Classical Notes: A Wide Open future now awaits Dublin operagoers

The Arts Council’s new plan for the shape of opera in Ireland has just been announced

Katherine Manley, Claudia Boyle and Robin Adams in Wide Open Opera’s The Last Hotel Pic: Patrick Redmond

It’s been in the air for some time, so it’s not exactly a surprise – more an expectation. I’m talking about the Arts Council’s new plan for the shape of opera in Ireland, and particularly Dublin, which has just been announced.

The new strategy involves the merging of Wide Open Opera and Opera Theatre Company, the two most active suppliers of the genre in recent years, excepting Wexford.

The Arts Council has been ...