Opera singers Ami Hewitt and Maria Hughes performed at a cultural event in PwC Ireland’s Spencer Dock offices. Artists Maria and Ami have both been supported by the partnership between the Festival and PwC Ireland, and Ami is a current member of Wexford Factory. Wexford Factory is a professional academy for young Irish / Irish-based singers, which is now in its fourth year. The Factory, supported by PwC Ireland, is designed to mentor young singers through masterclasses led by internationally recognised artists and professionals. The 2023 Wexford Factory will commence prior to the beginning of rehearsals for this year’s Festival.
PwC Ireland is delighted to continue its sponsorship of Wexford Factory as part of their two-year partnership covering the 2022 / 2023 term. PwC Ireland has been a long-time supporter of Wexford Festival Opera, expanding the partnership to sponsor Wexford Factory in 2020. This partnership showcases the firm’s support of the Arts & Culture sector and their commitment to projects which make a valuable impact to our society.
The 2023 Wexford Factory Artists are: Deirdre Arratoon, Michael Bell, Eoin Foran, Ami Hewitt, Emily Hogarty, Corina Ignat, Paolo Jaho, William Kyle, Peter Lidbetter, Sarah Luttrell, Víctor Simón Jiménez Moral, Aoife Moran, Hannah O’Brien, Marta Pluda, Leah Redmond and Rebecca Warren.
Nurturing artists and showcasing the talents of young singers has long been a cornerstone of Wexford Festival Opera. Many of today’s world leading Opera artists performed in Wexford early on in their careers. The dedication, sacrifice and hard work which are key for a career in opera are also those that are needed to succeed in business. PwC Ireland has supported the Wexford Festival Opera since 2015 and has been steadfast in their support of emerging future leaders in the worlds of art, sport, and business.
The 2022 / 2023 Factory participants have been embarking on a 2-year journey with Wexford Festival Opera, which has seen them take part in a professional development academy last September, as well as perform in the 2022 Festival, taking part in international exchanges and perform at many Festival events throughout 2022 and the beginning of 2023. Wexford Factory artists will return to the Festival in September to take part in their second Wexford Factory term.
Speaking of the Factory and PwC Ireland partnership WFO Executive Director Randall Shannon said “PwC Ireland has been a valued supporter of Wexford Festival Opera for many years. Their commitment to providing platforms to young emerging artists has been central to this partnership throughout and we are delighted to mark our 2023 partnership at this special event in the PwC Ireland offices.”
Speaking about the sponsorship, Jean Delaney, Partner, PwC Ireland, said: “Enabling diverse young talent to reach their potential is a priority at PwC Ireland. Our support of this important professional development academy at the Wexford Factory is a perfect fit with our brand. We wish all of the artists great success for the 2023 programme and in their future careers.”
Speaking of her reasons for developing the Wexford Factory, WFO Artistic Director, Rosetta Cucchi, said “The best memories of my life are associated with the academies I attended in my youth. That is where I learned the true meaning of professionalism and how I could continue to challenge myself as an artist. This is the reason I decided to establish the Wexford Factory. It is the duty of every highly regarded international festival such as Wexford to give a new generation of artists the opportunity to grow; giving them wings to fly in their careers.”