Women & War Theme for Festival 2023

Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi delves into the theme of Women and War in opera for WFO2023
The 2023 festival will see the fruition of a long-held concept of Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi, who is intrigued to delve into the theme of Women and War in opera. The chosen works this year each reflect this universal theme, with each opera highlighting a different aspect of the struggles women face; in conflict, fighting prejudice and in making their voices heard.
Female characters have always held central roles in operas, often being drawn into conflict or fighting for their place in the world; women like the courageous Leonore in Fidelio; powerful, fearless women like Brunhilde in The Ring Cycle; women who use their wit and charm as a weapon like Suzanna in Le nozze di Figaro and Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri; the feisty Carmen forging her own path, the list goes on…
The three mainstage operas this autumn will feature three very different female characters, each fighting for something;
- Zoraida in Zoraida di Granata is in a political fight against her foretold destiny;
- Olga in L’Aube rouge is struggling to change a nihilistic and violent partner; and
- Rosetta in La Ciociara is fighting for survival and to save her daughter’s innocence.
Will you join them in their fight?
For more details on each of the 72nd Wexford Festival Opera’s Women and War-themed events, visit the festival programme section of our website.