Blackwater Valley Opera Festival

The sold-out #BVOF2023 filled the summer air with the beautiful tones of world-class performers. Ireland’s summer opera festival was funded under the Cultural & Heritage Measure of the the European Union’s Recovery Instrument (EURI) which is 100% funded by the EU and is programmed through Ireland’s Rural Development Programme.

The successful festival featured 21 events including opera, recitals and concerts at 12 beautiful locations, steeped in history and character. The opera and classical music festival was made accessible to all with many concessions tickets, free open air recitals and multiple education programmes including a schools’ night for 450 local students and children.

Highlights included the headline opera Verdi’s #BVOFMacbeth, set in the grounds of Lismore Castle, conducted by Killian Farrell, directed by Sarah Baxter and in collaboration with the Irish Chamber Orchestra as well as concerts with Ian Bostridge and Saskia Giorgini, Nadège Rochat – Cellist and Judith Jáuregui, and Paula Murrihy with the Irish Baroque Orchestra & Peter Whelan at Dromore Yard.

The Lismore Music Festival t/a, the Blackwater Opera Festival operates an annual opera festival in Lismore Castle and Dromore Yard every June since 2009. It is operated by a voluntary committee that has become a well-structured organization.

The festival compliments both in timing and location the Wexford Opera Festival. The festival has focused on providing a quality product in a rural location (similar to Clybourne in England), has opened up access to the great houses of the Blackwater Valley for that week, has a co-existing education programme for local young people to introduce them to the nuts and bolts of music and has opened up the Valley to a group of people who would not normally travel to rural areas.

The LEADER Programme part funded the venue rental, logistics, i.e., Marquees, Seating, Sound, H & S, and pianos.