Cross border opera company hits the road

s venues welcome audiences back, UTO brings exciting, international-quality performances of the world’s greatest operas to towns and cities throughout the province of Ulster. A stellar quartet of singers perform a programme of much-loved arias, duets and ensembles. Renowned pianist Ruth McGinley accompanies the singers in music by Mozart, Puccini, Rossini and Verdi, and the evening also features a world premiere by Northern Irish composer Brian Irvine, commissioned by Ulster Touring Opera with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Carrickfergus-born mezzo-soprano Carolyn Dobbin will be joined by a pair of rising stars: Irish soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh and Belfast-born baritone Malachy Frame. Completing the quartet is Kerryman tenor Gavan Ring, who has performed for Glyndebourne, Irish National Opera, Opera North and La Monnaie.

UTO will also be inviting audiences to try out the company’s ground-breaking Augmented Reality opera projects in the foyer of the theatres. UTO is part of the innovative XRX programme, supported by NI Screen, Future Screens NI and Digital Catapult NI. Through this programme UTO is developing a ‘Teeny Tiny Opera’, an AR app for young audiences composed by award-winning Belfast composer Brian Irvine. Audiences will have the first opportunity to try out the AR app in the foyer in the ‘A Night at the Opera’ performances, prior to public release later in the spring, as well as hearing soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh perform the five-minute piece live during the concert.

The tour will begin on Saturday February 5 at Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey before heading to Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen on Wednesday February 9, Strule Arts Centre, Omagh on Friday February 11, Garage Theatre, Monaghan on Saturday February 12, Market Place Theatre, Armagh on Wednesday February 16 and An Grianán, Letterkenny, on Friday February 18.