Opera Collective Ireland, Resurgam, and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin present a spectacular double bill: Henry Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas and John Blow’s Venus & Adonis at the Kammeroper Festival at Schloss Rheinsberg, Germany, from 9-11 August 2024.

Meet the OCI Creative Team 2024:-

PATRICK MASON – DIRECTOR
Patrick Mason joined the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, as a Voice Coach in 1972 and later served as Artistic Director from 1993 to 1999, working extensively with prominent Irish writers like Brian Friel, whose play ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ earned Mason a Tony Award for Best Director. Mason also worked on numerous opera productions for Wexford Festival Opera, WNO, and ENO. He is currently an adjunct professor in Drama at University College Dublin and was awarded honorary doctorates by Trinity College Dublin and UCD for his contributions to Irish theatre.

CHRISTIAN CURNYN – CONDUCTOR
Christian Curnyn, a leading UK conductor specialising in Baroque and Classical repertoire, founded the Early Opera Company (EOC) in 1994 to revitalise Baroque music. Curnyn and the EOC frequently perform at notable venues such as Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, and the BBC Proms. Recent highlights include conducting for the Buxton Festival, Oper Halle, Handel’s Alcina at Covent Garden, and Semele with AKAMUS and Opera Collective Ireland

CATHERINE FAY – DESIGN CONCEPT
Catherine Fay is an award-winning Costume Designer for theatre, dance, and opera, recognised for her work with major Irish companies like Abbey Theatre, Liz Roche Dance Company, Irish National Opera, Gate Theatre, Landmark Productions, and Emma Martin Dance. She designed costumes for The Crucible (Gielgud Theatre, West End/ Olivier Stage, National Theatre), Giulio Cesare at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, was nominated at the Olivier Awards 2023, and at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards.

LAURA FAJARDO – COSTUME SUPERVISOR
Laura Fajardo is a Colombian Costume and Set designer. She graduated from Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia in 2013 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts; and from Cazcarra Image School in Barcelona, Spain in 2017 as a Professional Makeup Artist. She has worked as an Art director and stage designer on different productions in Bogota including The Post Office by Tagore (2016), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016), Mist by Miguel de Unamuno (2015) and Red Noses by Peter Barnes (2014).

This project is part of Zeitgeist Irland 24, an initiative of Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Germany. Zeitgeist Irland 24 is a season of Irish arts and culture in Germany with more than 110 projects involving over 400 artists and arts professionals.