Fergus Sheil & Diego Fasciati | Irish National Opera

In January 2019 we presented a public masterclass for singers in the elegant music salon at the Goethe-Institut headquarters in Dublin. Friends and supporters of Irish National Opera eagerly attended the event to observe the intricate process of fine tuning the delivery of an aria. It was a special evening and we used the occasion to formally announce a cultural partnership between the Goethe Institut and Irish National Opera.

We had launched INO only a year earlier and it is easy to understand why we were keen to partner with the Goethe-Institut. German culture and the German language contributed significantly to the operatic repertoire and continue to shape the industry. There are of course the many German composers who gifted us incredible works, led by the towering Richard Wagner and his epic Ring cycle. The art of the Lied is unthinkable without the many texts and compositions from German artists. And the German influence extends to other countries and operatic styles. The works of Schiller inspired many operas, including Don Carlo by Verdi, Maria Stuarda by Donizetti and William Tell by Rossini. Goethe’s masterpiece Faust inspired countless operatic adaptations and his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther is the basis for Massenet’s heart-breaking Werther.

We congratulate and salute the Goethe-Institut as it celebrates the first 60 years in Ireland. We look forward to continuing our cultural partnership for many years to come. ​