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Opera at the Castle - It's Back!! A Summer evening of great operatic and musical theatre classics
Following its sell out performance in 2009, 'Opera at the Castle' returns to the historic surroundings of Clontarf Castle in the heart of Dublin on Wednesday 10th August.
You have in store a summer evening of great operatic and musical theatre classics presented by a full Irish cast of International soloists headed by Soprano Sandra Oman and Baritone John Molloy alongside young Irish talent, Tenor Mark Duff, Soprano Helen Smith and Mezzo Soprano Sharon Carty, accompanied by renowned pianist Mairead Hurley' and hosted by Dieter Kaegi (Artistic Director Opera Ireland).
The Opera at the Castle was originally launched back in 2007 by Mark Duff (read bio in PDF) as a fundraising night that ultimately helped Mark graduate at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.
Mark explains the thinking behind this years event, "During the past year we have seen many financial difficulties, the closure of our national Opera Company Opera Ireland, the most recent closure of the National company which was to be launched next year and many cuts to the culture and arts sector in Ireland .
Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke of job creation, entrepreneurship and promoting our country around the world, it is my hope that this evening that we can bring all those ideals together and celebrate as a community everything that is great in Ireland today.
I hope that the Opera Gala will bring to the fore great Irish talent, here in our capital, I hope it will be an evening that will remind the Irish audiences of how internationally talented our own Irish singers are. The importance of a National Opera company in Ireland is a vital part of our cultural existence, this northsider is not willing to let this art form be extinct in a country renowned for it's arts."