The festival runs this year in the Lismore / Blackwater area from May 28th to June 3rd
The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, Ireland’s only summer opera festival, from 28th May to 3rd June 2019, presents its centrepiece, the annual opera at Lismore Castle, with a schedule of additional musical events throughout the week.
Playing host to many of these one-off events are the great houses, churches and unique locations of the Blackwater Valley, with some unique dining experiences also in the mix. You'll find out more here.
The festival has been running since 2010
It was established by a small group of opera professionals, and it now attracts international visitors to the heritage town of Lismore and the scenic Blackwater Valley.
Educational elements
The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival has a strong ethos of nurturing young talent and providing opportunities for up and coming artists. Organisers also engage with schools and schoolchildren, having run an educational collaboration with Mobile Music Machine in 2019.
In addition to school workshops BVOF also offers schoolchildren the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal of the opera, giving them what tends to be their first experience of live opera. In 2018 over 450 children from schools in the Blackwater Valley region attended L’Italiana in Algeri and the feedback was very positive from students and teachers alike.
What's on this year?
The big opera of the festival this year is Don Pasquale but there's a packed schedule in various venues besides, including other musical events and recitals.
If you enjoy classical music, you can listen here to what's happening in 2019 with the Symphony Club of Waterford.
Recently WLR's Kieran O'Connor was at the launch of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. Below is a link to his report...
https://soundcloud.com/wlrfmwaterford/the-2019-blackwater-valley-opera-festival-has-been-launched
Mary also spoke to Artistic Director of the opera, Deiter Kaegi. Have a listen to their conversation..
https://soundcloud.com/wlrfmwaterford/the-artistic-director-of-the-blackwater-valley-opera-festival-joins-mary-in-studio
