The 60th Wexford Festival Opera, which features artists from 11 different countries, will span 16 days opening on Friday 21 October and running until Saturday 05 November.
In the Wexford tradition, this year’s 3 mainstage productions are rarely-produced operas, although 2 of the 3 composers are well-known within the opera world and to Wexford’s loyal audiences. The first of the 3 operas is Le Cour de Célimène an opéra comique, by the composer of Mignon and Hamlet, Ambroise Thomas; a work, immensely successful in its day, now fallen by the wayside. Also on the bill is Maria, by the Polish composer Roman Statkowski, written in 1903. This magnificent composition is strangely ignored even in its native Poland and the announcement of the forthcoming Wexford production of Maria has generated great excitement in the world of opera. Thirdly, and in honour of our 60th season, the Festival will produce its fifteenth opera by Gaetano Donizetti, his 1839 melodrama, Gianni di Parigi.
Full programme of events is available on the Wexford Festival Opera website.
Here’s a sneak video peek into rehearsals and more info from the director and conductor of Maria:
