"Entertaining, charming, challenging or experimental, an Opera Theatre Company show never fails to excite." - Belfast Newsletter

Love - requited, unrequited, star-crossed and fulfilled.A tangled web of lovers get caught in the romantic crossfire as they plot, connvive and scheme in Handel's glorious opera Xerxes.

Best known for its exquisite opening aria sung to a tree, this witty comedy bristles with thwarted passions. King Xerxes and his brother Arsamene are in love with Romilda. But she and her manipulative little sister Atalanta both love Arsamene. Meanwhile, Xerxes' jilted fiancée Amastre stalks the scene, disguised as a man, looking for revenge.

Opera Theatre Company celebrates the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death with his most popular opera Xerxes sung in English and directed by Michael Moxham. Opera Theatre Company’s ensemble performs the captivating score, with Music Direction by Andrew Synnott. Design is by Sarah Bacon with lighting design by Kevin Treacy.

Building on its well-deserved reputation for site-specific work with the triumphant Fidelio (Kilmainham Gaol), Stabat Mater (Valentia Island) and most recently the critically acclaimed Pelléas & Mélisande, Opera Theatre Company will perform Handel's gloriously melodic music in yet another stunning location: The Guinness Storehouse. Staged in Association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust as part of the Dublin Handel Festival.

Love, lust and revenge reign in Opera Theatre Company's production of the wonderful Acis & Galatea. Beautiful Galatea is blissfully happy with her handsome lover Acis, but the brutal giant Polyphemus is determined to destroy their relationship and win her for himself.

Spend an evening in the company of Opera Theatre Company's Young Associate Artists enjoying well-known and well-loved songs and arias.

Opera at the Castle will see Handel’s Acis & Galatea and Mozart’s Bastien & Bastienne performed as a double bill in English by Opera Theatre Company. Starting at 7.30pm, each performance lasts one hour with a ‘picnic interval’ between the two operas. Opera-goers can bring their own picnic and select to dine al fresco or inside the castle or may purchase a VIP ticket which includes a sumptuous gourmet supper in the Castle’s Great Hall.

"Dean Power proved an outstanding Acis... Nicola Mulligan was an equally fine singing-actor as Galatea... Gavan Ring sang Polyphemus with a stylish light baritone, while skillfully moving around inside a huge carnival puppet... Aoife O'Connell, Christina Whyte and Ciaran Kelly complete the excellent cast" - Ian Fox, OPERA Magazine "Perfectly sung, unified and fluid, in Bastien & Bastienne Opera Theatre Company have a flawless production, with nary a note ot of place or wavering breath. Here they have a lovestruck libretto that leaves you light on your feet and speaking in song" - Kiran Acharya, CULTURE NORTHERN IRELAND

Opera Theatre Company is proud to revive our critically acclaimed 2007 production of Orlando, continuing our commemoration of Handel’s anniversary as well as representing Irish opera at The Buxton Festival. Pictured above is William Towers, who will reprise the title role. The creative team remains the same with Christian Curnyn conducting, Annilese Miskimmon directing, design by Simon Holdsworth and lighting design by Tina MacHugh.

"Towers, Curnyn and the orchestral soloists all reached their peak at the same time as did Handel, for the extraordinary derangement of the mad scene in Act III, which inspired the composer to some of his most highly-charged music" - Michael Dervan, THE IRISH TIMES "William Towers sings the title role with authority and refinement" - Pat O'Kelly, THE IRISH INDEPENDENT

Sinéad Campbell, Stephen Wallace, Doreen Curran in their roles as the love triangle of Alcina, Ruggiero and Bradamante

Touring October - November

Set in a timeless world full of passion and plots — where reality blurs with fantasy — the enigmatic Alcina reigns. Intrigue surrounds this ruthless beauty who spends her time seducing lovers then — once bored — swiftly discarding them. However, when the handsome Ruggiero is bewitched by Alcina’s charms, his fiancée Bradamante enlists the help of her friend Melisso and — disguised as a man — sets out to rescue her beloved.

Deceit, sensuality and seduction pervade Handel’s glorious music with exquisite arias (sung in English) that lament love unrequited and faith betrayed. Considered by some Handel’s last great opera, ALCINA will delight the first time opera-goer and the passionate fan alike.

The final instalment of Opera Theatre Company’s Handel Trilogy 2009 —commemorating the 250th anniversary of the great composer’s death — ALCINA is directed by Annilese Miskimmon with design by Nicky Shaw and lighting by Tina MacHugh. The Opera Theatre Company Ensemble performs this ravishing score under its Music Director Christian Curnyn.

Our cast includes Irish soprano and mezzo-soprano Sinead Campbell-Wallace (Alcina) and Doreen Curran (Bradmante) with Stephen Wallace (Ruggiero) Jane Harrington (Morgana) Julian Hubbard (Melisso) and  Ed Lyon (Oronte).

Opera Theatre Company's Young Associate Artists, with special guest Virginia Kerr, will present An Evening of Operatic Favourites in The Chapel of Trinity College Dublin on Thursday September 10th.

This lighthearted show crammed full of villains, heroines, true love and thwarted romance will delight novice and seasoned opera goers alike. Expect to hear sublime singing from the best of Ireland's singers covering the familiar operatic themes of consuming love, brutal jealousy and horrific death. The programme includes arias from baroque opera right up to the present day and promises to give the audience an unforgettable opera experience.

This special event is to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of The Dublin Simon Community.

In 1969, The Dublin Simon Community was founded from a shed at the back of Trinity College. Now, forty years later they are working with over 2,000 people a year who are, or are in danger of, experiencing homelessness. Throughout the decades, Simon has continued to provide options for those unable to accept existing help, or for whom no adequate provisions exist. Today over 250 part-time and full-time volunteers continue to dedicate themselves to helping some of the most vulnerable in society.

Virginia Kerr is one of the most distinguished Irish sopranos of her generation, equally well known on the operatic stage, concert and oratorio platform and as a recitalist. She has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras and opera companies including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Scottish Opera, Opera North and Glyndebourne Festival opera. Virginia has enjoyed a long and happy association with OTC since its inception in 1986 and is delighted to be joining the Young Artists on stage.

Designed to bridge the gap between third-level education adn the professional opera world, Opera Theatre Company's Young Associate Artists' Programme promotes local talent by fostering the careers of young Irish singers right up to the highest international standards. Four members of the YAAP - Dean Power, Gabriela Istoc, Chloe Hinton and Gavan Ring, together with special guest Virginia Kerr, will lead the audience through this whilrwind tour of much loved arias, duets and trios.

There is a pre-show reception (with wine & canapés) from 7pm and the concert will begin at 8pm.