Wexford Festival Opera Announces A Return To Live Audiences For The 70th Anniversary Festival

Today, Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi announced details of the 2021 WFO programme, celebrating Wexford's 70th anniversary, which looks forward to welcoming live audiences back into the National Opera House, to experience in person the magic that is Wexford Festival Opera.

Patrons can rest assured that at all times events will be delivered safely, within government guidelines. Live audience numbers for festival performances will be at a reduced capacity, but this will not dampen the excitement of this 70th Anniversary festival programme.

While the team is so looking forward to live audiences again, they are not forgetting those who cannot attend in person this year and some elements of WFO 2021 will be made available online. More details to be announced.

WFO has found exciting and innovative ways to present over 50 events this October. From the main stage operas, to concerts, to pop-up events and lectures, the 70th Wexford Festival Opera will feature artists from across the world and showcase some of the most exciting young Irish talent.

Nurturing artists and showcasing the talents of young singers remains a cornerstone of WFO. Last year saw the inaugural Wexford Factory, where singers were mentored by world-renowned artists before performing in WFO 2020. This year will see those 13 singers return for further artist development with artists including Gregory Kunde, Ermonela Jaho and Tara Erraught, as well as performing in various festival productions. The Factory is an international collaboration and one of the artists Jade Phoenix has been chosen to participate in the 'Alberto Zedda Academy' at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro in July and, this year, another Factory artist will be chosen to participate in the Bolshoi Young Artists Programme in Moscow.

WFO is also looking forward to a year of celebrating the 70th anniversary in various ways from Sept 2021 - Sept 2022, with a number of concerts and special events, as well as an invitation for audiences to share their own special memories. Details will be announced throughout the year.

Running from 19-31 October, Shakespeare in the Heart WFO 2021, will feature:

• 3 evening operas, performed in the O'Reilly Theatre to a limited audience - a fully-staged production of Edmea (Alfredo Catalani), a semi-staged production of Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (Ambroise Thomas) and a concert performance of Ein Wintermärchen (Karl Goldmark).
• A fully-staged opera, I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Vincenzo Bellini), will be performed by members of the Wexford Factory for two afternoon and evening performances. Conducted by Giuseppe Montesano, directed by Conor Hanratty with the ConTempo Quartet.
• 10 wonderful lunchtime concerts will be performed in the O'Reilly Theatre.
• The Festival will welcome back Andrew Synnott as artist-in-residence and Francesco Cilluffo as principal guest conductor.
• 24 pop-up events. Each day during the festival experience a free pop-up, multi-disciplinary performance featuring music, drama, singing and dance which will be performed in non-traditional settings in various locations around Wexford town.
• A new opera with music by Andrew Synnott, The 47th Saturday, will be performed in Greenacres. Based on a story by William Trevor, adapted by Vivenne Howards.
• Unforgettable concerts, the WFO Gala Concert featuring a collection of favourite party pieces from members of the Festival company (24 Oct), a special Concert with Angela Meade (27 Oct) and a final Factory Concert (26 Sept) a platform for young talent to shine.
• The annual Dr Tom Walsh Lecture, delivered by acclaimed author Colm Tóibín, exploring 'Music & Silence: James Joyce's Songs' (29 Oct).
• Impossible interviews, Shakespeare and Alfredo Catalani, hosted by The Irish Times journalist Michael Dervan.

Wexford Festival Opera Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi said today "This Festival will be a double celebration for us: the return to live theatre, meeting each other again after a long period of time and also marking the 70th year of our Festival. We are very proud of the long history and tradition of Wexford Festival Opera and while celebrating this 70th year we are also looking forward to the future with great excitement."

For more programme details, booking information and how to become a friend of WFO go to wexfordopera.com.

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