Building on more than a decade of music education across counties Waterford and Cork, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival and Music Generation Waterford invite primary schools to take part in Discover Opera and Discover Singing in 2026.
Since 2012, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival’s education programme has reached approximately 7,000 young people across county Waterford. In 2026, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival (BVOF), in partnership with Music Generation Waterford, returns to schools with two curriculum-linked workshops designed to introduce primary school pupils to opera and vocal music through active participation.
Supported by the Tomar Trust and Waterford City & County Council, the programme brings professional artists into classrooms, offering pupils and teachers direct engagement with music-making, storytelling, and vocal expression.
Through teacher resource packs and practical, hands-on sessions, students explore how stories are shaped through music, building confidence while developing listening skills and musical awareness.
‘GREAT OPPORTUNITY’
According to a spokesperson for Blackwater Community School, Lismore, there involvement in recent years was “a great opportunity to attend a musical event that would be outside their normal musical experience at this age”.
While participants Knockanore N.S. stated that “the children really enjoyed the experience, and it pushed their imaginations”, noting that “the facilitators delivering the programme were excellent. It helped the children to explore opera from a number of aspects, the music, the words, the story line, the costumes, and choreography.”
SCHOOL APPLICATIONS WELCOME
Discover Opera and Discover Singing combines in-school workshops led by professional musician-educators with opportunities for pupils to experience live singing and opera in Lismore during festival week. Introducing primary school pupils to opera and vocal music through practical, creative engagement, applications are welcome from schools or classes that have previously taken part in Discover Opera and would now like to participate in Discover Singing, as part of the festival’s education programme.
The deadline for schools to submit an expression of interest for the programmes is Friday, 27th February. Places are limited and schools applying must be fully committed to all elements of the programme. Any anticipated scheduling restrictions should be outlined at the time of application.
To request a registration form, schools are asked to contact the BVOF team at education@blackwatervalleyopera.ie
DON GIOVANNI DRESS REHEARSAL FOR SCHOOLS
From its earliest years, BVOF has prioritised access to live opera for young people, with school audiences part of the festival from the outset. This year, the Opera Dress Rehearsal for Schools continues this commitment, inviting secondary schools and teenage extra-curricular music and youth groups across Waterford and east Cork. Taking place on Monday, 25th May, the rehearsal gives students insight into how a full-scale opera is brought together on stage, from orchestra and singers to staging and lighting.
Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart combines humour and drama with elements of the supernatural. With an approximate running time of four hours, including an interval, the opera explores themes of power, consequence, and moral responsibility. As the work contains references to sexual behaviour, coercion, and moral transgression, it is recommended for audiences aged 12 and over, and discretion is advised.
“It was outstanding. The production was magnificent. The students were blown away by the evening. You have opened the world of opera for them…We have a bass-baritone who is going to study voice in the RIAM next September – you have inspired this future singer,” a spokesperson for Glanmire Community College said previously.
Demand for the annual Dress Rehearsal for Schools continues to grow, reflecting its role as both an education initiative and a valued part of the festival’s community programme. The deadline to submit an expression of interest is Friday, 27th February.
Places are limited and schools applying must be fully committed to all aspects of the programme; apply by e-mail to: education@blackwatervalleyopera.ie
COMMENCING MAY 26th
BVOF takes place from 26th May – 1st June, hosting 24 events at 13 venues across the Blackwater Valley. The flagship opera, Don Giovanni, will take place in the surrounds of Lismore Castle, with the Irish Baroque Orchestra, conductor Peter Whelan, and director Tom Creed. Festival highlights include Handel’s Acis and Galatea at St Carthage’s Cathedral, concerts at Dromore Yard, and a host of recitals and free community events across the Blackwater Valley. Further information from www.blackwatervalleyopera.ie
The annual festival is supported by grants from the Arts Council of Ireland, and Waterford City & County Council, with lead sponsors Kildare Village and the John Pollard Foundation.
