Irish National Opera
2019
Programme
January–June
Irish National Opera 06
Welcome
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the adventure continues
14 Orfeo ed Euridice 18 The Second Violinist 22 Madama Butterfly 26 The MAgic Flute 30
This Hostel life
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Artistic partners
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2019 artists
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The Journey So far...
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INO studio
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ino performance diary
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INO team 01
Irish National Opera Founders Circle
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INO would like to thank each member of our Founders Circle for joining us in our inaugural year. You have enabled us to create and perform beautiful and inspirational opera and we appreciate your support. We are delighted to recognise you in perpetuity and look forward to continuing our work together to bring high quality INO performances to audiences throughout the country and beyond.
Norbert & Margaret Bannon
M Hely Hutchinson
Ann Nolan & Paul Burns
Valerie Beatty & Dennis Jennings
Gemma Hussey
F.X. & Pat O’Brien
Mark & Nicola Beddy
Kathy Hutton & David McGrath
James & Sylvia O’Connor
Mary Brennan
Nuala Johnson
John & Viola O’Connor
Angie Brown
Susan Kiely
Dr J R O’Donnell
Jennifer Caldwell
Timothy King & Mary Canning
Diarmuid O’Dwyer
Seán Caldwell & Richard Caldwell
J. & N. Kingston
Patricia O’Hara
Audrey Conlon
Kate & Ross Kingston
Annmaree O’Keeffe & Chris Greene
Gerardine Connolly
Silvia and Jay Krehbiel
Margaret Quigley
Jackie Connolly
Landmark Productions
Patricia Reilly
Sarah Daniel
Karlin Lillington & Chris Horn
Riverdream Productions
Maureen de Forge
Stella Litchfield
Dr Frances Ruane
Doreen Delahunty & Michael Moriarty
Jane Loughman
Catherine Santoro
Rev Bernárd Lynch & Billy Desmond
Dermot & Sue Scott
Kate Donaghy
Lyndon MacCann S.C.
Fergus Sheil Sr.
Marcus Dowling
Phyllis Mac Namara
Yvonne Shields
Mareta & Conor Doyle
Tony & Joan Manning
Gaby Smyth
Michael Duggan
R. John McBratney
Matthew Patrick Smyth
Catherine & William Earley
Ruth McCarthy, in memoriam Niall & Barbara McCarthy
Bruce Stanley
Jim & Moira Flavin Ian & Jean Flitcroft
Petria McDonnell
Julian & Beryl Stracey
Maire & Maurice Foley
Jim McKiernan
The Wagner Society of Ireland
Roy & Aisling Foster
Jean Moorhead
Brian Walsh & Barry Doocey
Genesis
Sara Moorhead
Diarmuid Hegarty
Joe & Mary Murphy
And those who wish to remain anonymous.
Sara Stewart
principal funder
co-producers & partners
partner orchestras
additional support
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Photo by pat redmond.
Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle Dublin Theatre Festival The Gaiety Theatre Dublin October 2018, Joshua Bloom & Paula Murrihy.
Welcome to irish national opera
Fergus Sheil Artistic director
2018 has been a whirlwind for everyone involved in Irish National Opera. We launched a new opera company, produced eight operas and two gala concerts, and performed in 13 venues in Ireland. We made our international début in the Barbican in London, forged new partnerships with venues, festivals and orchestras, and assembled a growing team of executive and board members. Our operatic adventure enters new territory with the unveiling of our programme for the first half of 2019. We are announcing just six months’ work now. Next year we will move to an annual season structure where we will announce a year at a time beginning mid-year. July 2019 to June 2020 will be announced in the first half of 2019. When I first encountered Puccini’s Madama Butterfly I was immediately taken with the passion, sincerity and vulnerability of Butterfly herself, but also her innate strength, which tragically doesn’t overcome the inevitability of events around her. Although the context of her story is far removed from us in time and location, her commodification is not a thing of the past. In our first new production of 2019, I’m delighted to welcome the greatly-loved Irish soprano Celine Byrne who will portray this unshakeable character. Expect to hear her get
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deep into the emotional heart of the matter. Celine is already an Artistic Partner of Irish National Opera, and she will be a regular performer with us in the years ahead. Butterfly is one of her signature roles. Madama Butterfly will be at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre for four nights from Sunday 24 March, and we will then take this large-scale production to the Cork Opera House on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April, our first time to perform in the largest opera venue in the Southern capital. Like many people, Mozart’s The Magic Flute was the first opera I ever saw, and I vividly remember the fun-loving Papageno and the superhuman virtuosity of the Queen of the Night. Our new production of this spectacularly popular work will open in the National Opera House, Wexford, on Friday 17 May before moving to Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre for seven performances from Tuesday 21 May. The production will mark another first for INO when, on Sunday 19 May, we take it to Limerick for a concert performance at the University Concert Hall. Our Magic Flute is bursting with vocal talent, and it will mark INO production débuts for Anna Devin (coming to us fresh from Cavalli’s La Calisto at the Teatro Real, Madrid), Jennifer Davis (who created a sensation in Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, last summer), and Gavan Ring (who made his BBC Proms debut under Simon Rattle last August). Our hugely successful 2018 production of Orfeo ed Euridice, co-produced with United Fall and starring Sharon Carty as Orfeo, was a major hit of last July’s Galway International Arts Festival. In February and March we take it on tour to 11 venues, many of which will be welcoming INO for the first time. 07
Photo: The Big Bang 2018, NCH. L-R Imelda Drumm, Miriam Murphy, Gavan Ring, Anna Devin, Claudia Boyle, Eugene Ginty, Máire Flavin, Fergus Sheil, Ben McAteer, Jennifer Davis, Patrick Hyland, Sharon Carty, John Molloy, Orla Boylan and Padraic Rowan. Photo by Ste Murray
Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh’s award-winning The Second Violinist, co-produced with Landmark Productions, travels to Amsterdam as part of Dutch National Opera’s Opera Forward Festival. This will be INO’s first continental European appearance. And in June we have a special project born out of our new INO Studio, an installation opera written by Evangelia Rigaki on stories by the Nigerian writer Melatu Uche Okorie documenting her life as an immigrant in Ireland. In short, the first six months of 2019 will see us present 32 performances of 5 operas in 16 venues in Ireland (9 of them new for INO) as well as one abroad. We renew our relationships with key singers, creative artists and orchestras and we welcome new members to the broader INO family. Our operatic journey is still in its infancy. There’s lots more repertoire to produce, artists to bring into our fold, operas to commission and audiences to thrill and delight. For all of us at INO our inaugural year has been a dream come true – memorable productions, brilliant singing and deeply moving operatic experiences. Personally, I have found myself overcome by the dedication, support and encouragement of everybody involved – our artists, our partners, our audiences, our dedicated staff and board, our supporters and our funders. My wish is for that dream come true to grow and develop through 2019 and beyond. I look forward to having you on board again and again on this exciting operatic journey. Fergus Sheil Artistic director
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The Adventure Continues Like everyone at Irish National Opera, both on and off the stage, I am delighted that we can now reveal our programme for the first six months of 2019.
Diego Fasciati Executive Director
Our inaugural year feels as if it has virtually flown by. I am personally proud that each of our 2018 productions provided such excitement and engaged audiences new and old in cities and towns around Ireland and also across the sea in London. It would be invidious for me to choose one favourite production. But I have the fondest memories of the powerful music and compassion of Thomas Adès’s Powder Her Face, the wit and humanity of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the heart-wrenching poignancy of Gluck’s Orfeo, the sheer esprit of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, and EVERYTHING about the riveting Bluebeard’s Castle, the first Irish staging of Bartók’s century-old operatic masterpiece. And let’s not forget Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh’s The Second Violinist in London, where the mesmerising tragedy was, yet again, its full, mind-blowing self. The year’s incredible artistry was also a tribute to native talent, which is always to the fore whenever and wherever the curtain rises on an INO production.
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We could not have achieved all of this, of course, without the many individuals who have become supporters of Irish National Opera. Thank you, one and all, for believing in us and helping us celebrate a very special year in a new operatic movement in Ireland. I hope you feel as justly proud as we feel warmly cherished, and that you will continue the journey with us into 2019 and beyond. The support of the Arts Council is the alpha and omega of Irish National Opera. Without it, we would simply not exist. We thank also the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for providing a much-needed increase to the Arts Council. This is an enlightened move that will pay dividends – and not just for opera – for years to come. Finally, we could not have chalked up the achievements of our first year without our partner orchestras, producing partners and cultural partners. Thanks to you all from the bottom of our hearts. Behind the scenes, we have been busy building a modern, flexible and dynamic organisation. There is now a first-rate team that is constantly busy in our offices on Dame Street and working towards a common goal: to bring to you opera of all shapes and sizes, old and new, in passionate productions that will give you memories for a lifetime. My deepest gratitude goes also to all my colleagues whose often invisible work ensures that the show will always go on. I hope you are as excited by our upcoming productions as I am. I look forward to seeing you at the opera. Diego Fasciati Executive Director
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Photo by pat redmond.
Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice Town Hall Theatre, Galway International Arts Festival July 2018.
Photo credit: Sharon Carty. Photo: Liam Murphy
Christoph Willibald von GLUCK
Orfeo ed Euridice Sung in Italian with English surtitles
“ the show belongs to Carty who sings Orfeo with a deep and commanding grief. Wish that we might all be mourned so.” Irish Independent
★★★★ “ An opera of intense, crisp energy”
The Irish Times
“ this mesmerising co-production by Irish National Opera and United Fall” Exeunt Magazine “ It’s a triumph for all”
Sunday Independent
A Co-production with United Fall In partnership with Irish Baroque Orchestra
#INOOrfeo
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Christoph Willibald von GLUCK
The great musical myth. Orpheus rescues his wife Euridice from the Underworld. A revolutionary new mix of words, singing and dancing. And Gluck’s creative pursuit of beautiful simplicity and dramatic truth. “ I read and re-read Gluck’s scores. I copied them and learnt them by heart. I went without sleep because of them and forgot to eat or drink. An ecstasy possessed me”. Hector Berlioz composer “ The reason Orfeo or anyone else starts the journey is Love. It is the only power which can bring us safely through”. Janet Baker mezzo soprano
Mezzo soprano Sharon Carty’s performance in the title role is “compelling, both vocally and dramatically” (Goldenplec). She is “well matched by Sarah Power’s mysterious Euridice” (Sunday Independent). Emma Nash is a “powerfully soaring Amore” (Sunday Independent), and the production also features an ensemble of four singers and four United Fall dancers who “gave the opera an added dimension” (Journal of Music)
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CAST Orfeo Euridice Amore
Sharon Carty Sarah Power Emma Nash
Chorus Soprano Mezzo Soprano Tenor Bass
Emma Nash Dominica Williams Fearghal Curtis Matthew Mannion
Dancers Robyn Byrne, Stephanie Dufresne, Javier Ferrer & Sophia Preidel
Creative team Conductor Peter Whelan Director Emma Martin Assistant Director Emmanuel Obeya Set Designer Sabine Dargent Costume Designer Catherine Fay Lighting Designer Stephen Dodd Irish Baroque Orchestra
Orfeo ed Euridice
PERFORMANCES Thursday 7 February 2019 Friday 8 February 2019 Tallaght Civic Theatre Time: 8pm Tickets: €38/€35 civictheatre.ie 01–462 7477 Sunday 10 February 2019 Concert performance Drogheda St. Peter’s Church of Ireland Time: 7.30pm Tickets: €19/€17/€5 droicheadartscentre.ie 041–983 3946 Tuesday 12 February 2019 Bray Mermaid Arts Centre Time: 8pm Tickets: €28/€27 mermaidartscentre.ie 01–272 4030 Thursday 14 February 2019 Waterford Theatre Royal Time: 8pm Tickets: €31 theatreroyal.ie 051–874 402 Saturday 16 February 2019 Carlow VISUAL Carlow Theatre Time: 8pm Tickets: €30/€27 visualcarlow.ie 059–917 2400
Sunday 17 February 2019 Concert performance Celbridge Castletown House Hunting Room, Stable Wing Time: 3pm Tickets: €30.30 castletown.ie 01–628 8252 Tuesday 19 February 2019 Cork Everyman Time: 8pm Tickets: €30/€27 everymancork.com 021–450 1673 Thursday 21 February 2019 Ennis Glór Time: 8pm Tickets: €30/€27 glor.ie 065–684 3103 Saturday 23 February 2019 Tralee Siamsa Tíre Time: 8pm Tickets: €30/€27 siamsatire.com 066–712 3055 Wednesday 27 February 2019 Thursday 28 February 2019 Dún Laoghaire Pavilion Theatre Time: 7.30pm Tickets: €38/€35 paviliontheatre.ie 01–231 2929 Saturday 2 March 2019 Wexford National Opera House Time: 8pm Tickets: €30/€20 nationaloperahouse.ie 053–912 2144
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Photo Credit: Aaron Monaghan in The Second Violinist. Photo: Pat Redmond
Donnacha Dennehy & enda walsh
The Second Violinist Sung in ENGLISH with English surtitles
HHHHH “ exhilarating blend of opera, theatre and film… extraordinary…thrilling.” The Guardian
a Co-production with Landmark Productions Winner of the FEDORA – GENERALI Prize for Opera 2017
#TheSecondViolinist
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Donnacha Dennehy & enda walsh
A dazzling modern opera that tells the foreboding story of a life falling apart, The Second Violinist unfolds like an unnerving thriller driven along by a haunting and compulsive score. Martin, an orchestral violinist, is consumed by social media platforms, morbid fantasies and violent video games. Seeking solace in the music of Italian Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo, his inner turmoil becomes ever more apparent as he searches for beauty in a dark, dark world.
“ Monaghan’s Martin is compellingly realised in a riveting physical performance. Sharon Carty as the conflicted wife Amy, Máire Flavin as her free spirited, former college lover Hannah, and Benedict Nelson as the murderous husband Matthew, are each superb” The Arts Review
“ it’s as exciting to see the vigour of the orchestra pit, particularly in the string section. There the violinists play nimbly, frantically and, refreshingly, with visible pleasure” The Irish Times
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The Second Violinist
CAST Martin Hannah Amy Matthew
performances Aaron Monaghan Daire Halpin Sharon Carty Benedict Nelson
Creative team
Thursday 7 March 2019 Saturday 9 March 2019 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ Time: 9pm Tickets: €57/€46/€22/€17 operaballet.nl +31 20 625 5455
Composer Donnacha Dennehy Writer & Director Enda Walsh Conductor Ryan McAdams Assistant Conductor & Chorus Director Killian Farrell Set Designer Jamie Vartan Lighting Designer Adam Silverman Video Designer Jack Phelan Sound Designers David Sheppard Helen Atkinson Costume Designer Joan O’Clery Assistant Director Eoghan Carrick
Irish National Opera Chorus Crash Ensemble
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Photo Credit: Celine Byrne. Photo: Shane McCarthy
Giacomo Puccini
madama butterfly Sung in Italian with English surtitles
“ a soprano of fine lyrical quality and a touching actor, too.” Opera magazine
“ Celine Byrne’s rich-voiced consumptive Mimì made lovely work of her voluptuous arias.” The Times
“ Celine Byrne’s Mimì is delicate, attractive and sung with an emotive power that dominates the production.” The Scotsman
In association with Bord Gáis Energy Theatre In partnership with RTÉ Concert Orchestra
#INOButterfly
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Giacomo Puccini
Quintessential Puccini. Madama Butterfly takes us on the emotional journey of a devoted young Asian woman as she faces the truth about Pinkerton, the US navy lieutenant she marries. Sound advice from her maid, Suzuki, and the American consul, Sharpless, falls on deaf ears. The worldly-wise Pinkerton sets up house with Butterfly. But he deserts her, leaving her isolated from family and friends. “ Julian Hubbard was consistently good in the title role, being particularly convincing in the passionate duet with Giulietta” bachtrack.com on Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann
“ Brett Polegato’s Onegin, ever-resonant in a world-wearing manner, unfailingly musical in his phrasing and breath control, with excellent diction, chilling insouciance in the rejection scene, thrilling high notes and a touch of genuine despair in the final moments.” Opera Magazine
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madama butterfly
CAST Cio-Cio-San B.F. Pinkerton Sharpless Suzuki Goro The Bonze Kate Pinkerton [March 24, 26, 28, 30] Kate Pinkerton [April 04, 05] Yamadori Imperial Commissioner Official Registrar Uncle Yakusidé Mother Cousin
PERFORMANCES Celine Byrne Julian Hubbard Brett Polegato Doreen Curran Eamonn Mulhall John Molloy Niamh O’Sullivan Rachel Croash Brendan Collins Robert McAllister Kevin Neville Cormac Lawlor Bríd Ní Ghruagáin Amy Ní Fhearraigh
Sunday 24 March 2019 Tuesday 26 March 2019 Thursday 28 March 2019 Saturday 30 March 2019 Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Time: 7.30pm Tickets: €95/€75/€69.50/€60 €50/€45/€15 bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 0818 719 377 Thursday 4 April 2019 Friday 5 April 2019 Cork Cork Opera House Time: 8pm Tickets: €55/€45/€35 corkoperahouse.ie 021–427 0022
Creative team Conductor Director Set Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Movement Director & Choreographer Assistant Conductor & Chorus Director Assistant Director
Timothy Redmond Ben Barnes Todd Rosenthal Joan O’Clery John Comiskey Libby Seward Sinead Hayes Sarah Baxter
Irish National Opera Chorus RTÉ Concert Orchestra
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Photo Credit: Anna Devin. Photo: kip carroll
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
THE MAGIC FLUTE Sung in GERMAN with English surtitles
“ Mozart’s enchanting final opera. His most popular stage work. A timeless moral tale in a world of clashing cultures.
In partnership with Irish Chamber Orchestra
#INOMagicFlute
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Trials of courage and love. A journey that encounters serpents and magic interventions. The dark realm of the vocally virtuosic Queen of the Night struggles against the judgement and reason of Sarastro, the High Priest of Isis and Osiris. In between, a separated couple cope with rites and rituals, and Papageno, a humble birdcatcher, searches for a wife.
“ With a voice as liquid and sparkling as the best champagne, this...Irish soprano showered us with vivid characterisations, kaleldoscopic hues and the brightest of coloratura flourishes.” The Times on Anna Devin “ Few things in theatre are more exciting than watching a star being born, and the big-bang roar that greeted Jennifer Davis’s curtain call after her debut as Lohengrin’s beloved Elsa was one such magic moment.” The Daily Telegraph “ Gavan Ring seized every opportunity to demonstrate the stylish vocal allure that has to underpin Giovanni’s sexual pulling power...” Opera magazine
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The MAgic Flute
CAST Pamina [May 17, 19, 21, 23 matinée, 24, 25] Pamina [May 22, 23, 25 matinée] Tamino [May 17, 19, 21, 23 matinée, 24, 25] Tamino [May 22, 23, 25 matinée] Papageno Queen of the Night [May 17, 23 matinée, 24, 25] Queen of the Night [May 19, 21, 22, 23, 25 matinée] Sarastro First Lady Second Lady Third Lady Monostatos Papagena Speaker First Armed Man Second Armed Man First Priest Second Priest
PERFORMANCES Anna Devin Jennifer Davis Nick Pritchard Tyler Nelson Gavan Ring Kim Sheehan Audrey Luna Lukas Jakobski Rachel Croash Sarah Richmond Raphaela Mangan Andrew Gavin Amy Ní Fhearraigh Padraic Rowan Fearghal Curtis Robert McAllister Matthew Mannion Peter O’Reilly
Creative team Conductor [May 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25] Conductor [May 23 matinée, 25 matinée] Director Set & Lighting Designer Costume Designer Chorus Director Assistant Director
Peter Whelan Sinead Hayes Caroline Staunton Ciaran Bagnall Katie Davenport Sinead Hayes Sarah Baxter
Friday 17 May 2019 Wexford National Opera House Time: 8pm Tickets: €80/€49 €48/€40/€36/€32/€15 nationaloperahouse.ie 053–912 2144 Sunday 19 May 2019 Concert performance Limerick University Concert Hall Time: 7pm Tickets: €38/€34 uch.ie 061–331 549 Tuesday 21 May 2019 Wednesday 22 May 2019 Thursday 23 May 2019 Friday 24 May 2019 Saturday 25 May 2019 Dublin Gaiety Theatre Time: Evening 7.30pm Matinee 2.30pm 23 & 25 May Tickets: Matinée €60/€55/€50 €40/€25/€15 Evening €85/€65/€50/€35 €30/€20 gaietytheatre.ie 0818 719 388
Irish National Opera Chorus Irish Chamber Orchestra 29
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Evangelia Rigaki & Melatu Uche Okorie
This Hostel Life
PERFORMANCES Thursday 27 June 2019 Saturday 29 June 2019 Dublin The Crypt Christ Church Cathedral Event: 8–10pm Audience can arrive and leave at any stage within these times. Tickets: €15/€10 students
Evangelia Rigaki’s new installation opera, This Hostel Life, is based on a collection of three short stories by the Nigerian writer, Melatu Uche Okorie, who has lived in Ireland since 2006. Stories of migrant women living in Ireland recount a day in the life of women queuing for basic supplies in an Irish direct provision hostel and a young black woman’s depiction of everyday racism in Ireland. The nuanced writing shines a light on the injustice of the direct provision system and on the insidious racism that migrant women living in Ireland are exposed to. The third story is set outside of Ireland, in a Nigeria of the past, and tells of a woman’s life destroyed by an ancient superstition. Okorie believes that the woman’s fierce determination to carry on is a quality universally shared by women.
CAST TO INCLUDE Soprano Rachel Croash Soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh Tenor Andrew Gavin Bass-baritone Robert McAllister
Rigaki’s imaginative use of the unique space of the crypt in Christ Church Cathedral will create an installation of immersive live opera in which members of the audience are free to travel between the various stories. The composer and several of the cast members are participants in this year’s INO Studio, a new venture aimed at developing Ireland’s top emerging operatic talent.
#INOThisHostelLife
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Claudia Boyle
Celine Byrne
Sharon Carty
Tara Erraught
Gavan Ring
Peter Whelan
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artistic partners One of the pillars of Irish National Opera’s success is the quality and range of Irish artists that we can call on – onstage, behind the scenes, in the rehearsal room and in the pit. We are delighted to have an especially close relationship with a number of our great performers who have joined our young company to share their time and expertise and, of course, their very special artistry. They are a group of outstanding opera practitioners and they embody many of characteristics that make the world of opera in Ireland so special today. They appear on major world stages, from the Met in New York to Covent Garden in London to the Salzburg Festival in Austria. Each of them has been balancing their international careers with performances at home in productions for Irish National Opera and will continue to do so in the years ahead. They are also acting as cultural ambassadors for the company both at home and abroad. They are additional pairs of eyes and ears for INO. They contribute to artistic planning. And several have already helped us foster new artistic talent in Ireland. They are key players who will help shape the achievements of the company as it grows in strength, reach and reputation.
Artists January–June 2019 Helen Atkinson
Sinead Hayes
Brett Polegato
Ciaran Bagnall
Julian Hubbard
Sarah Power
Ben Barnes
Lukas Jakobski
Sophia Preidel
Sarah Baxter
Cormac Lawlor
Nick Pritchard
Robyn Byrne
Audrey Luna
Timothy Redmond
Celine Byrne
Raphaela Mangan
Sarah Richmond
Eoghan Carrick
Matthew Mannion
Evangelia Rigaki
Sharon Carty
Emma Martin
Gavan Ring
Brendan Collins
Ryan McAdams
Todd Rosenthal
John Comiskey
Robert McAllister
Padraic Rowan
Rachel Croash
Richard McGrath
Libby Seward
Doreen Curran
John Molloy
Kim Sheehan
Fearghal Curtis
Aaron Monaghan
David Sheppard
Sabine Dargent
Eamonn Mulhall
Adam Silverman
Katie Davenport
Emma Nash
Caroline Staunton
Jennifer Davis
Benedict Nelson
Jamie Vartan
Donnacha Dennehy
Tyler Nelson
Enda Walsh
Anna Devin
Kevin Neville
Rebecca Warren
Stephen Dodd
Amy Ní Fhearraigh
Peter Whelan
Stephanie Dufresne
Joan O’Clery
Dominica Williams
Killian Farrell
Melatu Uche Okorie
Catherine Fay
Aoife O’Sullivan
Javier Ferrer
Niamh O’Sullivan
Andrew Gavin
Emmanuel Obeya
Daire Halpin
Jack Phelan
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irish National Opera By the end of June 2019, after 18 months of operation, INO will have delivered over 20,500 days of work for casts, creative teams, chorus, orchestras, and musical, technical and administrative staff.
INO collaborates with RTÉ lyric fm, through broadcasts and CD recordings, and has had webcasts in conjunction with operavision.eu, on INO’s own website, and through social media channels.
We have specially close relationships with our artistic partners, sopranos Claudia Boyle and Celine Byrne, mezzo-sopranos Tara Erraught and Sharon Carty, baritone Gavan Ring, and conductor Peter Whelan. They champion the work of INO at home and worldwide.
Reaching the widest audience
Artistic Partners
The INO Chorus and and INO Studio, which both allow for emerging singers to under-study major roles, are a fertile ground for supporting the next generation of Irish opera artists. INO Studio provides specially tailored training, professional mentoring and high-level professional engagements for a group of individuals whose success will be key to the future development of opera in Ireland.
INO’s orchestral partners include the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra and Crash Ensemble. INO also creates its own orchestra for certain productions.
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Employment
Stars of the future Irish orchestras
INO will have presented 13 opera productions by the end of June 2019, and plans to increase the frequency in the second half of 2019 and beyond. INO presents its large-scale work in Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre and Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, in the National Opera House, Wexford, and Cork Opera House.
Opera all year round
INO contributes to the career opportunities of singers, directors, designers, conductors, composers, writers and orchestral musicians. By June 2019 INO will have worked with 48 Irish singers in 69 roles, 148 chorus singers, 8 Irish directors, 11 Irish designers, 5 Irish conductors and 3 Irish composers.
Championing Irish talent
taking opera everywhere
The great operas – and more New audiences
INO’s first 18 months will see tours of 71 performances of 13 works to 24 venues nationwide as well as appearances in London and Amsterdam.
INO has a strong focus on well-loved masterpieces from the baroque to the present, including operas by Gluck, Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and an equally strong commitment to new work by Irish composers.
Ticket prices for full-scale operas start at €15. The INO Studio, a professional training and development centre for all shades of operatic talent, has its own programme of activities. And we’re developing a programme to engage with new audiences and communities of all ages.
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INO Studio professional career development for Irish opera artists Soprano Rachel Croash Soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh Tenor Andrew Gavin Bass-baritone Robert McAllister Director Sarah Baxter Conductor Sinead Hayes Composer Evangelia Rigaki Répétiteur Rebecca Warren
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The cast lists of Irish National Opera’s productions are a testament to the wealth of operatic talent that Ireland has generated in recent years. Ireland’s greatest operatic talent is showcased in leading opera houses across the globe on a regular basis. As the largest opera company in Ireland, Irish National Opera has a responsibility to develop and nurture the very best of our musical talent and secure the future for further significant achievements. It is through INO Studio that Irish National Opera will develop and nurture the upcoming generations of Irish artists and opera professionals.
Photo: Sinead Hayes, Evangelia Rigaki, Rachel Croash, Andrew Gavin, Amy Ní Fhearraigh, Robert McAllister, Rebecca Warren & Sarah Baxter. Photo by Mark Stedman
INO Studio was launched in September 2018. We invited eight artists – some of the most promising operatic talents in Ireland – into our midst for a year. During that time they will hone their craft through our fully immersive training platform. The 2018-19 studio is made up of four singers, a répétiteur, a conductor, a director and a composer. They will work on several of our productions as assistants, in cover roles, as chorus members and also receive regular training through the studio’s programme of events. These include masterclasses, coaching sessions, placements, commissions, language and movement classes, career development sessions, outreach projects and dedicated studio performances. Each year INO Studio will be open to a fresh intake of singers and opera creatives. The studio has no age limit and is open to artists born or based full-time in Ireland. The studio will add to the lineage of high operatic achievement in Ireland. We hope you will be as excited to witness the results of INO Studio’s work as we are ourselves. Applications for INO Studio 2019-20 will open in 2019. For more information see irishnationalopera.ie. To support the studio email info@irishnationalopera.ie or call 01–679 4962.
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Photo by pat redmond.
Mozart The Marriage of Figaro National Opera House, Wexford & Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, April 2018, John Molloy, Amy Ní Fhearraigh, Aoife Miskelly, Jonathan Lemalu, Tara Erraught, Máire Flavin, Ben McAteer, Graeme Danby, Suzanne Murphy.
ino performance diary
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OPERA
COMPOSER
DATES
VENUE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
THUR 7 FEBRUARY
CIVIC THEATRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
FRI 8 FEBRUARY
CIVIC THEATRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
SUN 10 FEBRUARY
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
TUE 12 FEBRUARY
MERMAID ARTS CENTRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
THUR 14 FEBRUARY
THEATRE ROYAL
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
SAT 16 FEBRUARY
VISUAL CARLOW THEATRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
SUN 17 FEBRUARY
orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
TUE 19 FEBRUARY
EVERYMAN
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
THUR 21 FEBRUARY
GLÓR
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
SAT 23 FEBRUARY
SIAMSA TÍRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
WED 27 FEBRUARY
PAVILION THEATRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
THUR 28 FEBRUARY
PAVILION THEATRE
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck
SAT 2 MARCH
NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE
The Second Violinist
Dennehy & walsh
THUR 7 MARCH
MUZIEKGEBOUW AAN ’T IJ
The Second Violinist
Dennehy & walsh
SAT 9 MARCH
MUZIEKGEBOUW AAN ’T IJ
ST. PETER’S CHURCH OF IRELAND CONCERT PERFORMANCE
CASTLETOWN HOUSE CONCERT PERFORMANCE
CITY/TOWN
TIME
TICKETS
BOOKING
TALLAGHT
8PM
€30/€27
civictheatre.ie 01–462 7477
TALLAGHT
8PM
€30/€27
civictheatre.ie 01–462 7477
DROGHEDA
7.30PM
€19/€17/€5
droicheadartscentre.ie 041–983 3946
BRAY
8PM
€28/€27
mermaidartscentre.ie 01–272 4030
WATERFORD
8PM
€31
theatreroyal.ie 051–874 402
CARLOW
8PM
€30/€27
visualcarlow.ie 059–917 2400
CELBRIDGE
3PM
€30.30
castletown.ie 01–628 8252
CORK
8PM
€30/€27
everymancork.com 021–450 1673
ENNIS
8PM
€30/€27
glor.ie 065–684 3103
TRALEE
8PM
€30/€27
siamsatire.com 066–712 3055
DÚN LAOGHAIRE
7.30PM
€38/€35
paviliontheatre.ie 01–231 2929
DÚN LAOGHAIRE
7.30PM
€38/€35
paviliontheatre.ie 01–231 292
WEXFORD
8PM
€30/€20
nationaloperahouse.ie 053–912 2144
AMSTERDAM
9PM
€57/€46/€22/€17
operaballet.nl +31–20 625 5455
AMSTERDAM
9PM
€57/€46/€22/€17
operaballet.nl +31–20 625 5455
41
ino performance diary
42
oPERA
COMPOSER
DATES
VENUE
Madama Butterfly
Puccini
SUN 24 MARCH
BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE
Madama Butterfly
Puccini
TUE 26 MARCH
BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE
Madama Butterfly
Puccini
THUR 28 MARCH
BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE
Madama Butterfly
Puccini
SAT 30 MARCH
BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE
Madama Butterfly
Puccini
THUR 4 APRIL
CORK OPERA HOUSE
Madama Butterfly
Puccini
FRI 5 APRIL
CORK OPERA HOUSE
The Magic Flute
Mozart
FRI 17 MAY
NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE
The Magic Flute
Mozart
SUN 19 MAY
The Magic Flute
Mozart
TUE 21 MAY
GAIETY THEATRE
The Magic Flute
Mozart
WED 22 MAY
GAIETY THEATRE
The Magic Flute
Mozart
The Magic Flute
Mozart
The Magic Flute
Mozart
The Magic Flute
Mozart
The Magic Flute
Mozart
This Hostel Life
Rigaki & Okorie
THUR 27 June
Christ Church Cathedral
This Hostel Life
Rigaki & Okorie
SAT 29 JUNE
Christ Church Cathedral
THUR 23 MAY matinée
THUR 23 MAY evening
FRI 24 MAY SAT 25 MAY matinée
SAT 25 MAY evening
UNIVERSITY CONCERT HALL CONCERT PERFORMANCE
GAIETY THEATRE GAIETY THEATRE GAIETY THEATRE GAIETY THEATRE GAIETY THEATRE
CITY/TOWN
TIME
TICKETS
BOOKING
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€95/€75/€69.50/€60 €50/€45/€15
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 01–677 7999
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€95/€75/€69.50/€60 €50/€45/€15
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 01–677 7999
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€95/€75/€69.50/€60 €50/€45/€15
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 01–677 7999
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€95/€75/€69.50/€60 €50/€45/€15
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 01–677 7999
CORK
8PM
€55/€45/€35
corkoperahouse.ie 021–427 0022
CORK
8PM
€55/€45/€35
corkoperahouse.ie 021–427 0022
WEXFORD
8PM
€80/€49/€48/€40 €36/€32/€15
nationaloperahouse.ie 053–912 2144
LIMERICK
7PM
€38/€34
uch.ie 061–331 549
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€85/€65/€50/€35 €30/€20
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€85/€65/€50/€35 €30/€20
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
2.30PM
€60/€55/€50/€40 €25/€15
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€85/€65/€50/€35 €30/€20
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€85/€65/€50/€35 €30/€20
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
2.30PM
€60/€55/€50/€40 €25/€15
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
7.30PM
€85/€65/€50/€35 €30/€20
gaietytheatre.ie 0818–719 388
DUBLIN
8–10PM
€15/€10 students
TBC
DUBLIN
8–10PM
€15/€10 students
TBC
43
Irish National Opera
INO team
James Bingham Studio & Outreach Producer Sorcha Carroll Marketing Manager Diego Fasciati Executive Director Sarah Freeman Head of Corporate Communications & Development
Board of Directors Gaby Smyth (Chair) Jennifer Caldwell Tara Erraught Gary Joyce Stella Litchfield Sara Moorhead Joseph Murphy Ann Nolan Yvonne Shields Michael Wall
Sarah Halpin Digital Communications Manager Cate Kelliher Office & Finance Manager Muireann Ní Dhubhghaill Artistic Administrator Gavin O’Sullivan Head of Production Fergus Sheil Artistic Director
Note: Information correct at time of publication. Details are subject to change.
@irishnationalopera
69 Dame Street Dublin 2 | Ireland T: 01–679 4962 E: info@irishnationalopera.ie irishnationalopera.ie
44
@irishnatopera @irishnationalopera Company Reg No.: 601853
irishnationalopera.ie