New artistic director at Wexford Festival Opera
THE Board of Wexford Festival Opera has announced Rosetta Cucchi as the new Artistic Director for the next six years, to succeed David Agler, who is due to retire after the 2019 Festival.
A native of Italy, Rosetta is well-known in Wexford, having had an association with the Opera Festival since 1995 when she first acted as a repetiteur. Her directorial debut came in 2004 with Braunfel’s Prinzessin Brambila.
She has since directed three operas in Wexford, the most recent being Alfano’s Risurrezione in 2017 and she will direct Adina by Rossini and La Cucina by Andrew Synnott as part of the 2019 Festival Opera.
Rosetta works internationally as a pianist, director and administrator and has a wide range of opera experience. She began her career as a concert pianist having studied at the Rossini Conservatoire in Pesaro and DAMS University in Bologna, receiving her degree in both Piano and Music History. She later received her Master’s degree from Scuola di Alto PerfezionamentoPianistico di Imola.
Early on she took up a parallel career as an opera director, debuting at Teatro Bellini in Catania. Since then she has directed with many opera companies throughout the world including Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro Comunale di Modena, Opera di Tenerife, Lubeck Theater, St. Gallen Theatre (Swiss) Teatro Pergolesi, Baltimore Theatre, Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, Boston Lyric Opera, Teatro La Fenice Venice, Opera Las Palmas Spain and the Rossini Opera Festival. Future engagements include the Grange Park Festival in London.
From 2001 to 2015 she was Artistic Director of Lugo Opera Festival and also began an intense collaboration with Teatro Comunale di Bologna. From 2005 to 2018 she served as Artistic Director of the Arturo Toscanini Foundation (FAT) in Parma where, among her many accomplishments, she brought the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra on tour throughout Italy, China, Germany and Bulgaria.
Her association with Wexford Festival Opera began 23 years ago and in 2005, she was appointed the Associate to Artistic Director David Alger.
She is the second female Artistic Director of the Wexford Festival after Elaine Padmore who served from 1982 to 1994.
Rosetta said she was ‘happy and honoured’ to be appointed to the position. ‘I have a great passion for the Festival and the people who make it possible. My vision will be to preserve its great tradition while at the same time, bringing a touch of new breath to it. To quote Jonathan Swift, ‘Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.
Welcoming the appointment, Dr Mary Kelly, Chairwoman of Wexford Festival Opera said, “I am really looking forward to working with Rosetta in her new role as Artistic Director as I begin my own position as Chairwoman of this world-renowned Festival.
Wexford Festival Opera is supported by grants from the Arts Council, Wexford County Council and Fáilte Ireland/ Ireland’s Ancient East.