Wexford Festival Opera And RTE Join Forces To Bring The Festival Magic To Your Home

This October audiences across Ireland and around the world will have a chance to experience a taste of the magic of Wexford Festival Opera at home. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this year's reimagined Festival 'Waiting for Shakespeare ...The Festival in the air' will be an online celebration, starting on 11 October and running over eight consecutive days. This reimagined Festival aims to bring together audiences and the wider worldwide Wexford community through the power of music.

Wexford Festival Opera, RTE and ARTE have joined forces once again to ensure that every magical moment will be available for audiences to enjoy for free from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Today details were announced of how audiences can access at home, with unforgettable events and performances to be streamed/ broadcast across RTE.ie/ lyric fm, arte.tv and Wexfordopera.com.

11th Oct, 8pm: Petite messe solennelle (Rossini)

This performance of Rossini's Petite messe solennelle, considered one of the most remarkable compositions of his career, demonstrated by his use of beautiful, memorable melodies and rhythmic vitality, is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. Performed in its original version from the stage of the National Opera House with two pianos, harmonium, four soloists and chorus, it will be conducted by Kenneth Montgomery with instrumentalists Finghin Collins (first pianist) , Carmen Santoro (second pianist) , Andrew Synnott (harmonium) , and soloists Claudia Boyle (soprano), Tara Erraught (mezzo soprano), Pietro Adaíni (tenor) , John Molloy (bass) and the Wexford Factory Ensemble.

• Listen live at RTE lyric fm presented by Paul Herriott and watch the live stream at RTE.ie/Culture, catch up on RTE Player and on RTE Player's exclusive Wexford Festival Opera pop-up channel.

• This performance is also being live streamed by the (Strasbourg based) European Culture Channel ARTE as part of their ARTE Opera Season 2020-2021, a digital European opera season offered in partnership with some of the most renowned opera institutions of Europe (available for one year on arte.tv/opera).

The production is, as well, part of the cultural partnership between ARTE and RTE established to promote Irish arts and culture across Europe.

12th Oct, 8pm: Dinner Time Recital with Celine Byrne

Irish soprano Celine Byrne will perform in a very special dinner time recital from the stage of the National Opera House.

• Listen live at RTE lyric fm presented by Paul Herriott and watch the live stream at RTE.ie/Culture, catch up on RTE Player and on RTE Player's exclusive Wexford Festival Opera pop-up channel.

12th - 17th Oct, 6pm: Falstaff Chronicles (Giuseppe Verdi)

Six days, six episodes, 15 mins each - watch the story unfold. Giuseppe Verdi was inspired to write his final opera Falstaff, based on one of Shakespeare's most beloved characters, when he was nearly 80 years of age. The members of the Wexford Factory (a professional development academy for young Irish singers) will perform a six-part mini-series rendition of Verdi's masterpiece Falstaff over six consecutive days. Follow the chronicles of the fat knight, Sir John Falstaff, as he attempts to seduce two married women in an effort to gain access to their husbands' wealth. Music Director: Carmen Santoro, Director: Roberto Recchia, Designer: Serena Treppiedi, Lighting Designer: Eoin McNinch.

• Stream at 6pm daily on RTE.ie/Culture. Miss an episode? Catch up on RTE Player and on RTE Player's exclusive Wexford Festival Opera pop-up channel.

12th, 14th & 16th Oct: Impossible Interviews

Music critic and The Irish Times contributor, Michael Dervan, meets up with three ground-breaking international artists to discuss the past, present and future of opera.

• 12th Oct, 3pm: Ermonela Jaho, Soprano: Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho made her Wexford debut in 2000 in Tchaikovsky's Oreleanskaya deva and returned in 2001 and 2002 to perform in Massenet's Sapho and Auber's Manon Lescaut, respectively. Described in The Economist as "the world's most acclaimed soprano".
• 14th Oct, 3pm: Graham Vick, Director: Graham Vick is the Artistic Director of Birmingham Opera Company and works in the world's major opera houses with many leading conductors. His pioneering work in Birmingham has attracted the attention of people and companies worldwide and is now seen to be at the forefront of the modernisation of opera and a pioneer in its development as a 21st-century art form.
• 16th Oct, 3pm: Sir Antonio Pappano, Conductor: One of today's most sought-after conductors, acclaimed for his charismatic leadership and inspirational performances in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, Sir Antonio Pappano has been Music Director of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden since 2002, and Music Director of the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome since 2005.

• Watch each interview live at WexfordFestivalOpera - YouTube Miss an interview? catch up on www.facebook.com/WexfordFestivalOpera

13th - 15th Oct, 8pm: What Happened to Lucrece

Composer and Artist-in-Residence, Andrew Synnott's new opera commissioned by Wexford Festival Opera is based on the Shakespeare narrative poem, The Rape of Lucrece, about the legendary Roman noblewoman Lucretia. What Happened to Lucrece is written for four singers and piano, and will be performed on three separate evenings. Each performance will have a different ending; one tragic, one farcical and one romantic. Viewers are invited to vote on their preferred ending. Libretto by Alessandra Binucci and Rosetta Cucchi. Sung in English. Conductor: Andrew Synnott, Music Director: Andrea Grant, Director/Designer: Rosetta Cucchi, Lighting Designer: Eoin McNinch, First Pianist Giorgio D'Alonso, cast: Sarah Richmond (Lucrece), Rory Musgrave (Sextus), Sarah Shine (Fran), Kathleen Norchi (Collatline).

• Stream at 8pm daily on RTE.ie/Culture. Miss an episode? Catch up on RTE Player and on RTE Player's exclusive Wexford Festival Opera pop-up channel.

13th & 15th Oct, 3pm: Dr Tom Walsh Lectures

• 13th Oct: A conversation around the close relationship between Shakespeare, Verdi and Boito: Verdi+Boito=Shakespeare! Presented by Luigi Ferrari, who served as artistic director of Wexford Festival Opera from 1995-2004.
• 15th Oct: A conversation with Clara Hamer, granddaughter of WFO founder Dr Tom Walsh, Feargal Hynes, son of former WFO CEO Jerome Hynes and opera director, Jack Furness, all of whom are closely connected with the Festival.

• Watch each interview live at WexfordFestivalOpera - YouTube Catch up on www.facebook.com/WexfordFestivalOpera

16th Oct, 8pm GALA CONCERT - Remote Voices

This year's Gala Concert, hosted by Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi and RTE Lyric FM presenter Marty Whelan will feature performances from some of the most famous and outstanding stars from the opera world, all of whom have appeared in Wexford in the past. Wexford Festival Opera has historically served as a springboard for many young singers at the beginning of their careers onto the international stage and while they have gone on to lofty careers, Wexford Festival Opera has always remained in their hearts. It is with great honour that we welcome them back to perform for you once again - from their homes to yours. It will include mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, bass baritone Simone Alberghini, baritone Nicola Alaimo, mezzo-soprano Daniela Barcellona, baritone Paolo Bordogna, tenor Joseph Calleja, baritone Roberto de Candia, soprano Helena Dix, soprano Anne Sophie Duprels, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, baritone Igor Golovatenko, tenor Dmitry Golovnin, soprano Sophie Gordeladze, soprano Ermonela Jaho, mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, baritone Leon Kim, baritone Alessandro Luongo, mezzo-soprano Raffaella Lupinacci, soprano Angela Meade, tenor Sergey Romanovsky, baritone Luca Salsi, tenor Levy Sekgapane, Soprano Mariangela Sicilia, mezzo-soprano Nora Sourouzian and tenor Noah Stewart.

• Stream live at RTE.ie/Culture, catch up on RTE Player and on RTE Player's exclusive Wexford Festival Opera pop-up channel

18th Oct, 8pm: Lisette Oropesa and Orchestra

A special concert live from the stage of the National Opera House with the internationally-renowned American lyric coloratura soprano Lisette Oropesa, accompanied by the Wexford Festival Orchestra, conducted by Francesco Cilluffo. Lisette Oropesa is one of the most in-demand lyric coloratura today and who has triumphed in various roles throughout the most important houses in Europe and the US.

• Listen live at RTE lyric fm presented by Paul Herriott and watch the livestream at RTE.ie/Culture, catch up on RTE Player and on RTE Player's exclusive Wexford Festival Opera pop-up channel.

11th - 18th Oct, various: Pop up events

Each day a series of pop-up events comprising multidisciplinary performances featuring music, drama, singing and dance, will be performed in non-traditional settings around Wexford town. All pop-up events will be streamed on Wexford Festival Opera Facebook page live each day.

• Stream live at WexfordFestivalOpera - YouTube Miss an event? catch up on www.facebook.com/WexfordFestivalOpera

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