The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival will take place from May 26th to June 1st 2020 in Ireland. It will feature a double bill of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci performed at Lismore Castle, as well as various concerts and recitals throughout the week showcasing young musicians. The festival aims to provide a cultural experience alongside the music, allowing guests to enjoy the gardens, food, and hospitality of the region.

1. MAY 26 –
JUNE 1 2020
BLACKWATER VALLEY OPERA FESTIVAL PRESENTS A DOUBLE BILL:
PAGLIACCIBY RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
GIANNI SCHICCHIBY GIACOMO PUCCINI

2. Blackwater Valley Opera Festival is now established
as the leading summer classical music festival
in Ireland. The 2020 Festival will offer a fantastic
programme of 17 events over a packed seven days.
Our bespoke opera production takes place at
Lismore Castle, with guests enjoying world-class
hospitality and unrivalled access to the famous
castle gardens. For the first time the 2020 Festival
will feature a double bill of Italian opera; Puccini’s
Gianni Schicchi, followed by Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci,
with an Irish and international cast.
The Recitals strand of the Festival brings music
to the historic houses, churches and other special
venues of the region. In 2020 our recitals programme
will extend to Youghal, Co. Cork as we visit St. Mary’s
Collegiate Church for the first time.
Partnering with local hospitality and accommodation
providers, the Festival is a chance to experience
a magical musical break, enjoy fine food, discover
gorgeous gardens, meet the extensive team of
wonderful Festival Volunteers, see old friends and
make new ones, all the time enjoying exciting
Irish and international classical music in this truly
extraordinary part of the world.
An Introduction

3. www.blackwatervalleyoperafestival.com
BVOF 2020 Funders and Sponsors
Lead Sponsors Grant Funders Event Sponsors
Foundation and Education Partners Festival Partners

4. EVENING
OPERA
DOUBLE BILL
AT LISMORE
CASTLE Dates:
Wednesday 27th May – 8.00pm Gala Opening Night
Friday 29th May – 8.00pm A Night at the Opera
Saturday 30th May – 8.00pm Opera Finale
Duration:
Gianni Schicchi - 60 minutes
Pagliacci - 70 Minutes
Sung in Italian with English surtitles.
There will be an interval of 35 minutes.
Lismore Castle
Tickets €85 - €200

5. Gianni Schicchi
In this hilarious farce, Gianni Schicchi opens with
the Donati family mourning the passing of their
patriarch, Buoso. Their tears, however, are not real
– that is, not until the Donatis discover Buoso has
bequeathed his fortune to a monastery. Frantic, they
call upon Gianni Schicchi, a self-made, lower-class
man, to help them re-write Buoso’s will. In a series
of comedic hijinks, secret deals, and one over-the-
top scheme, the family succeeds having the will
re-written. However, the Donatis are in for another
surprise: when the will is read, they discover that
Schicchi has left the bulk of the fortune to himself.
Wily Schicchi wins the audience over by arguing that
his fraud has not only humbled an arrogant family
but has also brought together two young lovers; his
daughter, Lauretta, and young Rinuccio Donati.
Pagliacci
A dramatic tale of love and betrayal, Pagliacci revolves
around a commedia del arte troupe. Married couple
Canio and Nedda are the troupe leads along with
Tonio and Beppe. Trouble in paradise comes in the
form of Nedda’s secret affair with Silvio. Fearing what
her jealous husband may do, Nedda attempts to end
her relationship with Silvio, but instead, he convinces
her to run away with him. Before the lovers can flee,
the married Tonio confesses that he, too, is in love
with Nedda. Nedda’s rejection humiliates Tonio and,
seeking revenge, he tells Canio that she is having
an affair just as Canio suspected. During a troupe
performance, Canio confronts his wife on stage and
stabs her to death. Silvio attempts to save Nedda, but
he too meets with Canio’s dagger. The audience, not
realizing the murders were real, applaud wildly. The
crowd is finally silenced by Canio’s impassioned cry:
“The comedy is ended!”
Conductor – Darren Hargan
Director – Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau
Set & Costume Designer – Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau
Cast – Alejandro Roy, Leonardo Galeazzi, Solen Mainguené,
Gemma Ní Bhriain, John Porter, James Nelson, Sandra Oman,
Rory Dunne, John Molloy, John Porter, Matteo Loi.
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival Orchestra & Chorus
Gianni Schicchi
by Giacomo Puccini
Pagliacci
by Ruggero Leoncavallo
The production is made possible with generous production
sponsorship by the John Pollard Foundation.

6. CONCERT &
RECITAL
PROGRAMME

7. Blackwater Valley Opera
Festival Chorus Recital
Villierstown Church
Tickets €10
Thursday 28th May - 11.00am
This recital will present some of Ireland’s most
talented emerging voices to the Festival audience.
Members of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival
Chorus will perform arias, duets, and ensembles
from some of the world’s best-loved operas,
accompanied on piano by maestro Darren Hargan.
This is the perfect opportunity to engage with the
opera world in an informal setting and to hear the
enchanting, individual voices of each and every one
of our talented chorus.
(Concessions for senior citizens, students and community groups)
Amy Gillen & Tara Viscardi
Tourin House
Tickets €20
Thursday 28th May - 3.00pm
Flautist Amy Gillen and harpist
Tara Viscardi make a welcome
return to the Festival, following
their triumphant performance at the Irish Heritage
Bursary recital at Dromore Yard in 2019.
Hailing from Donegal, Gillen has already gathered
a wealth of awards that belie her years. Only in her
early twenties, Gillen’s exceptional talent has won her
the Irish Heritage’s Music Bursary for Performance,
the Sir James Galway Rising Star Award (for which
she performed at the Galway Flute Festival in
Switzerland), the Royal Irish Academy of Music’s
Gaiety Bursary, and many more.
Gillen will be accompanied by Kerry-born harpist
Tara Viscardi. Viscardi’s awards include the John
Vallery Memorial Prize for the best performance by
a string player at the 2016 Irish Freemasons Young
Musician of the Year, and the Feis Ceoil Senior Harp
Cup 2015.

8. Maurice Steger & Friends
Music for the Opera
Intermissions
Dromore Yard
Tickets €20 – €60
Thursday 28th May - 8.15pm
Three exceptionally talented, world-class musicians;
Maurice Steger, Daniele Caminiti, and Mauro Valli
will come together in concert for the very first time
at Dromore Yard. Legendary musician Maurice
Steger, a “recorder player in a million” (The Times),
has performed in solo concerts and ensembles
across the world to both popular and critical acclaim,
causing audiences to see the recorder in an entirely
new light. Celebrated by The Independent as “the
world’s leading recorder virtuoso”, Steger is also a
remarkable stage presence. His manner delights
audiences with a sense of charisma and spontaneity
that is no less brilliant than his technical skill and full
instrumental sound.
This event is set to be one of the unmissable
highlights of BVOF, and early booking is
recommended. We would like to acknowledge
the very generous support of the Mullin and Fund
Families in staging this concert.
Irish Heritage Bursary
Recital
Dromore Yard
Tickets €20 – €40
Friday 29th May - 12:00pm
BVOF is proud to continue our successful
partnership with Irish Heritage through the Irish
Heritage Bursary Recital.
Violinist Mollie Wrafter comes from County Offaly.
Wrafter is based in Manchester as a student of the
Royal Northern College of Music and has been
awarded the Irish Heritage Music Bursary for
Performance. Soprano Ellen Mawhinney is from
Glengormley, County Antrim, and studies at the
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. She has
been awarded the Irish Heritage Brackaville Bursary
for Vocal Studies. Justine Gormley, winner of the Irish
Heritage Accompanist’s Prize, will be performing
on piano. These enormously talented young prize-
winners were assessed by Irish Heritage at a special
event in Wigmore Hall, London in November 2019.
This event is made possible by the generous
support of Michael and Gianni Alen-Buckley.
(Concessions for senior citizens, students and community groups)

9. Princess Grace Irish Library
– Yeats in music Recital
Dromore Yard
Tickets €20 – €40
Friday 29th May - 3:00pm
We are pleased to announce a unique recital in
partnership with the Princess Grace Irish Library,
Monaco and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Irish
actor Mark Lambert will read poetry by W.B. Yeats,
a leading light of the Irish literary establishment.
Additionally, Lieder (poetry set to classical music) will
be performed by Ireland’s most outstanding young
singers, selected by RIAM for performance in an event
that fuses poetry and music in the romantic setting of
old Dromore Yard.
We look forward to welcoming you to this one-of-a-
kind cultural event, which honours Ireland’s literary
history while looking to the future with some of its
brightest young musicians.
RDS Collins Memorial
Recital
St. Carthage’s Cathedral
Lismore
Tickets €20
Saturday 30th May - 11:30am
A core part of the BVOF mission is to provide a platform
for exceptionally talented young musicians, and the
RDS Collins Memorial Recital is at the heart of that aim.
This year, we are honoured to host piano virtuoso Kevin
Jansson, the winner of the prestigious 2019 RDS Music
Bursary. Jansson, who hails from Cork, is set to become
a household name. At only nineteen, he is already a
six-time international award winner who debuted
in recitals at the tender age of twelve, the same year
he became the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland’s
youngest ever member. He currently studies under Dr
Veda Kaplinsky and Julian Martin at the Juilliard School
in New York, having previously studied at CIT Cork
School of Music with Mary Beattie. He is the winner of
the Jeune Chopin Competition (Switzerland) and the
Isidor Bajić Piano Memorial Competition (Serbia).
The RDS Collins Memorial Recital is made possible by
the generous support of Michael and Loret O’Brien.
(We invite local community groups and children under 12 years
free of charge to this event as part of our Outreach Programme)

10. Maudlin of Paplewick
by Ina Boyle
St. Carthage’s Cathedral
Lismore
Tickets €20
Saturday 30th May - 3:00pm
Celebrating Irish composers is a core part of the
Festival’s mission. This summer, we welcome the
return of the works of Ina Boyle to the Festival
and the world premiere of her “opera for children”
Maudlin of Paplewick in a concert performance.
The fanciful plot of Maudlin of Paplewick follows
the story of a wicked witch, the eponymous heroine.
The pastoral story unfolds in Paplewick, a medieval
village in Nottinghamshire that once marked the
entrance to Sherwood Forest (where Robin Hood
and his merry men rule). Boyle described the opera
as “quite gentle and kindly… it is very unpretentious”.
Like many celebrated children’s works, Maudlin of
Paplewick is driven by the power of good over evil
and is sure to become beloved by both young and
old. We are thrilled to bring this touching, joyful
opera to life in its world premiere, 56 years after it
was first completed.
(Concessions for children under 12 years)
This concert performance also marks a formal collaboration
between BVOF and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
String Serenade
Cappoquin House
Tickets €20 – €30
Sunday 31st May - 12:00pm
According to Gustav Mahler, in its beginning, all
music was chamber music, performed by ensembles
of instrumentalists and intended to be listened to in
a small space by a small audience. We are pleased
to invite you to join us for a string trio recital with
Lynda O’ Connor and leading members of the BVOF
Orchestra. The programme will feature works by
Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Borodin.
Interaction and relationships are at the heart of any
strong chamber music event, and it is a privilege for
us to welcome some of Ireland’s leading orchestral
players to Cappoquin House.

11. Bolshoi Theatre
Young Artists Recital
Dromore Yard
Tickets €20 – €40
Sunday 31st May - 4:00pm
More than ten years after the foundation of the
Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Programme,
BVOF is pleased to host a selection of the finest
young performers from Russia and the CIS countries
at Dromore Yard. The recital promises to be an
exciting fusion of Russian talent with a traditional
Irish setting. The programme will feature Russian
chamber music by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff
and Mussorgsky, performed by Maria Motolygina
(soprano), Maria Barakova (mezzo), Dmitry
Cheblykov (baritone) and accompanied by pianist
Serghei Konstantinov.
These young musicians were selected through a
rigorous audition process, before spending two
years being trained in diverse disciplines such as
voice studies, stage movement, acting, and foreign
languages. The keystone of their training, however,
was the master-classes taught by world-class singers
and repetiteur coaches.
Anthony Kearns -
A tribute concert to
John McCormack
Dromore Yard
Tickets €20 – €60
Sunday 31st May - 8.15pm
We are delighted to welcome tenor Anthony Kearns
back to BVOF, as he performs a special tribute
concert to Count John McCormack. Kearns fills a
unique place in the Irish music scene, having toured
the globe with Double-Platinum ranked The Irish
Tenors for over a decade in addition to developing a
rich solo career. As a soloist, Kearns has appeared on
international opera stages and sung with hundreds
of the world’s best symphony orchestras.
Accompanying Kearns will be pianist Niall Kinsella
and the lead violinist of the BVOF Orchestra. Kinsella
is known as one of Ireland’s most exciting young
performers, who has been “shaking up the format
of the song recital” with his Irish Songmakers’ Series
(Irish Examiner).
This evening concert is set to be one of the
unmissable highlights of BVOF, and early booking
is recommended. BVOF would like to thank Ivor
Fitzpatrick & Company Solicitors for their kind
support of this eagerly anticipated concert.

12. The recital at St. Mary’
Collegiate Church is
made possible with
the generous support
of Cork County Council.
‘Folk Tales’ Cello and
Piano Recital
Salterbridge House
Tickets €20 – €30
Monday 1st June - 11:00am
Following the recent release of their album ‘Folk
Tales’, Irish cellist Gerald Peregrine and English
pianist Antony Ingham will perform miniatures by
rarely-recorded composers such as Bax, Bridge,
Delius, Elgar, Moeran and Vaughan Williams. ‘Folk
Tales’ focusses on composers of the new English
impressionists’ movement of the early 20th century.
The folk revival at the time inspired these works,
which incorporate themes of Irish culture
and folklore.
Peregrine and Ingham’s interpretation explores
the positive cultural links that existed between
Ireland and England at that time and highlights the
influence that Ireland had on the development of
British music.
Simon Harden: Organ
and Vocal Recital
St. Carthage’s Church
Lismore
Tickets €10
Monday 1st June - 1:30pm
St. Mary’s Collegiate Church
Youghal
Tickets €10
Monday 1st June - 4:30pm
Born in Dublin, Simon Harden has lived and
performed across Europe to great critical acclaim
since his musical beginnings at Trinity College
Dublin. In addition to a lively performance schedule
that takes him across Europe and Japan, Harden is
currently a lecturer in Organ at the DIT Conservatory
of Music and Drama in Dublin. He has also served
as Deputy Organist in Christ Church and St Patrick’s
Cathedrals in Dublin. Harden will be accompanied
by Irish soprano Colette Boushell and tenor
Andrew Boushell.
It is fitting that our final event takes place in St
Mary’s Collegiate Church, Youghal. We are delighted
to bring the organ and vocal recital to this ancient
space as part of its 800th-anniversary celebrations.

13. Dromore Yard

14. TICKET
BOOKING,
DINING &
ACCOMMODATION

15. For telephone bookings, including group bookings, please call:
Festival Box Office +353 87 407 9250
BOOK
YOUR
TICKETS
Priority booking for Friends of BVOF opens at
9.30am on Saturday 25th January 2020.
General Booking opens at 9.30am on
Saturday 8th February.
For online booking please visit:
www.blackwatervalleyoperafestival.com
As our Box Office phones are likely to be busy when booking
opens we strongly recommend that you book your tickets
online where possible.
ACCOMMODATION
There is a wide range of accommodation to choose
from for your visit to the Blackwater Valley Opera
Festival. The friendly local community offers a wide
choice of places to stay, from country house hotels,
B&Bs and pubs, to self-catering in traditional Irish
cottages, or renting the whole of Lismore Castle itself.
BOOK
YOUR
DINING
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival is delighted
to partner with many talented local chefs
and businesses whose food is locally sourced,
prepared with loving care and served with
the grace of traditional Irish hospitality. There
are dining options at each Festival event and
we recommend that you book your dining
requirements at the same time you are booking
your tickets.
For more information on tickets, accommodation,
dining and activities in the Blackwater Valley
region please visit:
www.blackwatervalleyoperafestival.com

16. EVENING OPERA
EVENING CONCERTS
GALA OPENING NIGHT
Opera Double Bill: Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci
Lismore Castle
WEDNESDAY 27th May 2020
8pm
MAURICE STEGER & FRIENDS
Music for the Opera Intermissions
Dromore Yard
THURSDAY 28th May 2020
8:15pm
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Opera Double Bill: Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci
Lismore Castle
FRIDAY 29th May 2020
8pm
ANTHONY KEARNS AND FRIENDS
A Tribute to John McCormack
Dromore Yard
SUNDAY 31st May 2020
8:15pm
OPERA FINALE
Opera Double Bill: Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci
Lismore Castle
SATURDAY 30th May 2020
8pm

17. DAY TIME RECITALS
Dromore Yard
12pm
IRISH HERITAGE
BURSARY RECITAL
Dromore Yard
3pm
PRINCESS GRACE IRISH
LIBRARY – YEATS IN
MUSIC RECITAL
FRIDAY 29th May 2020
SATURDAY 30th May 2020
St. Carthage’s
Cathedral, Lismore
11:30am
RDS COLLINS
MEMORIAL
RECITAL
St. Carthage’s
Cathedral, Lismore
3pm
MAUDLIN OF
PAPLEWICK
SUNDAY 31st May 2020
STRING
SERENADE
Cappoquin House
12pm
Dromore Yard
4pm
BOLSHOI THEATRE
YOUNG ARTISTS
RECITAL
MONDAY 1st June 2020
‘FOLK TALES’
CELLO AND PIANO
RECITAL
Salterbridge House
11am
St. Carthage’s
Church, Lismore
1:30pm
SIMON HARDEN:
ORGAN AND VOCAL
RECITAL
St. Mary’s Collegiate
Church, Youghal
4:30pm
SIMON HARDEN:
ORGAN AND VOCAL
RECITAL
THURSDAY 28th May 2020
BLACKWATER VALLEY
OPERA FESTIVAL
CHORUS RECITAL
Villierstown
Church
11am
AMY GILLEN
& TARA VISCARDI
Tourin House
3pm

18. FRIENDS
MEMBERSHIP AT
BLACKWATER
VALLEY OPERA
FESTIVAL

19. Your friendship is hugely appreciated as it
is essential to our long-term sustainability.
To join as a Friend please contact Emma
directly on +353 87 407 9250
Lismore Music Festival Clg t/a Blackwater Valley Opera Festival,
8 Main Street, Lismore, Waterford is a registered charity CHY: 22220
Friends of the Blackwater
Valley Opera Festival join a
special family, sharing advance
information, priority booking
and more. They are an integral
part of a movement that’s
keeping opera in Ireland vital
and alive, for this and future
generations.
Would you like to support emerging artistic talent
and the development of the Festival’s Education
Programme? We would love you to join us as a
member of our circle of Festival Friends. Membership
of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival also makes a
wonderful present for the music lover in your life.
Membership is available in
the following categories:
VITAL LIGHTS CIRCLE – €50 (Under 35’s)
LEADING LIGHTS CIRCLE – €100
LIMELIGHT CIRCLE – €300
SHINING LIGHTS CIRCLE – €1,200
FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS CIRCLE – €5,000
FOUNDATION PATRONS CIRCLE – €10,000