2008/2009 Season
Welcome to the 2008 /2009 Opera Ireland Season.
At the core of the season are our four Opera productions at the Gaiety Theatre. They combine the great familiar classics Madama Butterfly and Don Giovanni with the less well known but equally wonderful Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten and Mazeppa by Tchaikovsky - both Irish première productions.
In all our operas we can promise you a blend of great Irish and international casts and creative teams, with all the passion, drama and energy which Opera Ireland brings to making the greatest of all the performing arts.
We are proud this year to commemorate the bicentenary of the great 19th century Irish opera composer, Michael William Balfe, presenting (in partnership with RTÉ) an historic concert performance and world première recording of his great ‘Italian' opera Falstaff.
New Irish opera also features with a workshop performance of Fergus Johnston's The Earl of Kildare.
Another innovation this season is Opera Ireland's presentation of The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD at cinemas in Dublin and elsewhere. Now an international phenomenon, this is the first time these spectacular high-definition live broadcasts from our colleagues in the Metropolitan Opera in New York have been seen in Ireland and they are sure to be a great addition to operatic life here.
From watching opening nights outdoors in Temple Bar, to cinema screenings of great international performances live from New York, and the ultimate and incomparable experience of great live opera, there is something for everyone to enjoy, from the novice to the dedicated opera fan.
We hope to see you there.
