Wexford Festival Opera

And this one, you've got two on the go now.

One for the Wexford Festival Opera, which is 75 years old this year.

It's extraordinary.

Close to your heart.

And now it's huge.

My first out of Dublin trip when I first arrived here in 1990 was to Wexford to play in the Wexford Opera Festival.

And that was one of the most extraordinary experiences for the first time, which obviously I got used to each year because there were big Russian singers.

There were Italians.

Also, we're very close to the 75th...

Celebration of Wexford Festival Opera and Suzanne Nance, the Chief Executive Officer, will be joining me live in studio.

We'll also get an update about The Grid.

We'll be speaking to Sinead Dooley.

As I said, it will be available as podcast shortly after two o'clock today and it will also be available tonight in a rerun of your Morning Mix.

Coming up... just after 11.

We're going to look at the 75th anniversary of Wexford Festival Opera and what's coming up.

We'll also hear from Theresa Mannion, who's on the key front between 12 and 1 today in the Wexford town area.

Welcome back to tonight's Arena with me, Kathy Rose O'Brien.

Wexford Festival Opera turned 75 this year and to mark it, they're reviving three operas that haven't been staged there since before the National Opera House was built, including Mascagny's Iris, the festival's opening production.

Singing the Geisha is Irish soprano Hannah O'Brien, who came up through the festival's own Wexford Factory Young Artist Programme and picked up its Danone Young Outstanding Female Artist Award back in 2023.

Now she's stepping into a main stage role at the festival that helped shape her.

Yeah, as we conclude our outside broadcast from the headquarters of Wexford County Council, the big announcement has been made.

What better way to round off our visit here than to talk culture in a county that's full of culture as we build up to the 75th anniversary of Wexford Festival Opera? I'm here with the arts officer, Liz Burns.

How are you doing, Liz?

I'm very well, Alan.

And we didn't speak to each other that night.

And then 15 years ago, this October long weekend, he had an exhibition for the Wexford Festival Opera again.

And I walked in and all the colours were back.

So I had to go up and say it to him.

I'm joined live now on the line by Conor Hanrity.

Speaking of history, it's the 75th anniversary of Wexford Festival Opera.

Conor is theatre and opera director and the man directing the world premiere of the first festival at this year's 75th anniversary.

Good morning to you, Conor.

We have to promote our own.

Just give us the details as to how people can get tickets.

Well, the Wexford Festival Opera website is the easiest one you can find, wexfordfestivalopera.com. And like I said, you've said beautifully, there are very affordable tickets.

We're dying to have people to come and join us.