The closing date for entries for NI Opera's Festival of Voice vocal competition is this Friday, 18th May 2012, and entry to the competition is by submission of a CD or MP3 files. Singers are required to present two contrasting arias suitable for voice type in two different languages, and a song composed or arranged by an Irish composer of the 20th or 21st century. If required, a second selection audition may be held in Belfast in late May/early June.
The competition is open to singers aged 18-27 who are born in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. Entrants are required to be studying voice at 3rd level or privately and be intent on pursuing an operatic career. The festival will take place from 30th August - 2nd September and finalists will work through the weekend with distinguished professionals including Kathryn Harries, Director of the National Opera Studio.
The winner of the competition will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to sing with an international opera singer at the Belfast Festival at Queen's in November 2012. Last year's winner, Ben McAteer from Newry, sang a duet with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and more details of this year's performer will be released soon.
CDs and MP3 files should be accompanied by a short CV and sent to Clíona Donnelly, General Manager, NI Opera, Grand Opera House, Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7HR, c.donnelly@niopera.com or call +44(0)28 9027 7734 for more information.
More NI Opera Auditions - Saturday 26th May
Due to demand, NI Opera are holding more auditions for upcoming shows - Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and Benjamin Britten’s Noye's Fludde. We are also looking for a soloist for Brian Irvine's new opera, May Contain Flash Photography, which will feature in NI Opera Shorts in the MAC in June with auditions on Monday 14th May.
Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman
Auditions will be held to form the chorus for this production with performances at the Grand Opera House in Belfast on 15th and 17th February 2013, with the Ulster Orchestra.
We would welcome ALL those with singing experience - preferably in opera or classical singing - to apply, not only professional singers. A professional core of 24 singers will be paid, with the rest of the large chorus receiving expenses only. Candidates should be over 18 but otherwise there is no age restriction.
The auditions will take place in the Grand Opera House, Belfast, on Saturday 26th May 2012 and candidates should prepare one aria (either from an opera or oratorio) to be sung in English, which displays some degree of vocal dexterity.
Please send your CV to info@niopera.com in the first instance by Wednesday 23rd May. If you are successful we will then allocate you an audition slot (if necessary, please include one or two preferred times). Our audition slots are allocated are on the basis of an emailed CV submitted by you, to us, and are not open auditions.
Please note - performances will be in mid-February 2013. Chorus music rehearsals will take place over two weekends in autumn, followed by two weeks in early January 2013, and then production rehearsals between mid-January and opening night. These rehearsals will not be full-time, and many will be in the evening rather than the daytime.
Benjamin Britten’s Noye's Fludde
Calling all young people aged between 11-18! Auditions will be held for solo roles for Noye's Fludde with performances in Belfast Zoo in August 2012 on the following dates:
10th August – 6pm; 11th August – 2.30pm and 6pm; 12th August – 2.30pm
17th August – 6pm; 18th August – 2.30pm and 6pm; 19th August – 2.30pm
The roles are as follows:
Sem, Ham and Jaffett – trebles aged 11-15 Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham and Mrs. Jaffett – girl sopranos aged 11-16 The Gossips – four girl sopranos aged 15-18
The auditions will take place in the Grand Opera House, Belfast, on Saturday 26th May 2012 and candidates should prepare one song to be sung in English.
Please send a short list of any singing experience and your contact details to info@niopera.com in the first instance by Wednesday 23rd May. If you are successful we will then allocate you an audition slot (if necessary, please include one or two preferred times).
Please note - rehearsals will be from July 23rd for three weeks and the roles are unpaid.
Brian Irvine's May Contain Flash Photography
NI Opera are looking for an older (60s/70s) male singer (high baritone / low tenor) for the role of 'Old Man' in their production of Brian Irvine's new opera May Contain Flash Photography, to be performed with four other operas as part of NI Opera Shorts at the new MAC, Belfast, from 28th-30th June 2012.
The range of the role is from Bb an octave below middle C to G above middle C. The singer should have some experience of singing opera and/or classical music, and must have good availability for rehearsals in June which will take place in Belfast. The production will be directed by Rachel O'Riordan and conducted by Fergus Sheil.
Auditions will take place on the afternoon of Monday 14th May and singers should prepare one opera aria of their choosing. Please email info@niopera.com with a CV and a preferred audition time.
If you have questions about the above audition opportunities, please call the NI Opera office on 028 9027 7734.
NI Opera Shorts in the press
NI Opera Shorts - five new short operas written by five of Northern Ireland's finest composers and five of the UK and Ireland's leading playwrights - will be at the MAC in Belfast from June 28 - 30, before moving to the Southbank Centre in London the following month.
One of the five operas - Our Day by Conor Mitchell and Mark Ravenhill - deals with the contrasting themes of the terrible violence in Northern Ireland in 1972, and Mary Peters' triumph in the Olympics that same year.
NI Opera's Young Artists to Perform in First Derry Presbyterian Church
Members of NI Opera's Young Artists' Programme will perform in a recital entitled 'The Song and the Stage' on Sunday 29th April in the First Derry Presbyterian Church. The evening will include pieces by Strauss, Puccini, Britten and Gershwin and the singers will be accompanied by local pianist Ruth McGinley.
Curated by Counter Tenor Mark Chambers, the recital will showcase the hard work and training that the young singers have received since joining the programme, and it continues NI Opera's commitment to the Maiden City where the company performed its award-winning production of Tosca in Spring 2011.
Date: Sunday 29th April 2012 Venue: First Derry Presbyterian Church, Upper Magazine Street, Derry~Londonderry, BT48 6HY Time: 6pm Admission: Free (retiring collection for the Church)
NI Opera Festival of Voice 2012
The second NI Opera Festival of Voice returns to the historic village of Glenarm in Co. Antrim from 30th August – 2nd September 2012. Once again its main feature will be its Vocal Competition, which is open to singers aged 18-27 and born in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. Entrants are required to be studying voice at 3rd level or privately, and be intent on pursuing an operatic career.
Finalists will work through the weekend with Kathryn Harries, Director of the National Opera Studio, Iain Burnside, renowned pianist and broadcaster, David Gowland, Artistic Director of the Jette Parker Young Artists’ Programme at The Royal Opera House, conductor Nicholas Chalmers, and Oliver Mears, Artistic Director of NI Opera. The competition will take place on the final evening of the weekend before a distinguished jury.
Entry to the competition is by submission of a CD or MP3 files. Singers are required to present two contrasting arias suitable for voice type in two different languages, and a song composed or arranged by an Irish composer of the 20th or 21st century. If required, a second selection audition may be held in Belfast in late May/early June. The closing date for applications is Friday 18th May 2012 and finalists, prizes and jurors will be announced in June.
CDs and MP3 files should be accompanied by a short CV and sent to Clíona Donnelly, General Manager, NI Opera, Grand Opera House, Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7HR, c.donnelly@niopera.com or call +44(0)28 9027 7734 for more information.
Praise from audiences and critics for The Turn of the Screw
NI Opera's latest production, The Turn of the Screw, opened to a packed house in The Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey on March 2nd. The chilling tale was a hit with the audience and one member said that he was "absolutely blown away by the production".
The critics who attended also enjoyed the performance - the Belfast Telegraph described it as "truly riveting" and commented that Director Oliver Mears "has proved again that his opera company can bring together a rich amalgam of locally based and imported talent".
The Guardian observed that "there's a real buzz and sense of purpose about what this company is doing" and The Newsletter described it as "a classy and classic production". The Independent on Sunday commented that "It's a Screw any company would be proud to tour. From a company that is barely a year old, it's remarkable".
The Irish Theatre Magazine stated that "this clear, untendentiously provocative and strongly sung production of Britten's chamber masterpiece shows NI Opera forging further forward".
The Northern Ireland tour has now finished and the show will travel to the Buxton Festival in Derbyshire on July 16 and 20 - check out the website here for more details and booking info.
Tosca wins Best Opera at Irish Times Theatre Awards!
NI Opera's first major production, Puccini's Tosca, was awarded the Best Opera Production Award at the Irish Times Theatre Awards last night. The ceremony was held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin and was attended by theatre professionals from all over Ireland.
The critically acclaimed production of Tosca was staged across three unique locations in Derry~Londonderry in Spring 2011 and involved a stellar cast of local and internationally renowned singers. It was directed by Oliver Mears, NI Opera's Artistic Director, and conducted by Nicholas Chalmers.
Oliver accepted the award and commented that "We at NI Opera are so delighted to have been given this special honour after only eighteen months in existence. It's a great tribute to the hard work and creativity of so many of the people involved, and not least the people of Derry~Londonderry, who welcomed us with open arms."
Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented that “This has been a fantastic weekend for Northern Ireland, with local names honoured at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the Academy Awards. These prestigious award wins reinforce Northern Ireland’s growing reputation as a hub of creative talent, producing drama worthy of international acclaim.”
Opening night of The Turn of the Screw only one week away!
NI Opera's new production of The Turn of the Screw opens in just one week at The Theatre at the Mill in Newtownabbey, before moving on to Coleraine, Omagh and Belfast.
Rehearsals are in full swing, and according to Artistic Director Oliver Mears the production shouldn't be missed. "The Turn of the Screw is a really gripping tale of the supernatural, and we have a stellar cast from the UK and Ireland singing in this production. Rehearsals are going very well, and we're all really excited about the opening night next Friday!".
Tickets are available for £15 (£13 concessions) by calling the following box office numbers:
2nd March, 7.45pm, Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey: 028 9034 0202
NI Opera is looking for a dedicated, confident and efficient Assistant Director, to assist Rachel O'Riordan for its upcoming production, NI Opera Shorts.
NI Opera has commissioned five new short operas by Northern Irish composers including Conor Mitchell. The production will be performed at the new MAC arts centre in June 2012 and librettists include Mark Ravenhill and Frank McGuinness.
Music reading ability and some theatre experience desirable and expenses will be offered.
You must be available from Monday 4 June – Friday 29 June 2012 and you will also be required to work Saturdays.
How can I apply? The deadline for applications is now closed - to hear about future opportunities with NI Opera sign up to our mailing list on the homepage.
NI Opera's Tosca nominated for prestigious award
NI Opera's production of Puccini's Tosca has been nominated for Best Opera in this year's Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards.
Staged across three iconic locations in the city of Derry, Tosca was NI Opera's first major production, and won widespread critical acclaim, with The Times calling it "a remarkable achievement", and a Belfast Telegraph reviewer declaring it to be "one of the best operas I have experienced".
Commenting on the nomination, NI Opera's Artistic Director Oliver Mears said, "I am very proud of what NI Opera has achieved in its first year, and to be recognised in this way really is the icing on the cake. Our intention is always to deliver high quality, yet innovative opera which appeals to a wide audience, and Tosca epitomises this".
The Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards are the most prestigious awards in Irish theatre, recognising the best productions, writing, acting, directing and design in 2011. Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham on Sunday, February 26.
Sell-out crowd greets Young Artists in Belfast
Opera fans were treated to a lunchtime feast as the four members of NI Opera’s Young Artists’ Programme took part in Opera for Lunch at The Black Box in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter today.
The young singers - Mary McCabe, Páidí Ó Dubháin, Marcella Walsh and Gemma Prince - performed classic arias from well-known operas such as The Marriage of Figaro and The Merry Widow, together with more unusual pieces illustrating the great operatic themes of love, tragedy, revenge and betrayal.
The sell-out show was held as part of the Out to Lunch festival, and was the first time that Out to Lunch had staged an opera event. Festival Director Sean Kelly was delighted by the lunchtime crowd’s response. “This is definitely something we’ll do again,” he said. “The audience today proves that people are hungry for opera presented in an affordable and accessible way.”
The four young singers at today’s event were selected as the first participants in NI Opera’s Young Artists’ Programme, giving them a year of coaching, career guidance and performance opportunities. The programme is generously supported by the The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Esme Mitchell Trust.
Marie Louise Muir talks to Graham Clark and Oliver Mears
Listen to BBC Arts Extra with Marie Louise Muir talking to Graham Clark and Oliver Mears on NI Opera's production of Hansel and Gretel
here
Approx 20 minutes into programme
Niamh Kelly talks to Mark Patterson
BBC Radio Foyle presenter, Mark Patterson, talks to Niamh Kelly on her role as Hansel in NI Opera's production of Hansel and Gretel playing in The Millennium Forum, Thursday, January 12 at 7.30pm
Local Opera Singers in Leading Roles in NI Opera’s Hansel and Gretel
The last performance of Humperdinck’s opera, Hansel and Gretel will be in Derry at the Millennium Forum on January 12.
NI Opera’s production of Hansel and Gretel brings an exemplary cast of Irish and Northern Irish singers, including local singers, Niamh Kelly, as Hansel and Doreen Curran as the Mother. Niamh is from Moville, Co Donegal, and will make her Northern Ireland debut on January 12 at the Millennium Forum. Niamh is a graduate of NUI Maynooth, University of Limerick and the RNCM, Manchester, where she achieved distinction in her Postgraduate Diploma in Performance. She has performed throughout the UK and Ireland, Europe and America and worked with opera companies such as English Touring Opera, Wexford Festival Opera and Glyndebourne.
Critic Terry Blain writes of the performance at Grand Opera House in November last, ‘...Kelly's spindly, gamin-like take on Hansel is particularly effective dramatically - she's the incorrigibly mischievous, moto perpetuo younger brother that long-suffering older sisters everywhere will recognise all-too-readily...’
Doreen is no stranger to Derry audiences and has performed throughout Ireland and the UK and beyond. Recently moved back to Derry, she continues to perform internationally. Doreen has been very successful in her career, and sings regularly in concert and oratorio, her repertoire ranging from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and Verdi's Requiem, to Elgar's Sea Pictures. She has performed with the National Symphony of Ireland, the RTE Concert Orchestra, European Youth Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra. She gives regular Lieder recitals throughout Ireland and England.
Oliver Mears brings this Grimm’s Brothers fairy tale to life in the colourful setting of the Witch's house which oozes columns of colourful pick 'n' mix sweetie boxes flanking the giant, centrally located oven used for baking captured children. With the Ulster Orchestra in the pit this promises to be a roller-coaster of an evening’s entertainment. Hansel and Gretel will delight audiences young and old.
NI Opera’s production of Tosca performed site specific, in Derry, has been listed as one of the Musical Highlights of 2011 by The Irish Times Arts Critic, Michael Dervan.
It also has been listed on Culture NI, Review of the Year, by Fiona Meredith, who writes, ‘Northern Ireland Opera brought Puccini's Tosca to Derry~Londonderry. The unusual performances involved the singers, orchestra and audience moving between three venues – St Columb's Cathedral, the Guildhall and St Columb's Hall. There was also taster sessions in the Richmond Centre, with shoppers lured along to the main event by tempting arias. What could be better than a burst of Italian opera while you're buying beans and a loaf of bread?
Tosca was NI Opera’s first full performance, held in stunning venues along the ancient walls of the historic city of Derry. The audiences were delighted with this unusual presentation of one of Puccini’s most popular operas, many who were first time opera goers. NI Opera aims to promote opera to a wider and younger audience. Artistic Director, Oliver Mears, says, ‘Opera is for everyone to enjoy, we hope to encourage many more people to give it a try. The novelty of site specific attracted a much wider and younger audience who were curious to find out opera.’
The Independent has also featured NI Opera in its annual review of the Arts. Anna Picard wrote, ‘The youngest and feistiest of Britain's regional companies, Northern Ireland Opera, launched its career with a site-specific Tosca in Derry and a gleefully violent Hansel and Gretel in Belfast's Grand Opera House’
Marie O’Sullivan (1960-2011)
The Chairman, Directors and Staff of NI Opera deeply regret the passing of their friend and colleague Marie O’Sullivan (Soprano). Marie died peacefully on 18th December 2011 after a long illness borne with courage and great dignity.
Earlier this year, Marie performed with the company in Tosca, and led the Teachers of Singers in Ireland workshop for our Festival of Voice in September. To Michael, her husband, and her children, Ciaran, Niamh-Aine and Caoimhe, we extend our deepest condolences.
Young Vic Sold Out..
After highly successful tours in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the NI Opera and Scottish Opera co-production of Orpheus in the Underworld, opens at The Young Vic in December to a full house for each of the five performances.
Originally written to satirize the government of Napoleon III’s France, the action is updated to the present day with Rory Bremner’s new English translation giving Offenbach’s opera a modern day slant. This version, directed by NI Opera’s Artistic Director, Oliver Mears, gives us some of the funniest dialogue and daftest situations in French opera.
Oliver Mears, said: ““We have been delighted to see so many people turn out at our regional venues in both Northern Ireland and Scotland. Throughout Northern Ireland and Scotland, audiences were thrilled with this modern version of Orpheus in the Underworld, many of whom were coming to opera for the first time”.
A year old last month, NI Opera have produced a Christmas concert with Camerata Ireland and Barry Douglas, a touring production of Menotti’s The Medium, and our first large-scale production - Tosca, in three different venues in Derry-Londonderry. All of the productions have shown commitment to high standards, local talent - and range. NI Opera is determined to produce work of the highest quality in all parts of the region, and touring is an essential part of this, especially with the combined resources offered by co-producing.
In times of economic contraction, opera faces particular challenges: with all its elements of set, costumes, singers, orchestra and stage crew, opera is an expensive art form, and increasingly companies are having to collaborate to drive down costs, sustain quality - and even to survive. Collaboration also entails a sharing of expertise and experience, to everyone’s mutual benefit - and we are already planning many more such partnerships as seen with Scottish Opera in the co-production of Orpheus in the Underworld.
.
Orpheus in the Underworld opens at the Young Vic in London on December 1.
For more information, visit.
here
NI Opera get tasty with Hansel and Gretel
Read Terry Blain's article for Culture NI here on NI Opera's production of Hansel and Gretel, opening this week at the Grand Opera House, featuring Northern Irish Soprano Rebekah Coffey.
Daily Telegraph Interview with Aoife O'Sullivan
Read Rupert Christiansen's interview here with Aoife who will be singing Gretel, in Hansel and Gretel opening this week at the Grand Opera House
Hansel and Gretel Visit Aunt Sandra's Sweet Factory
Hansel and Gretel took a break from rehearsals yesterday to visit Aunt Sandra’s Sweet Factory in Castlereagh Road. Niamh Kelly (Hansel) and Aoife O’Sullivan (Gretel) are two leading cast members from NI Opera’s forthcoming production of Hansel and Gretel. Their visit to Aunt Sandra’s was a welcome break from the daily rehearsals at the Grand Opera House. Niamh said, ‘It was amazing to be surrounded with sweets, and to feel like a kid again. It was just like being in a real fairy-tale!’
Aunt Sandra’s is nationally renowned as one of the best purveyors of homemade sweets, all made from 100 year old recipes. A visit to their shop is like stepping back in time, where visitors can take a tour of the production process and sample the products!
Uncle Jim and Uncle David, Sweet-makers, said, ‘Hansel and Gretel added a fairy-tale scenario to our sweet factory. Our customers were thrilled to meet them and were keen to learn more about the opera. We have been making special candy for NI Opera’s performances at the Grand Opera House, and hope that all the kids will enjoy their Hansel and Gretel sweeties. It is a great event for all the family and we are looking forward to going to the opera!’
Niamh Kelly, born in Derry before moving to Inishowen in Donegal, is a graduate of NUI Maynooth, University of Limerick and the RNCM, Manchester, where she achieved distinction in her Postgraduate Diploma in Performance.
Since graduating she has performed throughout the UK and Ireland, Europe and America and worked with opera companies such as English Touring Opera, Wexford Festival Opera and Glyndebourne. Roles include Cherubino The Marriage of Figaro, Hermia A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 3rd lady The Magic Flute, Smeton Anna Bolena, Maurya Riders to the Sea and Mercedes Carmen.
Meath soprano Aoife O’ Sullivan studies with David Pollard and has recently graduated from the National Opera Studio in London where her studies were supported by BAT, the National Arts Council of Ireland and the Friends of Covent Garden Trust. Roles include Parasha/Mavra (Glyndebourne Festival Opera- Jerwood Project), cover of Jano/Jenufa (Glyndebourne Touring Opera), Gretel/Hansel and Gretel (Iford Arts), Theodora/Theodora and Second Woman/Dido and Aeneas (Yorke Trust Opera, Norfolk) and Pamina/The Magic Flute (Gleeson Theatre, DIT, Dublin).
Hansel and Gretel brings together an exemplary talented group of Irish and UK singers. Niamh and Aoife will perform alongside an outstanding cast of singers, including Doreen Clark, Graham Clark, Paul Carey Jones. The cast also includes a host of local gingerbread children, all accompanied in the pit by the Ulster Orchestra..
November 17, 2011
More Praise for Orpheus
Read article by Terry Blain in The Irish Theatre Magazine
here
Orpheus NI Tour
Orpheus in the Underworld NI Tour
NI Opera’s co-production with Scottish Opera of ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’ opened last Thursday in the Great Hall in Downpatrick. Audiences were delighted with Offenbach’s catchy tunes and wicked sense of humour which took the characters from one ridiculous situation to another.
Members of the audience coments included -
“Marvellous production”
“A slick production”
“The perfect opera for a first time opera goer”
“it was absolutely fabulous, very entertaining...’
Rory Bremner’s new English translation, gives Offenbach’s opera a modern day slant. Originally written to satirize the government of Napoleon III’s France, the action is updated to the present day, giving us some of the funniest dialogue and daftest situations in French opera.
NI Opera’s Artistic Director, Oliver Mears, draws gleeful parallels with our media-savvy, celebrity-obsessed world. He said: ““We were delighted to see so many people turn out for our first show Our audiences are growing in numbers at each performance, many of whom are coming to opera for the first time. We hope to seem more new faces as the tour continues to Derry~Londonderry and Omagh this week”.
Opera goes Shopping
Shoppers in Omagh and Derry were delighted to hear local singers give importune performances of well known opera arias over the weekend. This is an initiative to create awareness of NI Opera and to bring opera to a wider audience at the same time giving our aspiring singers the opportunity to perform in public.
The Northern Ireland tour continues this week on November 2 to Millennium Forum in Derry~Londonderry before finishing on November 4 at The Strule Arts Centre in Omagh.
For further information, please go to www.niopera.com
Ben McAteer wins NI Opera Vocal Competition
Ben McAteer from Newry was crowned the winner of NI Opera’s first ever Festival of Voice, having competed against four other young singers in a rigorous vocal competition in Glenarm, Co. Antrim.
In opera’s answer to the X-Factor, the five young singers battled it out on stage in front of a panel of judges and a paying audience, for the chance to win the once-in-a-lifetime prize of sharing a stage with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa at her concert in Belfast this October.
NI Opera, which is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, organised the Festival of Voice to give young Irish singers a valuable opportunity to perform, receive mentoring from professional singers and to develop their careers. In addition to winning the performance with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, baritone Ben has received a £2,000 cash prize.
Mark Chambers, Festival Curator, said: “The talent displayed last night was phenomenal and all five young singers performed so well. Taking part in this Festival was an invaluable opportunity for these young singers and we hope it will open doors for them all over the world. Ben in particular really shone, with a beautiful solo aria and a number of duets. Congratulations to Ben and to all the young competitors who gave us a thrilling Festival weekend.”
The five finalists, from across Ireland, spent the weekend learning and honing their singing, acting and performance skills, taking part in workshops and being mentored by experienced, professional singers.
Rosa Solinas, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “I’d like to congratulate Ben and all of the talented young singers who took part in the Festival of Voice. The Arts Council is committed to providing greater opportunities for young people to engage with music, and NI Opera has certainly contributed to that goal through this excellent platform for our young stars of the future. I hope their success here will encourage them to pursue their dreams and take their singing talents to the next level.”
Ben will perform with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa on 30th October at the Ulster Hall as part of an NI Opera concert with the Ulster Bank Festival at Queen’s. For tickets, visit www.belfastfestival.com
Festival of Voice Finalists 2011
NI Opera is to host its first ‘Festival of Voice’ which aims to find new talent via a vocal competition for young singers. The competition will be held in Glenarm from 9-11th September and the winner will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform alongside world-class soprano, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, at a special NI Opera concert during the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s.
The singers will be judged in a grand final by a panel of expert judges including - Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle; Nic Chalmers; Kathryn Harries; and Iain Burnside.
The following five young singers have been chosen to compete for the coveted prize:
Rachel Kelly (23) is a mezzo-soprano on the Opera course in the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying with Janice Chapman. Rachel is a frequent prize-winner in Feis Ceoil, and was a finalist in the International Handel Singing Competition this year. Rachel has performed as a soloist with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland in Schumann’s Das Paradis und die Peri and was also invited to perform a lunchtime recital with the orchestra in July 2010. Upcoming roles include the role of ‘Beatrice’ in Berlioz’s Beatrice et Benedict conducted by Sir Colin Davies and directed by John Copley and the role of the ‘Second Lady’ in Mozart’s The Magic Flute with the Royal Academy of Music. Rachel is kindly supported by The Sickle Foundation and The Arts Council of Ireland.
Ben McAteer holds a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from St Andrews University. His operatic roles include Tarquinius, Rape of Lucretia (Britten), and Father, Hansel & Gretel (Humperdinck). In concert he has performed much of the major oratorio repertoire, including Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem. Ben is currently studying opera at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, working with David Pollard. His studies are generously supported by the Countess of Muster Musical Trust, the Susan Chilcott Scholarship and Serena Fenwick.
John Porter is a tenor from County Donegal. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the University of Ulster, Magee. He has worked with teachers in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and London. This summer John studied with various teachers and coaches in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. He has performed as a chorister and a soloist in Ulster and London. He has sung supporting roles and as a chorus member with Northern Ireland Opera and North West Opera.
Sarah Richmond is a Belfast born mezzo soprano who graduated with Master of Music (Distinction) at the Royal Northern College of Music after completing a Bachelor of Music degree (First Class Honours) from Queen’s University. Future engagements include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Sarah has performed in: Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Dido and Sorceress), Barber’s Vanessa (Erika), Britten’s Albert Herring (Nancy), Davis’ Peace (Harvest Home), Bizet’s Carmen (Mercédès), Pearson’s A Greek Odyssey (Chief Scientist), Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado (Peep Bo) and Britten’s Noye’s Fludde (Gossip). In 2011 Sarah was made a Fellow of the London College of Music.
Lynda-Jane Workman is currently studying under the tutelage of Kathleen McKellar-Ferguson. Lynda-Jane has performed in the chorus of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Poulenc’s Dialogues les Carmelites and Prokofiev’s Love for Three Oranges, where she also covered the role of Princess Clarissa. In Tales of Hoffmann Lynda-Jane played the role of Mother’s Voice, in Kasper Hauser by Rory Boyle, Daumer’s Mother and as Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring. Recent engagements include oratorio work in Canterbury Cathedral and Serenade to Music by Vaughan Williams in the Royal Albert Hall.
To purchase tickets for the Festival of Voice, contact Larne Tourist Centre on 028 2826 0088 or email larnetourism@btconnect.com
Young Artists’ Programme
NI Opera is delighted to launch its new Young Artists’ Programme, which is designed to nurture aspiring young talent and showcase up-and-coming performers from across Northern Ireland.
The programme will give four young singers/creative artists/technicians the opportunity to hone their skills, whilst being supported to develop their careers in the industry. The young artists will receive support from NI Opera including training, access to international shows and the chance to get involved with an NI Opera production or that of a visiting company.
The Programme will provide an opportunity to:
Undertake paid under-studying/performance roles
Assist with NI Opera productions
Perform in recitals and events
Take part in NI Opera’s outreach programme
Be involved with new work and short pieces
Benefit from training, career advice and guidance
Act as an ambassador for NI Opera in Ireland, the UK and further afield
Take sponsored visits to other opera companies and attend shows and productions
How can I apply?
The deadline for applications has now passed. A number of applicants have been short listed and the final four participants will be announced soon.
NI Opera's Young Artists' Programme is generously supported by the The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Esme Mitchell Trust.
Young Irish singers compete to share stage with international opera star
NI Opera is set to host its first ‘Festival of Voice’ which aims to find new talent via a vocal competition for young singers. The competition will be held in Glenarm this September and the winner will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform alongside world-class soprano, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, at a special NI Opera concert at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s.
The vocal competition, which will take place in the historic village of Glenarm, Co. Antrim from 9-11th September 2011, will see five young singers compete for the coveted prize. The singers will perform in a grand final, open to the public, with the winner announced at the end of the evening.
After a rigorous selection process, NI Opera has selected the following five finalists:
Sarah Richmond, mezzo-soprano from Carrickfergus; Ben McAteer, baritone from Newry; Lynda-Jane Workman, mezzo-soprano from Coleraine; Rachel Kelly, mezzo-soprano from Dublin; and John Porter, tenor from Lifford.
Alongside the vocal competition, the Festival will also include a series of schools workshops to get local school children and teachers involved. The NI Opera workshops will be delivered by professional conductor Nicholas Chalmers and will teach pupils about performance, music, singing and introduce them to opera.
Clíona Donnelly, NI Opera General Manager and organiser of the Festival of Voice, said: “The Festival will provide a stage for young, home-grown singers to showcase their abilities and entertain audiences.
“We have been really pleased with the initial response to the competition and received some exceptional entries from singers across the country. Choosing the final five was a tough job, but we are confident that we have selected some of the finest emerging talent to go through to the final competition in September.”
Mark Chambers, Curator of the Festival, said: “We have a wealth of young talent here in Ireland and the vocal competition is a great way to encourage talented young singers to put themselves forward and not only have a platform to perform but collaborate with some of the most experienced people in the business.
“I am delighted to have Kathryn Harries, Head of the National Opera Studio and renowned accompanist Iain Burnside as part of the team alongside NI Opera staff who will pass on their expertise to these young singers.
“The winner will be offered a unique prize to share a stage with one of the most talented opera singers in the business, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, at a concert in October. It will be the chance of a lifetime for the winner and an opportunity for audiences to hear one of Ireland’s rising young singers, alongside an internationally renowned star.”
Rosa Solinas, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “The Festival of Voice is an excellent platform for these young, emerging singers to develop their skills at an important stage in their career. As principal funders, we are very supportive of innovative ways to engage young people in music and this vocal competition certainly promises to do that.”
Programme of Events:
Recital with Ailish Tynan - Sat 10th Sept at 8pm, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenarm, £15
Recital with Kathryn Harries - Sun 11th Sept at 2.30pm, Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, Glenarm, £15
Gala Final - Sun 11th Sept at 7pm, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenarm, £10
Special ticket package - two recitals and the gala final for £35
Tickets are available from the Larne Tourist Information Centre, Narrow Gauge Rd, Larne - call 028 2826 0088 or email larnetourism@btconnect.com
NI Opera Unveils 2011/12 Season
NI Opera revealed its first full season programme for 2011/12 to a packed house at its launch event in Belfast yesterday.
NI Opera, which is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, has unveiled five new productions and events to be staged in venues across Northern Ireland in the coming year, with something on offer for everyone. The season highlights include NI Opera’s Festival of Voice 2011; Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld; a recital by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; Hansel & Gretel by Humperdinck; and Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten.
High-profile contributors to the season include political satirist Rory Bremner, who has written a new translation of Offenbach’s irreverent romp Orpheus in the Underworld; international opera star Kiri Te Kanawa, who will perform a one-off concert in Belfast as part of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s; and international singer Graham Clark who plays the infamous witch in Hansel & Gretel.
Rory Bremner, impressionist and writer, said: “I’m really enjoying working on the libretto with NI Opera and I hope we’ll capture a lot of the fun of the original. At least it’ll rhyme!”
NI Opera plans to tour extensively throughout Northern Ireland with its version of Orpheus in the Underworld, a co-production with Scottish Opera, which will also visit 18 venues in Scotland and complete a two week run at the Young Vic in London – NI Opera’s debut appearance on the London stage. The cast includes Irish mezzo-soprano Máire Flavin, who competed in the 2011 Cardiff Singer of the World.
The company also announced its touring production Turn of the Screw which will tour venues in Northern Ireland in March 2012, featuring Tosca star Belfast-born Giselle Allen.
Other season highlights include the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel, which will be staged over three days in November 2011 at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, in the first collaboration with the historic venue. NI Opera will then make a return to Derry, following on from the success of Tosca, bringing Hansel & Gretel to the Millennium Forum in January 2012. The Ulster Orchestra will be in the pit for this rollercoaster-ride of a show, including a whole chorus of Gingerbread Children!
NI Opera’s unique Festival of Voice aims to find new, aspiring talent via a vocal competition for young singers to be held in Glenarm in September 2011. The winner will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to sing alongside internationally renowned soprano, Kiri Te Kanawa, at a recital as part of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queens 2011.
Oliver Mears, Artistic Director, NI Opera, said:
“We are very excited about the new season and have gone to great lengths to ensure we have an eclectic repertoire, ranging from Humperdinck’s wonderfully accessible masterpiece Hansel & Gretel to Britten’s chilling ghost story, Turn of the Screw.
Building on the success of our first major production, Tosca, we hope to continue to attract and build new audiences with our innovative, high quality productions using a mix of first-class local singing talent and international stars.
Touring throughout NI and further afield is a key aim for us and we are delighted to announce plans for two major tours – Orpheus in the Underworld, with a new, hilarious translation by Rory Bremner, and Turn of the Screw.”
Rosemary Kelly OBE, Chairman, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “NI Opera’s exciting new season offers something for everyone, inspiring both traditional opera audiences and also those who have never been to an opera before. As the principal funder, the Arts Council is delighted with the company’s success to date and the inspiring creative energy that it has injected into opera here in Northern Ireland.”
For more information on NI Opera’s upcoming productions, call 028 9027 7734.
NI Opera presents Hansel & Gretel
Hansel & Gretel comes to the Grand Opera House, Belfast from
Thurs 24th – Saturday 26th November 2011.
Based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale, Humperdinck’s brilliantly entertaining opera is an ever-popular family favourite.
NI Opera invites you to take a trip with Hansel and Gretel as they enter the dark forest and meet the evil Witch - and a whole chorus of Gingerbread Children. The Ulster Orchestra will be in the pit for this rollercoaster-ride of a show suitable for all ages.
Tickets are priced £11.75 - £25.75, available from www.goh.co.uk
Viva Tosca!
Audiences and critics alike were wowed by NI Opera's first production, Tosca, which performed to sold out audiences in Derry~Londonderry last weekend.
The ambitious production - which saw audiences, singers, orchestra and crew move between three venues during the performance - received a standing ovation at all three shows.
From the stunning Te Deum in St Columb's Cathedral, to the bloody, gruesome murders in St Columb's Hall, the audience was gripped throughout to the exciting performance of Puccini's Tosca, including those who had never experienced opera before.
Hundreds of school children attended the matinee performance on Friday 1st April, with teachers and students bowled over by the show.
"The N.I Opera production of Tosca was out of this world! Both the singing and acting was of the highest quality and the different venues made the whole event that bit more special.
"It certainly gave our students a flavour for opera and from the positive comments they gave after the performance I am sure that they will be interested in attending other opera events in the future."
(Joan Keaveney, St Mary's College, Derry)
"It was simply a humbling experience to have some of the lead role singers in situ at the school workshop before the production, and the question and answer discussion was presented in a very relaxed and informed atmosphere. A real encouragement and future career prospect for some of our would-be singers."
(Nigel McClintock, Schola Cantorum, Belfast)
Critics were also impressed:
'a coup de theatre' (Irish Times)
'...unforgettable' (Derry Journal)
'a triumph...one of the best operas I have experienced' (Belfast Telegraph)
'a remarkable achievement...the result breathed charisma and conviction' (Neil Fisher, The Times)
'remarkable...wonderful...the audience were on their feet and roaring their approval even before the curtain fell' (Opera Journal)
'artistically it was a momentous evening for the region, and there was certainly nothing dispassionate about the reaction of the first-night audience, who gave the performers a standing ovation and cheered them to the rafters.' (Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine)
Opera hits a high note with Deputy First Minister
NI Opera and sponsors Hamilton Architects last night welcomed the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuiness MP MLA, to an opera taster event in advance of the company’s first production of Tosca, which comes to the city next week.
NI Opera is staging Puccini’s Tosca – a thrilling tale of lust, murder and power – as never before in Northern Ireland. Each act of the three-act thriller will be staged in a different iconic building in the city, with the audience, singers and orchestra moving between venues during the performance.
This moving production will be a first for Derry and for Northern Ireland, and is intriguing opera fans and novices alike. The buzz around the production was added to last night with an event hosted by key sponsors, Hamilton Architects. Guests were treated to a sample of arias sung by local Derry-born singers, Aaron O’Hare and John Porter, two members of the NI Opera chorus who will perform in Tosca.
Seamus McCloskey, Partner, Hamilton Architects, said: “We are delighted to host this event, in advance of NI Opera’s first production. It is great to see the Deputy First Minister taking such an interest in the cultural life of our city, of which he is an avid supporter.”
Roy Bailie, Chair of NI Opera, added: “We are really thankful to Hamilton Architects for hosting this great event tonight.
We are delighted to see so many people, including the Minister, lending their support to our first ever production and we hope the people of Derry and further afield will be thoroughly entertained by our production of Tosca next week.”
Rosa Solinas, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “NI Opera’s exciting version of Tosca will inspire both traditional opera audiences, and also those who have never been to an opera before. With an accessible story, beautiful music and the stunning setting of some of Derry’s most iconic buildings, this production will really bring opera to life.”
Tickets for Tosca are now available from the Millennium Forum box office at www.millenniumforum.co.uk or tel: 028 7126 4455.
For more information on NI Opera or the production of Tosca, visit www.niopera.com.
NI Opera wins PRS for Music Foundation 2012 Commission
NI Opera and young Northern Irish composer Conor Mitchell have been awarded a prestigious role in the 2012 Olympic cultural celebrations - having been selected to create a commission for New Music 20x12.
PRS for Music Foundation recently announced the 20 successful submissions. Following a hotly contested tendering process, NI Opera and Conor Mitchell were one of just 20 organisations/composers chosen to produce a new 12-minute piece of music, that will feature centre stage of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, when London hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
New Music 20x12 is a UK wide programme which consists of twenty outstanding new works, each lasting 12 minutes, commissioned to feature centre stage of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. New Music 20x12 commissions will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and tour the UK, enabling as many people as possible to enjoy excellent new music as part of our celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The Northern Ireland piece Our Day, with a new libretto by internationally-known playwright Mark Ravenhill, is a short thriller set against the extraordinary backdrop of Mary Peters' Olympic win of 1972, and will be produced by NI Opera in the run up to the flagship sporting event.
New Music 20x12 is an independent commissioning programme initiated by Jillian Barker and David Cohen, and delivered by PRS for Music Foundation in partnership with the BBC, The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Sound and Music.
Special thanks to Arts Council of Northern Ireland for making this New Music 20x12 commission possible. New Music 20x12 is generously supported by the following committed patrons and funders: Arts Council England, John S. Cohen Foundation, Creative Scotland, PRS for Music Foundation, Arts Council of Wales, Incorporated Society of Musicians, Musicians Benevolent Fund, Jerwood Charitable Foundation, RVW Trust, Charlotte and Dennis Stevenson, Tolkien Trust, The Bliss Trust, Finzi Trust, John and Ann Tusa, Lilian Slowe, John Wates Charitable Trust, and Richard Walduck.
1.jpg){kind=tracking}
5.png){kind=tracking}
.jpg "Lucia Vernon, Giselle Allen and Fiona Murphy"){kind=tracking}
1.png){kind=tracking}
.jpg)
