National Opera House (O'Reilly Theatre), Wexford 25/10/26
Marty Whelan (broadcaster); Rosetta Cucchi (WFO Artistic Director)
Christopher Knopp, Nate Ben-Horin, Pantesilena Jaho, Rebecca Warren, Frasier Hickland, Liuba Orfenova, Giorgio D'Alonzo, Ella Nagy, Orlaith Sharkey, Ellen Jansson (pianists)
Hannah O’Brien, Sophie Gordeladze, Leyla Gu (sopranos); Hilary Ginther (mezzo-soprano); Yu Shao, Sebastian Mach, Seán Tester, Igor Onishchenko, Taras Prysiazhniuk (tenors); Rory Musgrave, Gurgen Baveyan, Fraser Robinson, Jolyon Loy, Stefan Astakhov (baritones); Jihoon Kim (bass)
Nausikáa Maldari, Veronica Morello, Miryam Tomè (dancers)
The Gala Concert at Wexford Festival Opera is an annual event, traditionally on the Sunday night after the clocks go back and this year at 9:30 pm, presenting some of the vocal stars participating in the opera productions at the Festival (and some participants and alumni of the Factory project) in a celebration of opera and song, accompanied by pianists associated with the Festival. In recent years, there is also an item on the programme where the pianists participating in the répétiteur section of the Wexford Factory project perform an operatic instrumental number while dancers present a choreographed dance. This year (as in the last two years at least) the Gala Concert was co-presented by RTÉ Lyric FM broadcaster Marty Whelan and Artistic Director of the Festival Rosetta Cucchi.
Irish soprano Hannah O'Brien (Dhia in ‘Iris’, which at this point I had yet to see) and Irish baritone and WFO regular Rory Musgrave (Don Pedro in ‘The Rose of Castile’ and Mr Astley in ‘The Gambler’ this year alone) opened the concert as Hanna Glawari and Danilo Danilovitsch in the deliciously smoochy ‘Lippen schweigen’ from Lehár’s ‘Die lustige Witwe’, sung in English and accompanied by American répétiteur and collaborative pianist Nate Ben-Horin (Music co-Director in ‘Still, Life …’ this year). Nice rubato and super-clear diction. It’s a gorgeous lilting waltz, so they danced a bit. A super concert-opener.
Next up, Polish tenor Sebastian Mach (Ermanno in ‘L'equivoco stravagante’, which I also had yet to see) was accompanied by an Irish pianist from last year’s Factory programme now on the main stage, Frasier Hickland, in the jaunty upbeat ‘Ah! Mes amis, quel jour de fête’ from Donizetti’s ‘La fille du régiment’, complete with the waltz section with some daunting high notes – a real tenor tour-de-force beloved of Pavarotti. Very stylishly delivered, with elegantly shaped phrasing pointing to a strong artistic rapport between the two performers.
Introducing Korean bass Jihoon Kim, Rosetta Cucchi told how she had met him in London where she was holding auditions. As soon as she heard him, she knew she had found her ideal Il Cielo, the blind father in her production of ‘Iris’. She grabbed him (her words) immediately. He sang a popular Korean song, ‘Arariyo’ by Jisoo Lee. A fabulously rich and sonorous bass voice, in a slow and expressive song (not K-pop). I could readily understand Rosetta’s reaction. Small of physique; huge of voice.
Georgian soprano Sophie Gordeladze had already wowed me as Polina in ‘The Gambler’. Rosetta said that Sophie had been a Wexford Factory artist back in the second year of the programme (perhaps an experience that awakened her known taste for reviving forgotten repertoire). But she performed from the core of dramatic Romance, Elisabeth’s aria ‘Dich, teure Halle’ from Act II of Wagner’s ‘Tannhäuser’. A great dramatic entry with sustained power, ably accompanied by Christopher Knopp (Music Director in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ this year, also not seen yet at time of typing).
Buralicchio in ‘L'equivoco stravagante’ this year, Armenian baritone Gurgen Baveyan sang a traditional Armenian song, ‘Qani vur janim’, which was translated for us as “as long as I live”, with the next words meaning “I will love you”. Notoriously unreliable Google Translate offers “As long as, my dear”. The simple direct melody sounded more like a lullaby than a lovesong, but it was bewitching, accompanied by Wexford répétiteur, collaborative pianist and choral conductor (and also a fine violinist and teacher) Rebecca Warren. That is a lot of talent in one place. She is also the Music Director of this year’s production of ‘The Rose of Castile’.
Canadian pianist Christopher Knopp returned to the piano to accompany Irish tenor and Factory participant Seán Tester (a suave and loaded Prince Nilsky in ‘The Gambler’ and opera buff Brian in need of his very own baritone in ‘The First Festival’) with baritone Rory Musgrave (back again) in a spirited rendition of Cole Porter’s racy ‘Well Did You Evah?’ from ‘DuBarry Was a Lady’, much better known as the Bing Crosby / Frank Sinatra duet from the film ‘High Society’. The two singers trade improbable gossip items while helping themselves to the contents of the bar. Thoroughly excellent.
It was time for this year’s pianism-meets-choreography, with the added dimension this year of Chinese lyric tenor Yu Shao. The music was the Serenata and Intermezzo from Mascagni’s ‘Cavalleria rusticana’. Three répétiteurs (Ella Nagy, Orlaith Sharkey and Ellen Jansson) from The Factory played a six-hands piano version of the music. Three dancers clad in yellow trouser suits (Nausikáa Maldari, Veronica Morello and Miryam Tomè) performed a routine choreographed by Luisa Baldinetti. Yu Shao sang the Serenata (Turiddu’s siciliana in the Prelude). Very satisfying.
Celebrated Russian répétiteur, conductor and language coach Ljuba Orfenova is in Wexford at the moment, working as language coach on Prokofiev’s ‘The Gambler’. She accompanied Ukrainian baritone Igor Onishchenko in ‘What is our life? A game!’, Herman’s final aria from Act 3 of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Queen of Spades’, sung in Russian. Tall, with a fabulous stage presence and a powerful voice, Igor Onishchenko owned it, and I would not be surprised to discover that he has the stamina to deliver it equally well in the famously gruelling role at the end of a long night. Ljuba Orfenova’s physical stature is petite by comparison, but her professional stature could easily be seen as huge in the body language of the other artists. Almost palpable too was the evident mutual esteem and affection between Rosetta Cucchi and Ljuba Orfenova. I am very glad to have been present to see that.
Another Rosetta audition story. She met Chinese soprano (trained in Italy) Leyla Gu at an audition in Pisa a year ago and knew immediately that she had found her Iris for her production of the Mascagni opera. Italian répétiteur, vocal coach and assistant conductor Giorgio D'Alonzo accompanied Leyla Gu in ‘Ebben? Ne andrò lontano’ from Catalani’s ‘La Wally’. Once again, I saw what Rosetta meant. Gorgeous. Unforced. Dare I say it? As good as Callas.
A change of gear (and genre) ensued with British-Irish baritone Jolyon Loy (Kyota in ‘Iris’) and Albanian concert pianist and répétiteur/coach Pantesilena Jaho in ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ from Rodgers’ ‘South Pacific’. Satisfyingly uncomplicated and really very good..
The first of two operatic ensemble pieces was ‘Don Basilio! Cosa veggo!’, the hilarious quintet from early in Act 2 of Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’, where Figaro is shaving Don Bartolo, Almaviva is in disguise as a priestly music tutor substituting for a supposedly ill Don Basilio, so he can consort with Rosina, and Basilio inopportunely shows up, as fit as a fiddle. American mezzo Hilary Ginther (Blanche in ‘The Gambler’) played Rosina, Sebastian Mach returned as Almaviva, Gurgen Baveyan was Figaro, Scottish baritone and RCS graduate Fraser Robinson (the gay Italian baritone Facundo in ‘The First Festival’) was Bartolo, and Jihoon Kim returned as Basilio. Classic Rossini opera buffa done right. It was a hoot. Giorgio D'Alonzo at the piano.
Giorgio stayed at the piano for the quartet from the end of Act 3 of Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’, ‘Addio, dolce svegliare’, where Mimì and Rodolfo tenderly but sadly discuss whether to split up or stay together until spring, while Musetta and Marcello have a flaming row over Musetta's flirtatious behaviour. Leyla Gu was a perfect Mimi, Yu Shao was Rodolfo, Hilary Ginther was Musetta and German baritone Stefan Astakhov (Gamberotto in ‘L'equivoco stravagante’) was Marcello. Top drawer verismo. Excellent.
The fabulous Ljuba Orfenova returned to the piano to accompany Ukrainian tenor Taras Prysiazhniuk (The lead, Alexei, in the performance of ‘The Gambler’ that I attended – all the other performances had Igor Onishchenko in the role) in Don José’s Act 2 aria from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’, ‘La fleur que tu m'avais jetée’. The pathos of an infatuated man unable to commit to following Carmen or returning to his barracks. A warmly lyrical reading of a moving aria. [When it looked as if Igor Onishchenko might have visa difficulties, Taras was brought in to cover. In the event, Igor was able to travel].
The programme concluded with Leyla Gu as Mimi and Igor Onishchenko as Rodolfo in the love duet from the end of Act I of ‘La Bohème’, ‘O soave fanciulla’, with Giorgio D'Alonzo at the piano. Magical.
As an encore, all the evening’s performers came to the stage for a rendition of the brindisi chorus from Act I of Verdi’s ‘La traviata’, ‘Libiamo ne' lieti calici’. And sure ‘twould be rude not to. Full marks from me.
Weblink: https://www.wexfordopera.com/programme/festival-programme/gala-concert-2026