER PERFORMANCE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

Stephen Vernon

lyric stage, Tolstoy hated opera because he thought it superficial (in War and Peace he set the scene of Natasha’s undoing at an opera performance). But he even became critical of his own works, such as that panoramic novel and Anna Karenina, and began to see art as serving a social purpose: Resurrection was something of a manifesto. Little of that comes through in Alfano’s adaptation, and his opera concentrates on the drama of personal relationships. But he does so in a manner that makes it easy to understand how the opera quickly became a hit in operatic capitals from Paris to Chicago, containing as it does such hits as ‘Dio pietoso’, a one-time favourite of the legendary Mary Garden and other sopranos since.

O’REILLY THEATRE | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE TICKETS €20 – €150 Saturday 21 October – 8 p.m.

Friday 27 October – 8 p.m.

Monday 30 October - 8 p.m.

Thursday 2 November – 8 p.m.

Sunday 5 November – 5 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017

CONDUCTORS & DIRECTORS MEDEA Stephen Barlow, Conductor Stephen Barlow is currently Artistic Director of the Buxton Festival in Derbyshire, England.

This will be Maestro Barlow’s second appearance at the Wexford Festival Opera, having conducted our 2015 production of Koanga. Upcoming conducting engagements include productions of Die Walküre, Macbeth and Owen Wingrave.

Fiona Shaw, Director Fiona Shaw is one of the most recognised actors of her generation, known for both her theatre work (Hedda Gabler, Medea, Mother Courage) and for her film work (Harry Potter series, Three Men and A Little Lady).

In addition to her highly praised acting work Fiona has directed Riders to the Sea, Henze’s Elegy for Young Lovers and The Marriage of Figaro for English National Opera, and The Rape of Lucretia for Glyndebourne and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin.

MARGHERITA Timothy Myers, Conductor Since 2010, Timothy Myers has been the Artistic and Music Director of North Carolina Opera.

This is Maestro Myers’ second appearance at the Wexford Festival Opera, having conducted our 2016 production of Vanessa.

Upcoming conducting engagements include productions of Salome, West Side Story and Samson et Dalila.

Michael Sturm, Director Michael Sturm studied opera directing with Götz Friedrich at the University for Music and Performing Arts Hamburg from 1986 to 1992. He supplemented his training through work with Harry Kupfer, Ruth Berghaus and Achim Freyer, whom he met in 1992 as a participant of the stage class in the Bauhaus Dessau. He will be directing an upcoming production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Grand Theatre in Poznań, Poland.

RISURREZIONE Francesco Cilluffo, Conductor Italian conductor Francesco Cilluffo returns to the Wexford Festival Opera after the much acclaimed and award-winning production of Mascagni’s Guglielmo Ratcliff in 2015. Recent and upcoming conducting engagements include Verdi’s Requiem, La Traviata, concerts with the Bremer Philharmoniker, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Nabucco and La Bohème for Israeli Opera, Tosca, L’Italiana in Algeri and Tutino’s Miseria e nobiltà (world premiere, Genoa).

Rosetta Cucchi, Director Rosetta Cucchi is Artistic Director of Fondazione Arturo Toscanini and has previously directed productions of Prinzessin Brambilla (2004), Tutti in Maschera (2008), L’Arlesiana (2012) and Salomé (2014) for the Wexford Festival Opera. Upcoming productions include Werther, Le Nozze di Figaro, La Favorite, Così fan tutte, Miseria e nobilità, Adina, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

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THE THOMAS MOORE SONGBOOK

Portrait of Thomas Moore by an unknown artist

‘The poet of all circles and the idol of his own’ – the words are Lord Byron’s, inscribed on the tall Celtic cross erected above Thomas Moore’s grave one hundred years ago. Byron adored the Irish Melodies: he told Moore ‘I have them by heart ... they are my matins and my vespers’; Ireland’s national song writer was similarly revered in the land of his birth. He moved easily in the privileged circles of London’s salons where he was celebrated for singing and accompanying songs such as The minstrel boy’, Believe me, if all those endearing young charms, The meeting of the waters, The harp that once through Tara's halls, and particularly, The last rose of summer which quickly became the anthem of every great soprano of the day. As a result of their popularity, the Irish Melodies were continually updated; some, such as Frank Lambert's She is far from the land became even more famous than the original.

Less well known, perhaps, is the fact that Moore’s Irish Melodies were translated into almost every language and, with their strongly nationalistic fervour, the songs became revolutionary rallying calls in Poland, Russia, Hungary and Cuba. Moore was also incredibly popular in the Parisian salons of the 1820s and ’30s where Berlioz must first have heard his songs and from whence, the French Mélodie was born. And another example of Moore’s endlessly surprising reach: Robert Schumann believed Moore's poetry had been made for music, even in its German translation, and used part of his long oriental poem Lalla Rookh for the cantata, Das Paradies und die Peri. In this programme, the Thomas Moore Songbook charts the path of Moore’s star, its influences and its transformation throughout a twohundred-year history of national song.

ST IBERIUS CHURCH TICKETS €20 20, 28 October – 1.05 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017 / SHORTWORK

LA SCALA DI SETA Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) Farsa comica in one act Libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa Sung in Italian with English Surtitles First performed in Venice, Italy at the Teatro San Moisè 9 May 1812

While some of Rossini’s operas count among the best loved in the repertoire, there are still many corners of his output worthy of exploring at a festival devoted to operatic rarities. In the context of this year’s programme, he can be seen both as coming from a generation or two before that of Foroni and from a generation or two after that of Cherubini, both Italians who sought their fortunes abroad. Rossini was not as quick as Cherubini to head to Paris, then the world’s operatic capital, but he eventually did so – indeed, like Cherubini (and Chopin), he was buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, though his remains would later be taken home to his native Pesaro. La Scala di seta belongs firmly to his early Italian years, and indeed is a key work in his development, even if it is only more recently that its jewel-like qualities have come to be fully appreciated.

For a long time, La Scala di seta was remembered only for its brilliant overture, the earliest piece of Rossini to have survived as a concert work. But much else in it proclaims the genius of the then 20-year-old composer, who wrote it as the third of his farse for Venice’s Teatro San Moisè in 1812. A fast-moving comedy, its title translates as ‘The Silken Ladder’ – in this case, a stairway to the heaven of various nocturnal rendezvous.

CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL TICKETS €30 Saturday 21 October – 3.30 p.m.

Tuesday 24 October – 3.30 p.m.

Friday 27 October – 3.30 p.m.

Monday 30 October - 3.30 p.m.

Friday 3 November – 3.30 p.m.

The Festival ShortWorks are made possible by the generous support of The Lord Magan of Castletown

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DUBLINERS Andrew Synnott (1970–) World premiere of two one-act operas Counterparts & The Boarding House from Joyce’s Dubliners Adaptation and text by Arthur Riordan Sung in English with English Surtitles Co-production of Opera Theatre Company and Wexford Festival Opera This double-bill is scored for piano, string quartet and a cast of six singers

Portrait of James Joyce by Jacques-Émile Blanche

Counterparts In this dark tale, we follow the growing frustration of Farrington, a lumbering alcoholic copyist, over the course of one afternoon and evening. His mindnumbing work is made intolerable by an overbearing boss who demeans him in front of colleagues. Washing away his misery in several of Dublin’s pubs Farrington is humiliated once more when he physically tries to measure up to a visiting English acrobat. Worse still, an actress that Farrington eyes up is uninterested in him.

Frustrated, he returns home where his mood worsens, and he violently takes out his anger on his son Tom. The music and libretto are infused with this growing sense of frustration and dread. The tragedy of Tom’s plight is central to the opera’s heart-breaking conclusion.

young men like it when a pretty girl is not too far away. A relationship blossoms between Polly and the successful clerk Bob Doran. Mrs Mooney carefully observes and tracks it until the most profitable moment. When she is sure the relationship has been observed by others, she knows that Mr Doran has no choice but to propose to Polly out of social propriety.

The music and libretto poke fun at all of the characters as this entertaining drama unfolds.

CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL TICKETS €30 Friday 20 October – 3.30 p.m.

Thursday 26 October – 3.30 p.m.

The Boarding House

Sunday 29 October – 11 a.m.

Jack Mooney introduces The Boarding House, run by his mother. It caters both for clerks and visiting music-hall entertainers. The scheming proprietor, Mrs Mooney, allows her daughter Polly to spend time with the men who stay there. She knows that

Wednesday 1 November – 3.30 p.m.

The Festival ShortWorks are made possible by the generous support of The Lord Magan of Castletown

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FESTIVAL 2017 / SHORTWORK

RIGOLETTO Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) Opera in three acts Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le Roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo.

Sung in Italian with English Surtitles First performed at La Fenice in Venice on 11 March 1851

Portrait of court jester by Jan Matejko

Dating from the very middle of Verdi’s middle period, and occupying first place in the famous early 1850s trilogy that includes Il Trovatore and La Traviata, Rigoletto is one of the best known of all Verdi’s operas. Indeed, it is the first of his operas to have remained popular and firmly in the repertoire without interruption, since its premiere at La Fenice in Venice in 1851 to the present day. There were, nevertheless, impediments to early performances, both from the official censors and self-censorious audiences, appalled by what they saw as the ‘immorality’ and ‘obscene triviality’ of the Victor Hugo play on which Verdi and his librettist Francesco Maria Piave based their masterpiece. Early performances sometimes had to be given under different titles, occasionally even with Gilda living to see a happy end – indication, if nothing else, of the opera’s durability. Despite magnificent choruses, it is also essentially an intimate drama, something that lends itself to the adaptations also required in a pareddown performance such as that presented here in the ShortWorks series.

Back in 1851, Rigoletto represented Verdi’s most radical break yet with the conventions of Italian opera.

Everything seems to be driven by the characterization of Hugo’s play. Fired up with enthusiasm, Verdi called the play ‘the greatest subject and perhaps the greatest drama of modern time’, and he described Triboulet (the character who became Rigoletto) ‘a creation worthy of Shakespeare’.

CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL TICKETS €30 Sunday 22 October – 11 a.m.

Wednesday 25 October – 3.30 p.m.

Saturday 28 October – 3.30 p.m.

Thursday 2 November – 3.30 p.m.

Saturday 4 November – 3.30 p.m.

The Festival ShortWorks are made possible by the generous support of The Lord Magan of Castletown

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LUNCHTIME RECITALS

The very popular Lunchtime Recitals provide an insight into the artistic personality of some of the principal singers of the Festival and are a way to ‘meet’ them in an informal setting. In the beautiful and acoustically excellent eighteenth-century church of St Iberius in the centre of Wexford, audiences appreciate the musical versatility of solo singers who perform a wide variety of music from across the repertoire, including operatic arias, lieder, oratorio, concert and popular songs.

One of the delights of attending a Lunchtime Recital is that the programme is not advertised beforehand, so everyone shares the same degree of anticipation and expectation. Unsurprisingly, the Lunchtime Recitals sell out very quickly.

The artists and their performance dates will be announced at the beginning of the Festival.

ST IBERIUS CHURCH TICKETS €15 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30 October– 1.05 p.m.

1, 2, 3, 4 November – 1.05 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017

DR TOM WALSH LECTURE

FIONA SHAW The 2017 Dr Tom Walsh Lecture will be given by Fiona Shaw, Irish actress and theatre and opera director, known for her role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films and her role as Marnie Stonebrook in season four of the HBO series True Blood (2011). She has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, twice winning the Olivier Award for Best Actress; for various roles including Electra in 1990, and for Machinal in 1994.

She won the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for The Waste Land. Her other stage work includes playing the title role in Medea, both in the West End and on Broadway (2001–02). She was awarded an Honorary CBE in 2001.

Born in County Cork, Miss Shaw attended secondary school at Scoil Mhuire in Cork City. She received her degree in University College Cork. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and was part of a 'new wave' of actors to emerge from the Academy. She received much acclaim as Julia in the National Theatre production of Richard Sheridan's The Rivals (1983). Miss Shaw is directing this season’s production of Medea for Wexford Festival Opera.

Tea and coffee will be served after the Lecture.

CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL TICKETS €10 Saturday 21 October – 11 a.m.

Kindly supported by Victoria Walsh-Hamer

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PHOTO: PATRICK BROWNE

DAYTIME EVENTS PACKAGE

Discover the world of opera with our Daytime Events Package. This is the perfect introduction to Wexford Festival Opera and can be comfortably enjoyed over a few hours in Wexford without staying overnight. It has proved particularly attractive to groups of people as a day out for their organisation.

The package includes two Festival favourites – a Lunchtime Recital in St Iberius Church and a ShortWork opera in the afternoon in Clayton Whites Hotel – as well as lunch in Clayton Whites Hotel.

Come and find out more about an art form that has captivated Wexford’s locals and visitors for more than sixty years.

For groups of fifteen or more, the group organiser receives a complimentary €65 Daytime Events Package ticket.

All bookings (group and individual) must be made through the Box Office: +353 53 912 2144

DAYTIME EVENTS PACKAGE 1.05 p.m. Lunchtime Recital at St Iberius Church, given by one of the principal artists of the Festival. The schedule of performers will be announced at the beginning of the Festival 2.15 p.m. Lunch at Clayton Whites Hotel 3.30 p.m. ShortWork opera in Clayton Whites Hotel – a small-stage opera production, duration approx. 60–90 minutes (see schedule)

Friday 20 October Thomas Moore Songbook – Lunch – Dubliners Saturday 21 October Recital – Lunch – La Scala di seta Tuesday 24 October Recital – Lunch – La Scala di seta Wednesday 25 October Recital – Lunch – Rigoletto Thursday 26 October Recital – Lunch – Dubliners Friday 27 October Recital – Lunch – La Scala di seta Saturday 28 October Thomas Moore Songbook – Lunch – Rigoletto Monday 30 October Recital – Lunch – La Scala di seta Wednesday 1 November Recital – Lunch – Dubliners Thursday 2 November Recital – Lunch – Rigoletto Friday 3 November Recital – Lunch – La Scala di seta Saturday 4 November Recital – Lunch – Rigoletto

ST IBERIUS CHURCH, CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL TICKETS €65

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FESTIVAL 2017

PHOTO: CLIVE BARDA/ARENAPAL

OPERAS OF THE PAST, MIRRORS OF OUR PRESENT

Virginia, Wexford Festival Opera 2010

SYLVIA L’ÉCUYER Often inspired by the works of the greatest poets and playwrights, operas expose us to another perspective of our humanity. Gods and nymphs, dukes and queens, warriors and courtesans are inspired by the same passions and defeated by the same foibles as we are. Today the stage directors feel the urge to make the message clear, shedding crowns and gowns, and updating the drama to contemporary circumstances.

At which point do these adaptations betray the true nature of the work?

Sylvia L’Écuyer has been associate professor of musicology at the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal since 2001. Her research and publications focus on French music of the 19th century. A contributor to many works of reference, she has enjoyed a parallel career in broadcasting with the CBC, where from 1996 to 2000 she was director of music; since 2007 she has been the producer of the Opera Saturday for Ici Musique.

JEROME HYNES THEATRE NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE TICKETS €10 Saturday 28 October – 11 a.m.

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GALA CONCERT

The Gala Concert is one of the highlights of Wexford Festival Opera and features a collection of favourite party pieces from members of the Festival company.

All performers generously donate their time and talent for the Gala Concert, and all proceeds go toward supporting Wexford Festival Opera.

Early booking is advised.

O’REILLY THEATRE | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE TICKETS €65 – €80 Sunday 29 October – 8.30 p.m.

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY

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PHOTO: FRANCES MARSHALL

PIANO RECITAL

FINGHIN COLLINS One of Ireland's most successful musicians, Dubliner Finghin Collins was born in 1977 and studied piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music with John O'Conor and the Geneva Conservatoire with Dominique Merlet.

Winner of the RTÉ Musician of the Future Competition in 1994 and the Classical Category at the National Entertainment Awards in Ireland in1998, Finghin went on to achieve major international success by taking first prize at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland in 1999. Since then he has developed a flourishing international career that takes him all over Europe, the United States and the Far East.

In 2016 Finghin made his debuts in Turkey, China and Australia as well as performing throughout Europe.

In March 2017, he performs a recital as part of the National Concert Hall's International Concert Series to mark his 40th birthday. Other engagements include performances in Jersey, Switzerland, France, Ireland and the USA, where he will make his debut at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in August 2017, performing with counter-tenor David Daniels.

Finghin Collins is very active as a programmer, commissioner and concert presenter in Ireland, having been Artistic Director of the New Ross Piano Festival

since its inception in 2006, and Artistic Director of Music for Galway since 2013. In addition, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Dublin International Piano Competition (2006–2015), a member of the Board of Directors of the National Concert Hall (2001–2006), Musician-in-Residence in South Dublin County Council (2005–2008) and Artist-in-Residence in Waterford Institute of Technology (2005–2009).

Programme Berg – Sonata Op. 1 Janáček – Sonata I.X.1905 ‘From the Street’ Wagner arr. Liszt – ‘Isoldens Liebestod’ from Tristan und Isolde Verdi arr. Liszt – Rigoletto Paraphrase —— Chopin – Prelude Op. 45 Chopin – Four Mazurkas Op. 17 Chopin – Two Nocturnes Op. 48 Chopin – Ballade No. 4 in A flat major Op. 52

O’REILLY THEATRE | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE| TICKETS €25 – €30 Monday 30 October – 11 a.m.

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

FRIENDS’ RECITAL LONDON

Giuliana Gianfaldoni, Soprano

Raffaella Lupinacci, Mezzo-soprano

We look forward to welcoming you back to this wonderful venue for 2017. Guests are invited to join us for a welcome reception and refreshments at the interval. An invitation will be sent to all of our Friends in advance. We encourage you to bring a friend and introduce them to Wexford Festival Opera. Should you wish to join us, please reply to rsvp@wexfordopera.com

Rosetta Cucchi, Piano

HALL ONE, KINGS PLACE, 90 YORK WAY LONDON N1 9AG Wednesday 29 March Welcome reception at 7 p.m.

Performance commences at 7.30 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017

FRIENDS’ OPERA TOUR

Teatro La Fenice, Venice

VENICE, FLORENCE, AND ROME: 27 APRIL – 3 MAY 2017 (SOLD OUT) Following successful trips to Berlin, Paris, and Vienna our 2017 Friends’ Opera Tour - in partnership with Insight Vacations - is bound for Italy. The tour will include three unique operas: Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti – which was performed at Wexford Festival Opera in 1964 – at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Mozart’s Idomeneo at Firenze Teatro Della Pergola in Florence, and Andrea Chénier by Giordano at Teatro Costanz in Rome.

For more information or to register your interest in future tours, please contact Ruth Phelan: +353 53 916 3525 or email rphelan@wexfordopera.com

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

FRIENDS’ RECITAL DUBLIN

Filippo Fontana, Baritone

Raffaella Lupinacci, Mezzo-soprano

Please join us for our annual Friends’ Summer Recital, in association with the Friends of the National Concert Hall. An electronic invitation will be sent to you six weeks prior to the event. Please reply to rsvp@wexfordopera.com if you are able to join us.

Dario Tondelli, Piano

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL, DUBLIN Tuesday 13 June – 7.30 p.m.

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FESTIVAL 2017

‘IN CONVERSATION’ SERIES

Our ‘In Conversation’ Series of talks gives expert insight into specific elements of the 2017 productions.

Join us as we go behind the scenes to learn more

about the creative process and challenges faced by the artistic teams as they work to realise their concept of an opera and to bring it to life on stage.

LONDON ‘IN CONVERSATION’

DUBLIN ‘IN CONVERSATION’

“Breadsticks, Pavlova and a Train: Resurrecting Alfano’s Risurrezione”

“Breadsticks, Pavlova and a Train: Resurrecting Alfano’s Risurrezione”

Francesco Cilluffo, Conductor of Risurrezione

Francesco Cilluffo, Conductor of Risurrezione

Please note that as space is limited the London event is by invitation only. If you are based outside the UK and would like to attend, please contact Ruth Phelan before Monday 7 August (rphelan@wexfordopera.com or +353 53 916 3525).

We would like to invite you to get ‘up close and personal’ with the inner workings of the Festival and look forward to welcoming you to the Royal Irish Academy. We will send an electronic invitation to you before the event. Please register your interest in attending by emailing rsvp@wexfordopera.com.

EMBASSY OF IRELAND, 17 GROSVENOR PLACE, LONDON SW1X 7HR

ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, 19 DAWSON STREET, DUBLIN D02 HH58

Wednesday 6 September

Tuesday 26 September

6.30–7.30 p.m. Lecture | 7.30–8.00 p.m. Reception

7.30–8.30 p.m. Lecture | 8.30–9.30 p.m. Reception

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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WELCOME RECEPTIONS

PHOTO: PAULA MALONE CARTY

We invite all our Friends to join us for complimentary tea, coffee, and pastries to celebrate the 66th Wexford Festival Opera. These informal welcome receptions will be held in the Friends’ Lounge on level 3 of the National Opera House. This is a small ‘thank you’ for your support and an opportunity for you to meet each other and talk to members of our team.

LEVEL 3 | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE Friday 20 October – 10 a.m.

Friday 27 October – 10 a.m.

Friday 3 November – 10 a.m.

PHOTO: PAULA MALONE CARTY

FRIENDS’ LOUNGE

We hope you will enjoy using the Friends’ Lounge in the National Opera House during the Festival – it’s your Festival Club.

Open from 12 noon to 4 p.m. every day on level 3 in the National Opera House, it provides an opportunity to relax in comfortable surroundings and get together with fellow opera lovers and Friends. Volunteers are on hand to answer questions and to help with any restaurant or other bookings you wish to make. Complimentary tea, coffee and newspapers are available.

The Lounge is also open for the exclusive use of Friends during the opera intervals and may be a welcome alternative to the busy bars. Your drinks can be pre-ordered and delivered to the Lounge to await your arrival.

LEVEL 3 | NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE

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FESTIVAL 2017

FRIENDS’ PARTIES, LUNCHES AND BUFFET We look forward to meeting you at our special Friends' Events during the 2017 Festival.

Experience the sense of occasion and excitement of attending an opera in Wexford. Dressing in formal attire and enjoying a meal, getting together with fellow opera lovers and Friends. Having the opportunity to meet and engage with the singers and artistic teams: these social occasions add immensely to the pleasure of attending Wexford’s renowned opera performances.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS Space is limited, and admission is by ticket ONLY, so do remember to book your complimentary tickets to the Friends’ Parties, Buffet and Lunches through the box office. Your complimentary tickets can be used for whichever events you wish to attend during the Festival.

As part of your membership benefits: • Chorus Friends are entitled to two complimentary tickets • Ensemble Friends are entitled to four complimentary tickets • Ensemble Plus are entitled to six complimentary tickets • Aria Friends are entitled to eight complimentary tickets • Cabaletta Friends are entitled to ten complimentary tickets • Bravura Friends are entitled to twelve complimentary tickets • Prelude Friends may purchase two tickets at the discounted price of €15 each

BRING A FRIEND If you require additional tickets for the Friends’ Parties, Lunches and Buffet they may be purchased from the Box Office. Additional tickets for the Friends’ Parties may be purchased for €40 each, additional tickets for the Friends’ Buffet may be purchased for €30 each, and additional tickets for the Friends’ Lunches may be purchased for €20 each.

FRIENDS’ PARTIES AT GREENACRES Opening Weekend Party Saturday 21 October – 10.30 p.m.

Celebrate the 66th Festival at the post-opera party in Greenacres. The event includes locally-produced food, wine, live music, great company and the opportunity to catch up with Friends you may not have met since the previous Festival.

Bank Holiday Celebration Party Saturday 28 October – 10.30 p.m.

Join our Artistic Director and members of the cast of Medea and enjoy post-opera food and drink in the beautiful surroundings of Greenacres.

Closing-Weekend Gala Party Saturday 4 November – 10.30 p.m.

Join the cast of Margherita and members of the Wexford Festival Opera team and enjoy another evening of superb food and drink with James and Donal at Greenacres.

FRIENDS’ LUNCHES IN THE TERRACE RESTAURANT, CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL Thursday 26 October – 2 p.m.

Monday 30 October – 2 p.m.

Our popular daytime Friends’ lunches are once again on the menu. Enjoy a delicious lunch and a glass of wine at Clayton Whites Hotel.

FRIENDS’ BUFFET AT THE TALBOT HOTEL Thursday 2 November – 5.15 p.m.

For an elegant pre-opera dining experience come to the Friends’ Buffet at the Talbot Hotel and enjoy a sumptuous three-course buffet meal with fine wines.

After your meal, a courtesy bus will be available to bring you from the Talbot to the National Opera House for the 8 p.m. evening performance.

CULTUREFOX.IE

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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FESTIVAL 2017

SUPPORTING WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA

PHOTO © CLIVE BARDA/ARENAPAL

Rosalyn Plowright, Vanessa, Wexford Festival Opera, 2016

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STAY CLOSE TO THE HEART OF THE DRAMA

YOUR SUPPORT – THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GREAT AND MAGICAL

Giving forms the cornerstone of what makes Wexford Festival Opera truly great. Founded in 1951 by a group of individuals who gave freely of their time, talents, and what limited funds they had, the Festival has evolved to be a leader in national and international opera; praised by critics worldwide.

As a Friend of Wexford Festival Opera, you are directly underpinning the work of our Artistic Director, his team, our vital artistic initiatives, and helping us put on stage what you – our audience – expect from Wexford.

Wexford Opera’s raison d’être is twofold: • Breathe life into Hidden Gems of the operatic repertoire • Discover and promote the most talented emerging national and international artistic talent

We invite you to consider one of the additional ways described below to be part of a dedicated group who help us to produce world-class operatic productions.

Gifts can be made in a tax-advantageous way through our Irish, UK, Canadian and US Charitable Trusts.

• Make your Friends Support Go Even Further – Tax Relief (Ireland) & Gift Aid (UK) Support at all levels is greatly appreciated and vital to sustaining the work we do. By considering increasing your Friends level to Ensemble + or above for the coming season you will be providing the Festival with much needed additional funds. At these levels, contributions from Friends based in Ireland may attract a refund from revenue of up to to 45% at no additional cost. Friends in the UK can increase the value of their gift by 25% when they renew through the Wexford Festival UK Trust.

• Endow a seat Endowing a seat in your name, your family’s name or that of a loved one or friend is a wonderful way to support the Festival and be part of Ireland’s National Opera House – the home of Wexford Festival Opera.

• Become an Artistic Benefactor Being a personal benefactor to a performer or member of the artistic team is a profoundly meaningful way of supporting Wexford Festival Opera.

At the Principale level, you can support either a young/emerging artist or a well-established singer; the choice is yours! At all stages, opera is a vocation that demands intense personal investment. It is very encouraging for a performer to know that someone in the audience is behind them in this most practical way. We have been delighted to see lasting

PHOTO © CLIVE BARDA/ARENAPAL

Daniela Pini, Herculanum, Wexford Festival Opera, 2016

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FESTIVAL 2017

friendships blossom between artists and benefactor since the beginning of this wonderful initiative.

At the higher level of Maestro, you are providing significant support to Wexford Festival Opera which enables us to attract some of the most talented directors, conductors, and producers for our mainstage operas.

Both levels provide a wonderful opportunity for opera lovers to meet and engage with artists to gain insight and appreciation for the world of opera from a performer’s perspective.

Artistic Benefactors receive recognition in the Festival Programme, complimentary festival tickets, a photograph with the artists, and a lunch or dinner engagement.

Ruth Phelan would be delighted to speak to you should you wish to obtain more information about this unique opportunity: Phone +353 53 916 3525 or email rphelan@wexfordopera.com • Donate to the President’s Circle Leadership gifts can transform a great production into an extraordinary opera. Support at this level gives our artistic team the scope to plan transformational works by attracting exciting and innovative artists and by working with other leading international companies on co-productions – raising the bar to new heights. Gifts may be directed towards specific performances and activities central to our artistic mission including: • Main Stage Opera Productions • Festival ShortWorks Productions • The Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera • The Chorus of Wexford Festival Opera • Education and Outreach Community Access Projects • Any other donor-advised performance, project or activity To discuss further, please contact James Ó Murthuile by phone on +353 86 1717 249 or email james@wexfordopera.com.

PLANNED GIVING – YOUR PASSION, YOUR LEGACY SECURING THE FUTURE WITH THE 1951 ENDOWMENT FUND Wexford Festival Opera remains committed to the founding vision and legacy of Dr Tom Walsh to ensure that Hidden Gems of the operatic repertoire are given a chance to glitter and shine once more.

By planning a legacy gift to the 1951 Endowment Fund, your thoughtfulness and generosity will help sustain the Wexford Festival and its dedication to recherché opera well into the future.

We were honoured to have received a number of legacy commitments in the past year and would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the individuals involved and their families.

If you would like to learn about how you can help us build the 1951 Endowment Fund, we would be happy to have a discreet conversation with you. Your bequest can be directed to benefit a project of your choice and recognised in a manner that suits your wishes.

To discuss further, please contact James Ó Murthuile by phone on +353 86 1717 249 or email james@wexfordopera.com.

RUTH PHELAN Friends Development Executive Ruth has over four years’ experience in arts organisations.

Her career began at Dublin Theatre Festival as a key member of the Development team. Since then she has worked with leading national cultural organisations including St. Patrick’s Festival and Dublin International Film Festival.

Her previous roles have spanned the fields of development, sponsorship, events management and production.

Ruth holds a degree in Classical Studies from University College Dublin. She is fluent in Spanish, an aspiring piano player and lover of the arts.

Ruth is delighted to have the opportunity to join such a unique and cherished Festival in the role of Friends Development Executive. She looks forward to working with the Festival’s most loyal supporters.

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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PHOTO © CLIVE BARDA/ARENAPAL

Michele Patti and Gilda Fiume, Maria de Rudenz, Wexford Festival Opera, 2016

SUPPORTING WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA – DEVELOPMENT CONTACT INFO: To support Wexford Festival Opera through any of the options mentioned above or to learn more please contact one of the development team: Friends Programme Ruth Phelan Friends Development Executive +353 53 916 3525 rphelan@wexfordopera.com wexfordopera.com/friends Clare Storan Development Assistant +353 (053) 912 2400 clare@wexfordopera.com

Major Gifts, Artistic Benefactor, or Legacy Giving James Ó Murthuile Head of Development +353 (086) 1717249 james@wexfordopera.com Corporate Partnership, and Corporate Hospitality Ann Marie Dalton Corporate Partnership Manager +353 (087) 901 2925 adalton@wexfordopera.com wexfordopera.com/support

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PHOTO: MARY BROWNE

PHOTO: MARY BROWNE

AWARDS & BURSARIES

Artistic Director David Agler and Anthony Arnhold present Irish mezzo‑soprano Sarah Richmond with the Gerard Arnhold Bursary.

PHOTO: JASON CLARKE PHOTOGRAPHY

Artistic Director David Agler presents Canadian mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule with the Wexford Festival Opera Aria Friends Bursary.

Left to right: Tenor Andrew Gavin (recipient of PwC/Wexford Festival Opera ‘Emerging Young Artist’ bursary, mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond (recipient of the Gerard Arnhold Bursary and PwC/Wexford Festival Opera ‘Emerging Young Artist’ bursary), PwC Tax Partner Jean Delaney, Wexford Festival Trust Chief Executive David McLoughlin.

Two singers were awarded very significant artistic bursaries by Artistic Director David Agler, from the stage of the National Opera House in front of a soldout audience, after the final performance of Maria de Rudenz by Gaetano Donizetti.

The long-standing Gerard Arnhold Bursary was awarded to Carrickfergus born mezzo-soprano, Sarah Richmond, who performed the role of Yelena in the 2016 ShortWork production of William Walton’s The Bear.

The Wexford Festival Opera Aria Friends Bursary was awarded to Canadian mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule, who performed the role of Erika in the 2016 Festival production of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa.

The second annual PwC/Wexford Festival Opera ‘Emerging Young Artist’ bursary was awarded to Carrickfergus born mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond and Navan tenor Andrew Gavin.

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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ENDOW A SEAT Endow a seat in the O’Reilly Theatre, the main auditorium of the National Opera House, with a plaque in your own name or that of a loved one. Typically, seats are endowed in memory of a life well lived or as the perfect enduring gift. A plaque will be placed on a seat of your choice – from those available – and the name recognised on a donor scroll located in the foyer of the Opera House.

If you would like to endow a seat, please contact Ruth Phelan: +353 53 916 3525 or email rphelan@wexfordopera.com

VOLUNTEERS AWARDS

Left to right: Scott Hayes, Head of Relationship Management with Ecclesiastical Insurance; Marie Brady, recipient of the award and long-time wardrobe volunteer; David Maguire, Head of Volunteers.

Celebrating in the Opera House wardrobe department with Marie and Festival volunteers.

In 2016, at the first Public Dress Rehearsal of the Festival, Artistic Director David Agler announced longtime wardrobe volunteer, Marie Brady as the winner of the Wexford Festival Opera Volunteers Award, sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance. Scott Hayes, Head of Relationship Management with Ecclesiastical, presented the Award.

as Head of Wardrobe and currently leads a team of eleven volunteers.

Marie began volunteering for the Festival in 1983 when Stella O’Kennedy, the Head of Wardrobe at the time, suggested that her interest in dressmaking and sewing would be a great asset to the Festival. When Stella sadly passed away in 2005, Marie stepped into the role

Commenting on their involvement with the award, David Lane, Managing Director of Ecclesiastical Ireland said: ‘We are delighted to sponsor the awards, recognising as they do the excellent charitable work that these volunteers carry out on a regular basis.

Ecclesiastical is very proud of the awards that are recognition of both the endeavour and the spirit of generosity which is displayed on a regular basis at the Wexford Festival of Opera.’

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WINING & DINING

PRE-OPERA SUPPERS AT THE NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE Relax and enjoy a meal in the MacKenzie Room on the third floor of the National Opera House before the performance. The popular Pre-Opera Suppers begin at 6 p.m. on each of the 8 p.m. performance evenings during the Festival, as well as the 8.30 p.m. Gala Concert on Sunday 29 October.

On Sunday 22 October, Supper will be served after the 5 p.m. performance, and on Sunday 5 November it will be served at 2.30 p.m. before the performance.

Supper €40 Booking for the Pre-Opera Suppers opens on Saturday 25 March. Priority will be given to Friends of Wexford Festival Opera.

To make a booking contact Michael O’Keeffe, Conference and Banqueting Manager, Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford: michaelokeeffe@ferrycarrighotel.com or phone +353 87 622 0279.

CHAMPAGNE AND CANAPÉS Treat yourself to a little luxury! We offer a Champagne and Canapés interval reception in the MacKenzie Room at the National Opera House every night during the Festival.

Please note that Champagne and Canapés are only offered at the first interval.

Tickets €25 Friends of Wexford Festival Opera may book their tickets from Saturday 25 March at Wexfordopera.com and by telephone (+353 53 912 2144).

Public booking opens on Saturday 15 April.

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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ACCOMMODATION

Ferrycarrig Hotel

FERRYCARRIG HOTEL

TALBOT HOTEL WEXFORD

(Preferred Hotel Partner)

The 4-star quay front Talbot Hotel is ideally located in the heart of Wexford town. This is one of the finest hotels in Wexford, boasting panoramic views of the quays and River Slaney.

The nationally and internationally renowned 4-star Ferrycarrig Hotel boasts one of the most inspiring locations of any hotel in Wexford or, indeed, Ireland, with sweeping views across the River Slaney. The hotel is the perfect location for your visit to the 2017 Festival.

One Night B&B with dinner and evening transfers to the Opera from €109 pps For more information call reservations directly: T: +353 53 915 3623 E: reservations@ferrycarrighotel.com W: Ferrycarrighotel.ie

CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL Clayton Whites Hotel is one of the leading 4-star Wexford hotels, conveniently located in Wexford town centre making us an ideal base for sight-seeing, shopping, attending shows, festivals and events, walks along the Quay or on our renowned beautiful beaches.

The hotel is within a 5-minute stroll of the train and bus stations and is 20 minutes’ drive from Rosslare Europort. Large parking facilities are available.

Two Nights B&B with one dinner and evening transfers to the Opera from €235 pps For more information: T: +353 53 912 2566 E: reservations@talbothotel.ie W: talbotwexford.ie

KELLY’S RESORT HOTEL The 4-star Kelly’s Resort Hotel is uniquely situated along five miles of safe sandy beach in Rosslare, Co. Wexford.

One Night B&B with dinner and evening transfers to the Opera from €143 pps For more information: T: +353 53 913 2114 E: info@kellys.ie W: Kellys.ie

Stay in the heart of the Festival at Clayton Whites Hotel.

B&B Packages from €94.50pps For more information: T: +353 53 912 2311 E: info.whites@claytonhotels.com W: claytonwhiteshotel.com For further information on accommodation in Wexford and the surrounding area visit

Visitwexford.ie | Discoverireland.ie | Irelandhotels.com

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FESTIVAL 2017

DISCOVER HISTORICAL GEMS WITH WEXFORD HISTORICAL TOURS

Hook Lighthouse

In Association with Wexford Historical Society

National Opera House Tours

It is said that County Wexford is known for three things: opera, writers and history. County Wexford is rich in history and home to the Vikings, Normans, rebellions and a key part of Ireland’s Ancient East – pulsating with legendary tales! This October come discover Co. Wexford’s ancient east with day trips to the local region. First organised by Nicholas Furlong in the early 1950s, the tours are programmed and operated by Wexford Historical Society. Nicholas Furlong is one of the Festival’s original ‘Friends’ since he, like so many other locals, pledged Dr Tom his full support and offered a donation in order for him to get the first Festival off the ground.

Sunday 22, Thursday 26 October; Wednesday 1, Saturday 4 November – 9.30 a.m.

During the 2017 Festival, there will be guided tours of the National Opera House on four mornings. Take advantage of this opportunity to find out more about the award-winning architecture of the National Opera House and sample the exceptional acoustics of its two diverse performance spaces, the O’Reilly Theatre and the Jerome Hynes Theatre.

Tours commence at 9.30 a.m. from the Box Office, National Opera House. Booking closes fifteen minutes before the tour start time. No admission without a valid ticket. Children under sixteen years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

PHOTOS: PATRICK BROWNE

The historical tours are led by expert guides and explore places of historical interest in the town and the county – some well known, some lesser known.

The tours leave the Talbot Hotel car park at 10.30 a.m. sharp and return to Wexford by 1 p.m., just in time for the Lunchtime Recitals. No car? Don’t worry; people who have cars make room for those without. Another chance to make new friends! The tours are free and are open to all. Full details of these popular tours will be announced in September. For more information visit Wexfordhistoricalsociety.com

Tickets €5 / €4 for groups of 10+

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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TRAVEL

TRAVELLING BY CAR FROM DUBLIN AIRPORT/DUBLIN

WEXFORD BUS FROM DUBLIN CITY AND AIRPORT

Wexford Town is a two-hour drive from Dublin Airport.

If you are travelling from Dublin Airport you can avoid Dublin city centre by two routes:

Wexford Bus offers the fastest, most reliable bus service between Wexford and Dublin city and airport. It is the ideal option for overseas visitors to the Festival. With up to twelve daily services each way, a range of great value tickets and free wi-fi on board, Wexford Bus is a comfortable and efficient way to travel to and from Dublin Airport. For details of the timetable and fares visit Wexfordbus.com.

Route 1: Follow the M50 Southbound and join the N11 heading towards Wexford/Rosslare.

Route 2: Follow the signs for the City Centre and take the route for the Port Tunnel, follow signs for the East Link Bridge and the N11.

Continue on the N11, and at the Gorey bypass you can choose to stay on the N11 and travel through Ferns and Enniscorthy to Wexford via Ferrycarrig Bridge, or you can take Exit 23 to R741 and follow the signs for Ballycanew, and this route will bring you into Wexford Town via Wexford Bridge.

Travel options to Wexford from Dublin Airport include car hire, train (Irishrail.ie) and express coach (Buseireann.ie and Wexfordbus.com).

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FESTIVAL 2017

The story of Rubens and robberies in one of Ireland’s great houses.

Russborough House, Co. Wicklow.

From the beautiful galleries of Russborough House, to the tragic past of Wicklow Gaol, to the follies of Belvedere House and Gardens, you’ll find hundreds of stories in Ireland’s Ancient East.

GREAT STORIES STAY WITH YOU FOREVER

Find yours at IrelandsAncientEast.com

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

FESTIVAL CALENDAR ✂

Thursday 19 October

Tuesday 24 October

Opening Ceremony

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

3.30 p.m.

La Scala di seta

8 p.m.

Medea

Friday 20 October

Wednesday 25 October

10 a.m.

Friends’ Welcome Reception

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

1.05 p.m.

Thomas Moore Songbook

3.30 p.m.

Rigoletto

3.30 p.m.

Dubliners

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Margherita

Thursday 26 October

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

2 p.m.

Saturday 21 October

3.30 p.m.

11 a.m.

Dr Tom Walsh Lecture

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

8 p.m.

Margherita

3.30 p.m.

La Scala di seta

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Risurrezione

Friends’ Lunch Dubliners

Friday 27 October

10 a.m.

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

3.30 p.m.

La Scala di seta

Sunday 22 October

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

11 a.m.

8 p.m.

Risurrezione

4 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

5 p.m.

Medea

10.30 p.m.

Friends’ Party

Rigoletto

Friends’ Welcome Reception

Saturday 28 October

11 a.m.

Monday 23 October

1.05 p.m.

Thomas Moore Songbook

No performances

3.30 p.m.

Rigoletto

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Medea

10.30 p.m.

Opera Lecture – Sylvia L’Écuyer

Friends’ Party

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FESTIVAL 2017

FESTIVAL CALENDAR Thursday 2 November

11 a.m.

Dubliners

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

12 noon

Festival Mass, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Rowe Street

3.30 p.m.

Rigoletto

5.15 p.m.

Friends’ Buffet

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Risurrezione

2 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

3 p.m.

Margherita

8.30 p.m.

Gala Concert

Friday 3 November Monday 30 October (bank holiday) Piano Recital

10 a.m.

Friends’ Welcome Reception

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

3.30 p.m.

La Scala di seta

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Medea

11 a.m.

1.05 p.m.

2 p.m.

3.30 p.m.

La Scala di seta

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

Saturday 4 November

8 p.m.

Risurrezione

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

3.30 p.m.

Rigoletto

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Margherita

Lunchtime Recital Friends’ Lunch

Tuesday 31 October No performances

Wednesday 1 November

1.05 p.m.

Lunchtime Recital

3.30 p.m.

Dubliners

7 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

8 p.m.

Margherita

10.30 p.m.

Friends’ Party

Sunday 5 November

11 a.m.

Festival Service, St Iberius Church

4 p.m.

Pre-Opera Talk

5 p.m.

Risurrezione

✂

Sunday 29 October

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

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FESTIVAL 2017

BOOK YOUR TICKETS

PHOTO © CLIVE BARDA/ARENAPAL

BOOKING DATES

BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

• Priority booking for Bravura, Cabaletta, Aria and Ensemble+ Friends opens Saturday 25 March at 9.30 a.m

Friends have the first opportunity to book their Festival tickets online via the Festival website:

• Priority booking for Ensemble Friends opens Saturday 1 April at 9.30 a.m.

• General booking opens Saturday 15 April at 9.30 a.m.

Tickets may be booked using the following methods: • Online: Wexfordopera.com • E-mail: boxoffice@wexfordopera.com • Telephone: +353 53 912 2144 / 1850 4 OPERA* • In person at the National Opera House Box Office* • Post: fill out and post attached booking form *Box Office opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

DRESS CODE In keeping with Wexford Festival Opera tradition, evening dress is strongly recommended for the evening opera performances.

Wexfordopera.com which contains a step-by-step guide to booking your tickets online, including an option to print your tickets at home. From the opening of priority booking, you will be able to browse and search our programme of events twenty-four hours a day and choose your own seats from the seating plan.

We recommend that you book your tickets online as this is the best way to secure your preferred tickets.

If you prefer the personal touch, our helpful Box Office staff will be pleased to take your bookings by phone (+353 53 912 2144 / 1850 4 OPERA), by e-mail (boxoffice@wexfordopera.com) or in person (The National Opera House, High Street, Wexford).

Postal bookings may be made, using the attached booking form, but this is a slower method, and your requested tickets may not be available. A charge of €1.00 for postage and handling will be applied to tickets sent by post. Card transactions will incur a charge of €1.50 (per transaction).

Please note: if you have opted to have your tickets posted, you will receive them a minimum of six weeks prior to the event.

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

BOOKING DATES Tickets are available in three price bands over the Festival. Prices are based on the most requested Festival dates.

Price Band A

Sunday 22, Monday 30 October; Wednesday 1, Thursday 2 November

Price Band B

Thursday 19, Friday 20, Saturday 21, Thursday 26, Friday 27, Saturday 28, Sunday 29 October; Friday 3, Saturday 4, Sunday 5 November

Price Band C

Gala Concert: Sunday 29 October

PRICING Floor Level

Seating Area

Dates & Prices Price Band A

Price Band B

Price Band C

22, 30 Oct; 1, 2 Nov

19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29 Oct; 3, 4, 5 Nov

Gala Concert 29 Oct

 Circle

Rows A–B

€145

€145

€75

 Circle

Rows C–G

€100

€125

€65

 Circle

Row H*

€95

€95

€65

 Circle Side Stalls

I 12–18, J 1–7

€50

€50

€65

I 19–22, J 8– 11

€35

€35

€65

Boxes A,B,D,E

€25

€25

€65

Boxes C, F

€20

€20

€65

A3–A26

€150

€150

€80

A1, A2, A27, A28

€145

€145

€75

Rows B–C

€150

€150

€80

 Founders’ Circle

Side Stalls

€135

€135

€80

 Founders’ Circle (4 seats)**

Boxes A,B,D,E

€50

€50

€75

Boxes C,F

€25

€25

€75

Rows A–B

€100

€120

€70

Rows C–P

€110

€130

€70

1–6, 13–18

€110

€130

€70

7–12, 19–24

€100

€130

€70

 Circle Boxes (6 seats)**

 Founders’ Circle

 Main Stalls

 Side Stalls

*Reserved at €40 during all opera performances exclusively for Prelude Friends of Wexford Festival Opera until September 1st **Restricted view, prices per seat

PLEASE NOTE Information on our Refund/Return Policy may be found on page 46.

In keeping with Wexford Festival Opera tradition, evening dress is strongly recommended for the evening opera performances.

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FESTIVAL 2017

SEATING PLANS O’REILLY THEATRE, NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE

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Centre Centre

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Side SideStalls Stalls

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Boxes Boxes

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Boxes

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STALLS

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WheelchairWheelchairaccessible Seat

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accessible Seat

Boxes A, B & C seat 6 each

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WEXFORDOPERA.COM

CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL

STAGE

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We are happy to announce that we have a new seating layout for our ShortWorks productions, being presented in Clayton Whites Hotel again this year.

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PHOTO: PATRICK BROWNE

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SECTION C

We are re-orienting our stage onto the east side of the ballroom (facing Abbey Street) and all seats will now be no more than nine rows from the stage.

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FESTIVAL 2017

TICKETS – FRIENDS’ ENTITLEMENTS

SPECIAL ACCESS REQUIREMENTS

Priority booking for Bravura, Cabaletta, Aria and Ensemble+ Friends opens Saturday 25 March at 9.30 a.m.; Ensemble Friends booking opens Saturday 1 April at 9.30 a.m. Early booking is advised during this advance booking period. General booking opens Saturday 15 April at 9.30 a.m.

The National Opera House is fully accessible for persons with restricted movement, both ambulant and wheelchair bound. There is convenient lift access to all public spaces. Provision has been made to accommodate up to fifteen wheelchair users and their companions in a variety of locations, each with sight lines as good as any on their respective levels. The wheelchair-accessible seating areas are indicated on the seating plan. To book these tickets, you must contact the Box Office directly by telephone (+353 53 912 2144 / 1850 4 OPERA) or e-mail (boxoffice@wexfordopera.com).

Bookings can be made online at Wexfordopera.com, twenty-four hours a day (see ‘Book your Tickets’). As we cannot guarantee your first choice of events, we would ask Friends who are making a postal booking to indicate an alternative date on their booking form.

Please remember to book before 15 April, when general booking opens.

Chorus Friends are entitled to purchase up to four tickets per event, Ensemble Friends up to six tickets per event, Ensemble + Friends up to eight tickets per event, Aria Friends up to ten tickets, Cabaletta Friends up to twelve tickets, Bravura Friends up to fourteen tickets. Prelude Friends are entitled to discounted tickets.

Remember Chorus, Ensemble, Ensemble +, Aria, Cabaletta and Bravura are also entitled to an allocation of complimentary tickets to the Friends’ Parties, Lunches and Buffet (see relevant section). Additional tickets for the Lunches may be purchased at €20 each, for the Buffet at €30 each and for the Parties at €40 each. If you have opted to have your tickets posted, you will receive them a minimum of six weeks prior to the event. The postage and handling charge for posted tickets is €1. Card transactions will incur a fee of €1.50 (per transaction).

If you are a wheelchair user and wish to attend Festival events in venues other than the National Opera House, please advise the Box Office at the time of booking so that we can ensure your visit is as enjoyable as possible.

PRICING Operas

€20 – €150

(depending on date and seat selection)

ShortWorks

€30

(allocated seating, Clayton Whites Hotel)

Thomas Moore Songbook

€20

Lunchtime Recitals

€15

Daytime Events Package

€65

Dr Tom Walsh Lecture

€10

Gala Concert

€65 – €80

(depending on seat selection)

REFUND/RETURN POLICY – NOW EXCLUSIVELY FOR FRIENDS

Finghin Collins Piano Recital Sylvia L’Écuyer Lecture

€10

Subject to availability, tickets may be exchanged for the same opera on an alternative date. The original ticket(s) must be with the Box Office no later than 9 October to qualify for an exchange or refund. No refunds can be given after 9 October due to pressure on the Box Office. Tickets can only be accepted for resale if the performance is sold out and the original ticket(s) must be with the Box Office before we can begin the resale process. If your ticket(s) is resold, you will be refunded, less a 15% administration fee. This facility is a Friendsonly benefit. Tickets purchased by patrons who are not Friends cannot be exchanged or refunded. If a returned ticket is not re-sold, Wexford Festival Opera reserves the right to allocate the seat to a member of the Festival Company.

Friends’ Lunches

€20

€25 – €30

(in addition to the Friends’ complimentary ticket allocation)

Friends’ Buffet

€30

(in addition to the Friends’ complimentary ticket allocation)

Friends’ Parties

€40

(in addition to the Friends’ complimentary ticket allocation)

PLEASE NOTE The Management reserves the right to refuse admission and to change or cancel the advertised programme.

Latecomers cannot be admitted once the performance has commenced. Please allow ample time for traffic and parking delays.

WEXFORDOPERA.COM

BOOKING FORM ✂ Name: Address:

Telephone (day):

Telephone (evening):

Mobile: E-mail:

THE OPERAS

Date 1st Choice

Seat Preference*

Date 2nd Choice

Number of Tickets

Total Payable

Medea Margherita Risurrezione Alternative dates – tickets are subject to availability If your first choice date is unavailable, your second choice date will be used.

Subtotal

*Seat Preference Comments:

OTHER EVENTS

Dates

Time

Number

Total

of Tickets

Payable

La Scala di seta Dubliners Rigoletto Lunchtime Recitals Daytime Events Package Gala Concert Thomas Moore Songbook Finghin Collins Piano Recital Dr Tom Walsh Lecture Sylvia L’Écuyer Lecture Friends’ Parties/Lunches/Buffet Subtotal

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FESTIVAL 2017

BOOKING FORM ✂

VOLUNTARY DONATION Total Payable

Any donations to the Festival will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged

If you wish your tickets to be posted, please add a postage and handling fee of €1

TOTAL Total from the Operas, Events and Donation (and postage, if applicable)

PAYMENT METHOD Cheque enclosed

Credit/Debit Card* – Please fill in card details below Expiry Date

Account Number

CVV** Visa Credit

Visa Debit

MasterCard Credit

MasterCard Debit **The CVV is the 3 digit security number on the signature strip on the back of your card.

*please note we do not accept American Express Card transactions will incur a fee of €1.50 (per transaction)

Name on card (BLOCK CAPITALS)

Signature on card Tick here if you do not wish to join our mailing list

BOX OFFICE USE ONLY Date Received

Order Number

Signed

Date Processed

DISCOVER THE REPERTOIRE The Discover the Repertoire CD is an introduction to the 2017 Wexford Festival Opera programme and provides background information on the composers and operas in the 2017 season.

1M edea (with extracts from the

legendary 1974 recording made at the Vienna State Opera starring Leonie Rysanek).

This introductory CD includes commentary by Ian Fox and excerpts from the three main stage operas.

We hope that it will enhance your enjoyment of this year’s Festival.

2M argherita (audio excerpt from

Cristina, regina di Sevia from Wexford Festival Opera archives).

3 Risurrezione (extracts from the Gala Label recording GL 100.716).

The National Opera House High Street, Wexford, Y35 FEP3, Ireland Tel: +353 53 912 2400 Box Office: +353 53 912 2144 Callsave: 1850 4 OPERA boxoffice@wexfordopera.com Wexfordopera.com

Friends’ Direct Tel: +353 53 916 3525 friends@wexfordopera.com

patron

Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland

president Sir David Davies chairman

Ger Lawlor

rtistic director David Agler a hief executive David McLoughlin c

F t

y

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