Cast and Creatives Announced For LA TRAVIATA at The Grand Opera House

Northern Ireland Opera today announces a trio of top female cast and creatives in the critically-acclaimed national opera company's stunning new adaptation of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic love story, directed by Artistic Director Cameron Menzies, opening at Belfast's Grand Opera House this September.

In this first cast reveal, rising soprano star Siobhan Stagg (ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, STAATSOPER BERLIN, BAVERISCHE STAATSOPER, HAMBURG STAATSOPER, OPERNHAUS ZURICH) debuts in the leading role as courtesan Violetta Valéry. Renowned choreographer for both stage and screen Isabel Baquero (ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, SCOTTISH OPERA, GARSINGTON OPERA, RICHARD EYRE'S 'LA TRAVIATA') joins the creative team alongside conductor Rebecca Lang, one of the most versatile and vivacious cross-over artists of her generation, with accolades in both opera and musical theatre (HAMBURG STATE OPERA, THEATER AM POTSDAMER PLATZ, BERLIN; HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, MELBOURNE; EVITA AND MY FAIR LADY, FLENSBURG). She returns to the company after her huge success with La Bohéme and will be working with the Ulster Orchestra in their first collaboration with NI Opera since before the pandemic, for this new production.

Announcing today alongside the trio of female talent and NI Opera's reunion with the Ulster Orchestra is the casting of a 24-strong chorus of Northern Irish and Irish artists. The singers, chosen as part of a local casting call out, will also join NI Opera's new chorus development programme and receive training and support including from the renowned Thomas Victor Johnson, Music Staff at Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

Further cast and creative announcements will follow shortly.

Announcement highlights include:

• Rebecca Lang returns to the company after her huge success with La Bohéme. Conducting an orchestra at the Grand Opera House will be a significant moment both for Lang and for the history of NI Opera and the venue.

• Rising soprano star Siobhan Stagg debuts in the lead role as Violetta Valéry.

• Isabel Baquero, the renowned choreographer across stage and screen joins the creative team.

• NI Opera returns to The Grand Opera House and reunites with the Ulster Orchestra in their first collaboration since before the pandemic, for this new production.

• A 24 strong chorus of Northern Irish and Irish talent have also been selected to perform and will also benefit from NI Opera's new chorus development programme.

La Traviata's gloriously romantic score brings to life the tragic love story of a beautiful courtesan Violetta Valéry and her lover Alfredo Germont. NI Opera's new conceptual production will explore the idea around image, visibility and the fragility of a woman's agency within her society.

Artistic Director Cameron Menzies comments: "I have had the great pleasure of working with each of these artists before and I can't wait for Rebecca Lang, Isabel Baquero and Siobhan Stagg to be in the same room to bring to life to this new and vibrant take on this operatic masterpiece. NI Opera is very fortunate to be able to work with artists of such an extraordinary calibre."

Ian Wilson, Grand Opera House Chief Executive said: "I am delighted to welcome back Northern Ireland Opera for the first time since the Grand Opera House was restored, with one of the most sumptuous and beautiful operas ever written. Opera has been a key part of the programme here for more than 125 years, and we are looking forward to seeing Siobhan and the other cast members follow in the footsteps of Luciano Pavarotti, Nellie Melba and many other great singers who have performed on the Grand Opera House stage."

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, "The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is hugely proud to be principal funder of Northern Ireland Opera and the Ulster Orchestra who make their return to the Grand Opera House this September for La Traviata featuring the internationally acclaimed line-up of Rebecca Lang, Isabel Baquero and Siobhan Stagg. We're delighted to once again see local artists being offered amazing professional development opportunities and working alongside world-class talent."

La Traviata marks Cameron's fourth production since he took the helm at NI Opera mid-pandemic in 2020. All three of his shows to date have received critical-acclaim with La Bohéme ("Opera at its Finest", 5 Stars, Opera Now Magazine, Dec 2021) at Belfast's Carlisle Memorial Church in September 2021 and most recently Into The Woods at the Lyric ("Storms along with such irresistible zest", 4 Stars, The Times Feb, 2022). The cinematic experience Old Friends And Other Days has been the winning film at four independent film festivals including Paris Short Film Awards 2021.

Cameron joined the organisation in November 2020, and is leading this award-winning national opera company, widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting operatic start-ups in UK and Irish history into an exciting new era. Its philosophy of artistic excellence and risk-taking, is underpinned by a bold and imaginative approach to programming and productions.

PRESS NIGHT: 10 September 2022, 7.30pm

Booking Link: https://www.goh.co.uk/whats-on/la-traviata/

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