About NI Opera
As Northern Ireland’s national opera company, we are the only professional company in the country producing full scale work on stage and which celebrates and platforms Northern Irish artists, for audiences from their local communities and beyond. We contrast this with nimble smaller scale high quality opera productions which we tour to communities across the country where there is low/no classical music provision. From teenagers experiencing their first opera, to those with a lifelong love of the artform; our critically acclaimed produced work engages audiences in a unique opera experience rooted in a country with a rich history of music.
We are building a community of local and international singers, musicians and creatives and supporting them to develop their craft and progress their professional pathways. Our approach instils generosity as well as aspiration and collaboration as we draw on, invest in and contribute back to our local communities. We capture imaginations and provide the space and tools for people to explore their creative skills and potential. Every person who participates with us, whether as a member of our Northern Ireland Chorus Development Programme, a participant on a creative workshop or Skills Expo session, is given the personalised support which will enable the most impactful outcomes. NI Opera was one of five international opera companies nominated for Equal Opportunity and Impact at the International Opera Awards 2024
Vision
Northern Ireland Opera believes in the power of opera to bring people together, to offer unmatched entertainment and escapism, and to tell universal stories. Northern Ireland’s rich history of song, music and storytelling are the foundations which fuel our ambition to draw communities together to experience the total artform of opera presented through a contemporary Northern Irish voice, and the emotional and social benefits that it can bring.
★★★★☆ The Times: “Nostalgic showgirls given the operatic treatment.”
★★★★☆ The Stage: “High-octane musical theatre.”
★★★★☆ The Irish Times: “A highly charged show with dazzling spectacle and musical virtuosity.”
★★★★★ The Reviews Hub: “This ambitious and boundless production from Northern Ireland Opera… distilling the spirit of Sondheim’s classic, both on stage and off. Catch it whilst you can – your future self will thank you for it.”
Selected by The Observer as number 3 in its top ten operas and classcial concerts for 2024.
27% of the audience were totally new to the Grand Opera House.
★★★★☆ ‘Plucky Northern Ireland Opera triumphs with elegant, homegrown Tchaikovsky’ The Observer.
★★★★☆ Energised Tchaikovsky from Northern Ireland Opera – an effective new staging showcases local talent. The Times
★★★★☆’An intelligent new production from NI Opera of Puccini’s masterpiece is full of vocal intensity‘ Opera Now.
★★★★☆’The stars shine brightly in Northern Ireland Opera’s Tosca‘ Bachtrack.
★★★★☆ ‘Thrills and chills in Northern Ireland Opera’s stirring new production’ The Irish Times
‘Northern Ireland Opera’s La traviata suggests that the artistic director Cameron Menzies has at long last realised the region’s ambition to have a grand opera company truly deserving of the name.’ Opera 2022.
