5 Things We Love About INO - #4 Irish Talent
Ireland has a long history of story-telling through song, so you could say that music is in our blood. At INO, we recognise that there is some incredible artistic talent in Ireland and we want to ensure that those talented individuals get the opportunity to train and work at home, if they wish.
How do we make this happen? We run a professional development programme, the INO Opera Studio, through which we nurture and develop Irish talent. Every season, we provide a year-long professional development course for promising singers, directors, composers, conductors and répétiteurs. INO Opera Studio members are provided with a series of workshops and masterclasses, one-to-one tuition as well as performance opportunities. Singers get to sing in our choruses and cover major roles, directors and conductors are given assistant positions in our productions and composers are commissioned to write new works. The INO Opera Studio has commissioned two operas to date: Evangelia Rigaki’s This Hostel Life and Amanda Feery’s A Thing I Cannot Name. We are thrilled to have had so many female composers, conductors and directors through our INO Opera Studio programmes.
2022/23 INO Opera Studio Members
Through our productions, we strive to provide an international platform from which Irish talent can be recognised. We achieve this through partnerships with international presenters. For example, the free streaming service, OperaVision, has allowed people all over the world to watch our work. Similarly, our partnership with Signum Records has allowed us to release two high-quality audio recordings:, La bohème and Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, the latter of which was nominated for an International Opera Award.
Furthermore, as we grow and our productions reach venues outside Ireland, our international acclaim increases. We were delighted that Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra won “Outstanding Achievement in Opera” at the 2022 Olivier Awards for their involvement in our production of Vivaldi’s Bajazet! In addition, we were nominated in two categories of the 2022 International Opera Awards. This sort of coverage allows Irish artists to become household names in all corners of the world!
INO Opera Studio Success Stories...
Elaine Kelly
Conductor Elaine Kelly took part in our 2019-20 & 2020-21 programmes, following which she was appointed as Resident Conductor of Irish National Opera. This month she is in New York conducting the world premieres of two new contemporary operas by Emma O’Halloran.
Image: Elaine Kelly conducting Old Ghosts
Éna Brennan
Our current INO Opera Studio composer Éna Brennan was commissioned to compose Rupture, one of our 20 Shots of Opera, our series of mini-operas for film. Following this, Austrian opera festival Bregenz Festpiele has commissioned her to write a new piece to be premiered in 2024.
Image: Rupture
Kelli-Ann Masterson
Soprano Kelli-Ann Masterson took part in our 2019-20 & 2020-21 programmes and has since gone from strength to strength, most recently singing the female lead in our national tour of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, which is continuing in February 2023.
Image: Kelli-Ann Masterson and Graeme Danby in Don Pasquale
Amy Ní Fhearraigh
Soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh took part in our very first 2018-19 INO Opera Studio and made her Royal Opera House debut in Brian Irvine and Netia Jones’ Least Like The Other last month.
Image: Amy Ní Fhearraigh in Least Like The Other
Rachel Croash
Soprano Rachel Croash, also a member of the 2018-19 intake, recently sung the role of Mathilde in William Tell and will play Marianne in our upcoming production of Der Rosenkavalier.
Image: Rachel Croash in William Tell
Jade Phoenix
Soprano Jade Phoenix, from our current 2022-23 studio is currently starring in an Irish National Opera and Anu commission Old Ghosts written by 2018-19 studio composer, Evangelia Rigaki.
Image: Jade Phoenix in Old Ghosts
Andrew Gavin
Tenor, Andrew Gavin, a member of both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 studios has sung roles in a number of INO productions including The Magic Flute, Elektra and William Tell.
Image: Andrew Gavin in William Tell
Bass-baritone Rory Dunne took part in our 2019-20 programme and has recently sung the role of Bohumir in Wexford Opera Festivals’ Armida. Later this year he will star in Giovanna d’Arco in Germany as well as covering the role of Faninal in our upcoming production of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier.
Image: Rory Dunne
Several of our artists have gone on to international studios after their time with us:
- Bass-baritone David Howes is a member of the International Opera Studio at Oper Köln.
- Tenor Conor Prendiville is part of the Oberösterreichische Opernstudio at Landestheater Linz.
- Mezzo-soprano Aebh Kelly went on to the Mascarade Opera Studio in Florence.
At the 2022 Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, the INO Opera Studio alumni featured prominently:
- Conor Prediville, quarter-finalist;
- Rory Dunne, semi-finalist;
- Aebh Kelly, second place in the finals.
Written by Audrey Keogan (Development Assistant)