Irish National Opera 2019 Jan-June Programme

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.

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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