The Arts Council this morning
welcomed the launch of Irish National Opera, promising opera enthusiasts a
return of regular Irish productions of the classic opera repertoire in 2018 and
beyond.
At a press conference in Dublin
today, Sheila Pratschke, Chair of the Arts Council said that today marked “a
great day for Irish opera”, and hailed the launch of the new company as the
culmination of several years of work by the Council.
Last year, following an open call
for proposals, the Arts Council selected the collaboration of Opera Theatre
Company and Wide Open Opera as the preferred provider of main-scale opera, with
the two companies merging to form Irish National Opera. In addition to
restoring regular Irish productions of main-scale work in Dublin, the new
company will also continue the extensive regional touring of smaller-scale
opera to regional venues all over Ireland previously produced by Opera Theatre
Company.
Today the new company announced
its programme for 2018, which consists of performances of The Marriage of Figaro, Blubeard’s Castle and Aida in Dublin with
touring productions of Powder her Face,
Tales of Hoffman, and Orfeo et Euridice, as well as international
performances of Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh’s The Last Hotel.
“Irish opera enthusiasts can be
found right across the country and they are among the most passionate in the
world. For years they have been crying out for the return of regular,
main-scale performances of the great works,” said Arts Council Chair, Sheila
Pratschke. “One look at the outstanding programme announced today will tell
them the wait is over! The launch of the Irish National Opera is a major
development for Irish opera and one that the Arts Council has been proud to
support.”
“Following the Arts Council’s development of
its, ten-year strategy, a policy for opera was the first of a series of
individual art form policies to be developed. This was implemented following
dialogue with the sector and a detailed review of opera policy and provision in
Ireland.”
Under the policy, as well as
funding the new company, the Arts Council is also maintaining its major support
for festival opera, supporting independent opera productions and projects, opera commissions, and other grants, schemes
and awards for individual opera artists.
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