Wexford Festival Opera Presents the Premiere of LES SELENITES By Artist-in-Residence Conor Mitchell

Wexford Festival Opera will present a new commission from the WFO Artist-in-Residence 2022 Conor Mitchell. A chamber piece entitled Les Selenites, Mitchell's work explores the bizarre world of 20th century French film pioneer and stage illusionist, Georges Méliès.

Mitchell has taken Méliès most famous film Le Voyage dans la lune (1902) as the starting point for this commission entitled Les Selenites. Méliès was renowned for his early use of magical special effects and visual tricks. Le Voyage dans la lune is considered a landmark film in the history of early cinema, with the image of the spaceship colliding with the eye of the Man in the Moon becoming iconic. In Les Selenites, (mythical inhabitants of the moon who are said to hold the secrets to eternal life), Mitchell explores the fantastical world created by Méliès, merging the birth of cinema with dream-play and fantasy. The chamber piece will feature a quartet of soloists from The Wexford Factory young artists programme accompanied by a piano trio in Mitchell's uniquely irreverent style.

Conor Mitchell is an award-winning Northern Irish composer, librettist and theatre director and is one of the most interesting opera composers in Ireland today. A recipient of the Arts Council Northern Ireland Major Individual Artist's Award, Mitchell was appointed WFO Artist-in-Residence in 2022. Mitchell is the second composer to be appointed as part of the scheme that began in 2019 and aims to provide an opportunity to contribute something contrasting to the Wexford programme. The previous incumbent of the role was Andrew Synnott. The Artist-in-Residence scheme runs over two years with two commissions being premiered during the Festival.

"Our Artist-in-Residence programme allows us to present some innovative new work to our audience and we greatly look forward to working with Conor Mitchell who, in recent years, has established himself as one of Ireland's leading composers." Rosetta Cucchi, WFO Artistic Director.

Mitchell is the founder and Artistic Director of The Belfast Ensemble. His chamber opera Abomination: a DUP Opera was awarded Best Opera Production 2020 Irish Times Theatre Awards. Other compositions include Concertino for Flute & Orchestra; opera Our Day (NI Opera); the children's opera The Musician, Shadowtime (London Gay Men's Chorus, Royal Festival Hall), Cabaret Songs for Britten 100 (Aldeburgh); Ten Plagues (Royal Court, Traverse Theatre).

On 26 October there will be an opportunity to meet Conor Mitchell and ask questions in a 'Meet The Composer' event.

Booking is open for the 71st Wexford Festival Opera (WFO) which will run for 17 days and nights from 21 October - 6 November 2022. The festival is once again looking forward to welcoming audiences to experience for themselves the magic of Wexford Festival Opera in the stunning National Opera House this Autumn.

Public booking will be via www.wexfordopera.com / +353 53 912 2144

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