NI Opera
Encyclopedia
NI Opera is an opera
company founded in 2010 and based in Northern Ireland
.
, NI Opera was founded in 2010 as a Northern Ireland
-based opera company with a remit for performing high-quality opera throughout Northern Ireland, while promoting young talent from the region and forming partnerships with arts organizations from Northern Ireland, Great Britain
and further afield. The company is based in the Grand Opera House
, Belfast
. Its first Artistic Director is Oliver Mears.
and his Camerata Ireland
orchestra in a Christmas
concert at the Ulster Hall
, with three young singers all from Northern Ireland: Giselle Allen, Susan Boyd and Emma Morwood. In February 2011 it co-produced its first NI-wide tour, with Second Movement Opera
, a production of The Medium
by Gian Carlo Menotti
which travelled to venues in Armagh, Downpatrick, Newtonabbey and Omagh, with Derry-born singer Doreen Curran in the title role.
The company performed its first major production, Puccini's Tosca
, in three different historic spaces in Derry
, in March 2011, to widespread critical acclaim.
and the winner of the company's inaugural Glenarm vocal competition at the Belfast Festival at Queens, a co-produced touring production of Orpheus in the Underworld
with a new script by Rory Bremner
(co-produced with Scottish Opera
) in Autumn 2011, a production which tours Scotland and N Ireland before travelling to the Young Vic Theatre in London in December 2011.
In late November 2011 it will produce Humperdinck's fairy-tale opera Hansel and Gretel in Belfast's Grand Opera House, a production with the Ulster Orchestra
in the pit, and which travels to the Millenium Forum, Derry, in January 2012. The production features international opera singer Graham Clark
as the Witch.
In March 2012 NI Opera will tour a new production of The Turn of the Screw
by Benjamin Britten
.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
company founded in 2010 and based in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
About the Company
Funded by the Arts Council of Northern IrelandArts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland....
, NI Opera was founded in 2010 as a Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
-based opera company with a remit for performing high-quality opera throughout Northern Ireland, while promoting young talent from the region and forming partnerships with arts organizations from Northern Ireland, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and further afield. The company is based in the Grand Opera House
Grand Opera House (Belfast)
The Grand Opera House is a theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the period, Frank Matcham. It opened on 23 December 1895....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. Its first Artistic Director is Oliver Mears.
Past events
After launching in October 2010, in December 2010 NI Opera collaborated with Barry DouglasBarry Douglas
Barry Douglas OBE is a classical pianist and conductor. He studied piano, cello, clarinet and organ while growing up in Belfast. He first studied in Belfast while attending Methodist College Belfast and, at 16, had lessons with Felicitas LeWinter, a pupil of Emil von Sauer and grand-pupil of...
and his Camerata Ireland
Camerata Ireland
Camerata Ireland is a chamber music ensemble founded by pianist Barry Douglas. They held their first concert in May 1999 with concerts at the Parliament Buildings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the State Apartments in Dublin...
orchestra in a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
concert at the Ulster Hall
Ulster Hall
The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade B1 listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences...
, with three young singers all from Northern Ireland: Giselle Allen, Susan Boyd and Emma Morwood. In February 2011 it co-produced its first NI-wide tour, with Second Movement Opera
Second Movement Opera
- About the Company :Second Movement was founded in 2004 as a London based chamber opera ensemble performing unorthodox opera productions in unusual spaces in the UK's capital. It is a charitable organization with a mission to provide opportunities for talented young singers and professionals in...
, a production of The Medium
The Medium
The Medium is a short two-act dramatic opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. Commissioned by Columbia University, its first performance was there on 8 May 1946. The opera's first professional production was presented on a double bill with Menotti's The Telephone at the Heckscher...
by Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
which travelled to venues in Armagh, Downpatrick, Newtonabbey and Omagh, with Derry-born singer Doreen Curran in the title role.
The company performed its first major production, Puccini's Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
, in three different historic spaces in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, in March 2011, to widespread critical acclaim.
Future events
The company's future plans include a concert featuring Dame Kiri Te KanawaKiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
and the winner of the company's inaugural Glenarm vocal competition at the Belfast Festival at Queens, a co-produced touring production of Orpheus in the Underworld
Orpheus in the Underworld
Orphée aux enfers is an opéra bouffon , or opéra féerie in its revised version, by Jacques Offenbach. The French text was written by Ludovic Halévy and later revised by Hector-Jonathan Crémieux....
with a new script by Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
(co-produced with Scottish Opera
Scottish Opera
Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies funded by the Scottish Government...
) in Autumn 2011, a production which tours Scotland and N Ireland before travelling to the Young Vic Theatre in London in December 2011.
In late November 2011 it will produce Humperdinck's fairy-tale opera Hansel and Gretel in Belfast's Grand Opera House, a production with the Ulster Orchestra
Ulster Orchestra
The Ulster Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Belfast, the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall...
in the pit, and which travels to the Millenium Forum, Derry, in January 2012. The production features international opera singer Graham Clark
Graham Clark
Graham Clark was a fictional character in the British ITV soap Emmerdale. He was played by Kevin Pallister.Graham was in Emmerdale for two years from 1998 to 2000. He first appeared as a local schoolteacher looking around Keeper's Cottage after Lady Tara Oakwell was evicting Seth Armstrong and...
as the Witch.
In March 2012 NI Opera will tour a new production of The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw is a novella written by Henry James. Originally published in 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story.Due to its ambiguous content, it became a favourite text of academics who subscribe to New Criticism. The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive...
by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
.