Sinfonia marks 25 years with Opera House concert

WEXFORD SINFONIA will take to the stage of the National Opera House this Saturday at 8 p.m. with a concert that will delight audiences and also mark a milestone in the life of the group.

The programme will include: Mendelssohn’s ‘Hebrides Overture’, Haydn’s ‘Trumpet Concerto’ and Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No. 7.’ Andrew Synnott, who is this season’s guest conductor, is well-known to Wexford audiences for his operatic composition ‘Dubliners’ which had its world premier during last year’s Wexford Opera Festival.

Guest soloist for the evenint is iTunes classical and jazz chart topper Niall O’Sullivan (pictured), a trumpet player who started out in the Artane Boys Band. Since then he has worked with artists such as Jose Carreras, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Julian Lloyd Webber.

The event will be an evening of music but also a celebration of the orchestra itself.

Founded in 1993, Wexford Sinfonia entertains a large, loyal audience in Wexford and has established itself as one of the country’s top amateur orchestras. It is a vital and treasured oasis for seasoned and young performers alike. Over the years, the group has provided musicians with invaluable opportunities to develop their orchestral skills in the company of acclaimed conductors and soloists. Many have gone on to forge music careers in Ireland and abroad.

Hannah Miller is one such musician. She has held the position of Assistant Principal Horn in the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra of Finland since 2015 and will embark on a post-graduate course at the world renowned Juilliard School this September. She will play in the horn section and will be joined on stage by her proud father Keith on clarinet, and her grandmother Ruth, on double bass.

Tickets are €20 and are available at www. nationaloperahouse.ie or on 053 91 22144. Family discounts are available at €5 per child and €10 per accompanying adult, for the upper circle only.