The 71st Wexford Festival Opera will open on Friday, 21 October, running for
17 consecutive days showcasing over 80 events including three mainstage
operas, two pocket operas, a new commission and an Irish premiere, closing
on Sunday, 6 November
Filling the National Opera House this autumn, the programme centres around the theme of
Magic & Music and will feature three main stage operas, La Tempesta, Lalla-Roukh and
Armida; two Pocket Opera|Opera beag: The Master based on the best-selling book by Colm
Tóibín, composed by Alberto Caruso and The Spectre Knight by Alfred Cellier; a newly
commissioned opera Les Selenties by our 2022 Artist-in-Residence Conor Mitchell, an
exciting series of Pop-Up events; III° edition of the Wexford Factory and a production of
Cinderella composed by Alma Deutscher, when she was only 12 years old.
La tempesta Fromental Halévy
● The opening production of the festival will be La Tempesta (1850), composed by
Fromental Halévy, with a libretto by Eugene Scribe after Shakespeare’s The Tempest
● First performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre London in June 1850. The production will
be conducted by WFO’s Principal Guest Conductor, Francesco Cilluffo and directed
by Italian Roberto Catalano in his Wexford debut
● Nikolay Zemlianskikh will sing Prospero in his international debut with Israeli
soprano Hila Baggio singing the role of his daughter Miranda making her WFO debut
● Former Wexford factory artist Jade Phoenix will sing the role of Ariele.
● Sung in Italian. With the WFO Orchestra and Chorus
● A co-production with Teatro C. Coccia Novara Italy
● Performance dates: O’Reilly Theatre – 21, 24, 29 October and 3 November.
● Production Sponsored by Elavon
Creative Team:
Conductor Francesco Cilluffo
Stage Director Roberto Catalano
Set Designer Emanuele Sinisi
Costume Designer Ilaria Ariemme
Lighting Designer DM Wood
Choreographer Luisa Baldinetti
Assoc. Lighting Designer Daisy Long
Asst. Director Anna Laura Miszerak
Cast:
Prospero Nikolay Zemlianskikh
Miranda Hila Baggio
Calibano Giorgi Manoshvili
Fernando Guilio Pelligra
Ariele Jade Phoenix
Alonso Rory Musgrave
Antonio Richard Shaffrey
Stefano Gianluca Moro
Sicorace Emma Jüngling
Trinculo Dan D’Souza
Lalla-Roukh Félicien David
● Lalla-Roukh (1862) composed by Félicien David, with a libretto by Michael Carré and
Hippolyte Lucas
● The piece had its premiere at the Opéra-Comique in 1862
● The production will be conducted by Steven White, and Irish director Orpha Phelan
will direct
● The title role will be sung by French soprano Gabrielle Philiponet in her Wexford
debut, with former ROH Jette Parker artist Argentinian tenor Pablo Bemsch also
making his Wexford debut singing Nourreddin
● Sung in French, with the WFO Orchestra and Chorus
● Performance dates: O’Reilly Theatre – 22, 25, 30 October and 4 November.
● Production Sponsored by Danone
Creative Team:
Conductor Steven White
Stage Director Orpha Phelan
Set & Costume Designer Madeleine Boyd
Lighting Designer DM Wood
Choreographer Amy Share-Kissiov
Text Timothy Knapman
Assoc. Lighting Designer Daisy Long
Asst. Stage Director Sarah Baxter
Cast:
Lalla-Roukh Gabrielle Philiponet
Nourreddin Pablo Bemsch
Narrator Lorcan Cranitch
Baskir Ben McAteer
Mirza Niamh O’Sullivan
Bakbara Emyr Wyn Jones
Kaboul Thomas D Hopkinson
Armida Antonín Dvořák
● Armida (1904) composed by Antonín Dvořák, with a libretto by Jaroslav Vrchlický
● The piece was first performed at Prague’s National Theatre on 25 March 1904
● The production will be conducted by Czech Norbert Baxa and directed by Austrian
Hartmut Schörghofer both making their Wexford debuts
● After her success as Elsa in Lohengrin at ROH earlier this year, Irish soprano Jennifer
Davis will make her Wexford debut in the title role. Austrian-Australian tenor Gerard
Schneider will return to Wexford to sing Rinald after singing Prince Dimitri in
Risurezzione (2017)
● Former Factory artist Rory Dunne with sing the roles of Bohumir and Musezin
● Sung in French. With the WFO Orchestra and Chorus
● A co-production with Pilsen Theatre (Czech Republic)
● Performance dates: O’Reilly Theatre – 23, 28 October and 2, 5 November.
Creative Team:
Conductor Norbert Baxa
Stage Director Hartmut Schörghofer
Set & Costume Designer Hartmut Schörghofer
Lighting Designer DM Wood
Asoc. Lighting Designer Daisy Long
Asst. Stage Director Monika Hliněnská
Cast:
King Hydraot of Damascus Jozef Benci
Armida, his daughter Jennifer Davis
Ismen, a prince and magician Stanislav Kuflyuk
Petr Jan Hnyk
Bohumir Rory Dunne
Rinald Gerard Schneider
Sven Josef Moravec
Roger Thomas Birch
Gernand Andrii Kharlamov
Siren/A nymph Libuse Santorisova
Dudo Chris Mosz
Muezin Rory Dunne
Ubald Josef Kovačič
Cinderella Alma Deutscher
● Cinderella (2015), composed by Alma Deutscher, will be performed by members of
the Wexford Festival Factory in this Irish premiere
● At the age of 10, Alma Deutscher began writing her first full-length opera. At 12, she
premiered her first piano concerto and she made her debut at Carnegie Hall in 2019
● Cinderella had its European premiere in Vienna (2016), conducted by Zubin Mehta,
and its U.S. premiere a year later at Opera San Jose
● Davide Gasparro will direct with conductor Giuseppe Monteasano in the pit
● Wexford Factory artists feature in the cast
● Performance dates: O’Reilly Theatre – 26, 29, 31 October and 4 November.
Creative team:
Conductor Giuseppe Monteasano
Stage Director Davide Gasparo
Set Designer Eleonora Rossi
Costume Designer Frances White
Lighting Designer Daisy Long
Cast:
Cinderella Megan O’Neill
Prince Michael Bell/Richard Shaffrey
King Peter Lidbetter
Griselda Hanna O’Brien/Leah Redmond
Stepmother Ami Hewitt/Corina Ignat
Fairy Deirdre Arratoon
Zibaldona Emily Hogarty/Sara Luthrell
Royal Minister Peter McCamley
WFO ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Les Selenites Conor Mitchell
● WFO is delighted to announce a new opera commission from the WFO Artist-in-
Residence 2022 Conor Mitchell
● The chamber piece entitled Les Selenites explores the bizarre world of 20th Century
film pioneer Georges Méliès.
● Conor Mitchell is an award-winning Northern Irish composer, librettist and theatre
director and is one of the most interesting opera composers in Ireland today.
● A recipient of the Arts Council Northern Ireland Major Individual Artist’s Award,
Mitchell was appointed WFO Artist-in-Residence in 2022.
● On 26 October, there will be a chance to meet and ask questions in a ‘Meeting the
Composer’ event
● Performance dates: O’Reilly Theatre – 26 October, 6 November.
Audiences can also enjoy some exciting daytime Pocket Opera | Opera Beag, which will
include:
The Master Alberto Caruso
● The Master (2016) is based on the novel of the same name by Colm Tóibín, who also
wrote the libretto
● The Irish premiere will be directed by Conor Hanratty and composer Alberto Caruso
will conduct
● Performance dates: Jerome Hynes Theatre – 22, 23, 27, 29, 30 October, 1,3,5
November.
Creative team:
Conductor Alberto Caruso
Stage Director Conor Hanratty
Stage & Costume Designer Lisa Krugel
Lighting Designer Paddy McLaughlin
Cast:
Henry James Thomas Birch
Hammond James Wafer
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. James Wafer
Constance Woolson Annabella Ellis
William James Lawrence Gillians
Edmund Gosse Lawrence Gillians
Johnson Andrii Kharlamov
Hendrik Christian Andersen Dan D’Souza
Alice James Isabel Araujo
Alice Gibbens James Anna Gregg
Mrs. Edward Saker Zita Syme
Maud Howe Elliott Emma Walsh
Lady Louisa Wolseley Arlene Belli
Miss Loring Dominica Williams
Mr. Webster TBA
Mr. Smith Stephen Walker
Tito Chris Moes
Ensemble: Deirdre Higgins, Emma Jungling, Anna Gregg, Andrii Kharlamov, Isabel Araujo,
Zita Syme, Emma Walsh, Dominica Williams, Stephen Walker
The Spectre Knight Alfred Cellier
● The Spectre Knight (1878), a fanciful farce, composed by Alfred Cellier, with libretto
by James Albery
● The first performed at the Opéra-Comique, London 9 February 1878
● The Stage Director is Sinead O’Neill
● Performances: Wexford Arts Centre, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31 October, 2, 5 November
Creative team:
Music Director Gioele Muglaido
Stage Director Sinéad O’Neill
Stage & Costume Designer Lisa Krugel
Lighting Designer John Comiskey
Cast:
The Grand Duke Thomas Bennett
His Lord Chamberlan Monwabisi Lindi
First Lady Grace Maria Wain
Second Lady Erin Fflur
Viola Jennifer Lee
Ghost & Otho Matthew Nuttall
An unmissable Gala with Orchestra will feature the celebrated Mezzo-Soprano Daniela
Barcellona, conducted by Alessandro Vitiello and performed by the Wexford Festival
Orchestra in the O’Reilly Theatre 27 October.
The ever-popular Gala Concert will take place on Nov 1 in the O’Reilly Theatre, while the
Lunchtime Recitals will be performed in St Iberius Church and O’Reilly Theatre. The Festival
will come to a rousing conclusion with a final concert on 6 November, performed at the
piano and conducted by the acclaimed Barry Douglas and the Wexford Festival Orchestra.
The Tom Walsh Lecture (27 October – Jerome Hynes Theatre) Shakespeare’s Rough Magic
will be delivered by Patrick Spottiswoode (Founder, Globe Education and Senior Research
Fellow Shakespeare’s Globe and former President of the Shakespeare Theatre Association).
An exciting and eclectic programme of Pop-Up Events will take place during the Festival.
These Free pop-ups are multi-disciplinary performances featuring music, drama, singing and
dance performed in non-traditional settings around Wexford town. Look for the ‘Follow the
Rabbit’ imagery to find out more…
WEXFORD FACTORY
The III° edition of the Wexford Factory will see a new group of artists start the two-year
professional development academy, which enables young singers to develop and learn from
some of the best artists and coaches in the world. Wexford Festival Opera has a long history
of being a springboard for many young singers at the beginning of their careers, helping
them move onto the international stage. The Wexford Factory now in its third year and
sponsored by PwC is open to young Irish or Irish-based singers and builds on this tradition,
mentoring young singers through masterclasses led by internationally recognised artists and
professionals.
The 2022 / 2023 participants have been announced as 15 singers: Deirdre Arratoon, Michael
Bell, Eoin Foran, Ami Hewitt, Emily Hogarty, Corina Ignat, William Kyle, Peter Lidbetter,
Sarah Luttrell, Giorgi Manoshvili, Hannah O’Brien, Megan O’Neill, Leah Redmond, Richard
Shaffrey, Nikolai Zemlianskikh. Three pianists: Elena Esposito, Aoife Moran, Rebecca
Warren.
The newly developed Repetiteur Programme will also take place as part of Wexford Factory
in September. In its inaugural year, this new programme will introduce three young pianists
Aoife Moran, Eléna Maria Esposito and Rebecca Warren. They will take part in the
programme over the course of 2 weeks in September, prior to rehearsals for the 71 st
Wexford Festival Opera in October, at which they will have opportunities to perform. This is
Supported by The Community Foundation for Ireland.
Once again, audiences can experience an Impossible interview (28 October and 2
November) with Michael Dervan and the greatest magician of all time Henry Houdini.