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Wexford Festival Opera revises dates for its 58th Season

Today Wexford Festival Opera revised its opening date for the 58th Wexford Festival Opera and a change of artistic line-up.  

The 2009 Festival will be consolidated into a 12-day Festival, consisting of 3 main Operas, lunchtime recitals and other events, including a choral concert featuring the Prague Chamber Choir, a gala concert, and a number of other special events, still to be announced. The short-work productions will be set aside this year.

The 58th Wexford Festival Opera will open on Wednesday October 21, 2009 and run for 12 days, closing on Sunday, November 1, 2009. 

The Festival will open with Grand-Opera-Buffa style, ‘The Ghosts of Versailles’ by Corigliano (1991), a co-production with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.  The 2nd production is a comedy double-bill of ‘Une Éducation Manquée’ (An Incomplete Education) by Chabrier (1879) and Rossini’s ‘La Cambiale di Matrimonio’ (The Marriage Contract) (1810) with Donizetti’s dramatic Opera ‘Maria Padilla’ (1841) making up the final production.

Commenting on the change, Chief Executive David McLoughlin said, “2008 was a tremendously successful year for us in every aspect, however, we have to acknowledge the current economic climate we are all operating in and be pro-active in our approach in this financially challenging year in order to secure the festival’s future.”   

Wexford Festival Opera Artistic Director, David Agler, added, “Although the quantity of performances will be reduced, I am determined to ensure the same high-quality production and performances that our audiences have come to expect in Wexford.  I am very excited about the artists taking part in this year’s festival, details of which will be announced at the end of April.”

Full details, including the artistic teams, will be announced in Wexford at the launch of the 58th Wexford Festival Opera at the end of April, ahead of priority booking, which opens on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 for Friends and Patrons. General booking commences on Tuesday, June 2, 2009.