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Our team

WFO2024 Company website

The Wexford Festival Opera has an industry-wide reputation of excellence, providing rewarding opportunities.

Our core people plan, prepare, work, and fundraise for our festival, managing a year-round series of events, activities and outreach projects.

Over just two months, the Festival Company expands to 350+ dedicated individuals both onstage and offstage, with an army of volunteers, who join together to make our internationally acclaimed festival of opera happen and enjoyed by so many.

Leadership team

Rosetta Cucchi

Artistic Director

Artistic Director of Wexford Festival Opera since 2020, Rosetta Cucchi is a renowned musician and stage director. From her early studies at the Rossini Conservatoire in Pesaro and Bologna, she has directed with opera companies throughout the world. A previous Artistic Director of Lugo Opera Festival and Arturo Toscanini Foundation (FAT) in Parma, she brought the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra on tour throughout Italy, China, Germany and Bulgaria. Her first association with WFO was as répétiteur (1995) and her WFO directorial debut was with Braunfels’ Prinzessin Brambilla (2004). She has also directed at WFO, Risurrezione by F.Alfano, Adina by Rossini and La cucina by Andrew Synnott and La Ciociara by Marco Tutino.

Contact Rosetta

Loughlin Deegan

Interim Executive Director

Loughlin Deegan was the founding Director of The Lir, Ireland’s National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College, where he led on the opening and development of the Academy for its first twelve years from 2011 to 2023.

Loughlin completed a five-year term as a member of The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon in 2022, where he also served as Chair of the Policy & Strategy Committee. He has sat on the Board of numerous arts organisations including Project Arts Centre, Irish Theatre Institute and as Chair of Theatre Forum.

From 2007 – 2011 Loughlin was Artistic Director of Dublin Theatre Festival, one of the oldest dedicated theatre festivals in Europe. Loughlin was Executive Producer of Rough Magic Theatre Company from 2003-2006. He was previously Literary Manager with Rough Magic when his responsibilities included developing the work of commissioned writers and launching the SEEDS project, a structured development initiative for emerging playwrights and theatre artists.

For the Irish Theatre Institute, Loughlin edited the first two editions of the Irish Theatre Handbook, a comprehensive guide to drama and dance in Ireland, North and South and compiled and edited the launch phase of the Irish Playography Database (www.irishplayography.com), a comprehensive, on-line searchable database of all new Irish plays produced professionally between 1904 and the present.

Loughlin was awarded the Judges’ Special Award at the 2022 Irish Times Theatre Awards for his multifaceted contribution to Irish theatre, most recently as founding director, since 2011, of the Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art.

Playwriting credits include The Stomping Ground (1997) and The Queen and Peacock (2000).

Contact Loughlin

Staff directory

Our core people plan, prepare, work, and fundraise for our festival, managing a year-round series of events, activities and outreach projects. Over just two months, the Festival Company expands to 350+ dedicated individuals both onstage and offstage, with an army of volunteers, who join together to make our internationally acclaimed festival of opera happen and enjoyed by so many.

This list below includes select full-time staff members. For contact information for individuals not listed, please contact Main Office on +353 53 912 2400 or email boxoffice@wexfordopera.com

Assistant to Artistic Director
Andrea Pecchio
+353 53 912 2400, Ext 5502

Director of Artistic Administration
Nora Cosgrave
+353 53 916 3522

Company Manager
Nicky Kehoe
+353 53 912 2400, Ext 5553

Technical Director
Colin Murphy
+353 53 912 2400, Ext 5586

Accommodation
Phyllis McCarthy
+353 53 912 2400, Ext 5580

Head of Development
Ann Marie Dalton
+353 87 901 2925

Sponsorship Manager

Adeline Minchin
+353 85 708 8031

Donor Development Manager

Nuala Sheedy
+353 86 208 1354

Friends' Relationship Executive

Louise Carley
+353 53 916 3525

Marketing and Communications
Sinead McPhillips
+353 53 912 2400

Marketing and Communications Executive
Kelly Veiga

+353 53 912 2400, Ext 5551

Media and Public Relations (Ireland)
Sinead O'Doherty
+353 86 259 1070

Media and Public Relations (UK/International)

Anna Kenyon
+44 7525 361 894

Graphic Design
Roberto Recchia

Box Office Manager
Anne-Marie O'Brien
+353 53 916 3527

Box Office Team
Geraldine O'Rourke
Abigail Way
Breena Hurley
Catherine Gaul

+353 53 912 2144

Financial Controller
Pat Whelan
+ 353 53 912 2400, Ext 5234

Financial Accountant
Anna Whelan
+ 353 53 912 2400, Ext 5572

Accounts Administrator
Megan Lawson
+ 353 53 912 2400, Ext 5235

Facilities Manager
Nicky Pender
+ 353 53 912 2400, Ext 5524

Richella MacCarvill
+ 353 53 912 2400, Ext 5501

Eleanor White
+ 353 53 912 2400, Ext 5501

If you are interested in joining our team, auditioning to be part of our Festival Chorus, Festival Orchestra or Wexford Factory programme, see all our current opportunities.