Wexford Festival Opera News

A new opera written during lockdown with three alternative endings to premiere this October

While many of us spent lockdown at home taking it a little easier, composer Andrew Synnott wrote an opera. When Wexford Festival Opera realised that the pandemic meant that they would be reimaging this year’s Festival, Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi reached out to Andrew. She asked him if he would create a new opera to premiere as part of ‘Waiting for Shakespeare …The Festival in the air’ which audiences could enjoy online this October.

Written intensely over three months ‘What Happened to Lucrece’ was created with an online audience in mind and has three different endings. Composer and Artist-in-Residence at Wexford Festival Opera, Andrew Synnott’s new opera commissioned by the festival, is based on the Shakespeare narrative poem, The Rape of Lucrece, about the legendary Roman noblewoman Lucretia.

Wexford Festival Opera present an online concert for Culture Night 2020

Covid can’t stop Culture as this year Wexford Festival Opera and the National Opera House will present an online performance of the final concert by the singers of the WEXFORD FACTORY, a young artist development programme for young Irish/Irish-based singers which is currently underway in the run up to the Festival which opens on Sunday 11 October.  Capturing the glorious acoustics of the National Opera House, viewers will be able to enjoy the performances of these young singers from the comfort of their own home. You can view this performance for free on the Wexford Festival Opera YouTube Channel on Friday, 18 September at 7:30PM.

PwC/Wexford Festival Opera 2020 ‘Emerging Young Artist’ Bursary Announced

Mezzo-Soprano Anna Brady from Co. Dublin and Bass-Baritone Rory Dunne from Co. Kildare were named winners of the PwC/Wexford Festival Opera 2020 ‘Emerging Young Artist’ Bursary. This initiative serves to support and celebrate Ireland’s Emerging Young Artists from the opera world and helps to contribute towards the many costs associated with furthering their careers. 

Wexford Festival Opera and RTÉ join forces to bring the Festival magic to your home this October

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, RTÉ 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. 

Experience every moment via RTE.ie, Lyric FM, ARTE Opera & Wexfordopera.com from Sunday, 11 October – Sunday, 18 October 2020