Conor Mitchell's guest appearances

Conor Mitchell

Front Row

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Conor Mitchell, the creator of Abomination: A DUP Opera, and now Les Selenites at WFO, on the subjects that make him burn to write 21st century opera.

Lorcan Murray's Classic Drive: Conor Mitchell | Culture File

Ruth McGinley

Front Row comes from Belfast where Steven Rainey hears about some of the highlights of this year’s Belfast International Festival.Pianist Ruth McGinley talks about her new album AURA, a collection of traditional Irish airs re-imagined for classical piano. Ruth found success at a young age after winning the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition but felt burnt out by the pressure and demands of life as a concert pianist.  She discusses her return to playing and the freedom she’s found in collaborating with other musicians and composers. Composer and theatre maker Conor Mitchell is known for his ground-breaking operas covering topics including the trial of Harvey Weinstein and homophobic comments from a DUP politician. His new musical, Propaganda, is set during the Berlin blockade and asks questions about the ransoming of supplies. He discusses Propaganda’s contemporary parallels and using a musical to explain political turmoil. Claire Keegan has been shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize for her novel Small Things Like These.  Set in the 1980s in County Wexford, Ireland, at a time when the infamous Magdalene laundries were still operating, the book follows a coal merchant and father of five daughters who is faced with a moral choice.  Presenter: Steven RaineyProducer: Olivia Skinner

Front Row comes from Belfast where Steven Rainey hears about some of the highlights of this year’s Belfast International Festival. Pianist Ruth McGinley talks about her new album AURA, a collection of traditional Irish airs re-imagined for classical piano. Ruth found success at a young age after winning the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition but felt burnt out by the pressure and demands of life as a concert pianist. She discusses her return to playing and the freedom she’s found in collaborating with other musicians and composers. Composer and theatre maker Conor Mitchell is known for his ground-breaking operas covering topics including the trial of Harvey Weinstein and homophobic comments from a DUP politician. His new musical, Propaganda, is set during the Berlin blockade and asks questions about the ransoming of supplies. He discusses Propaganda’s contemporary parallels and using a musical to explain political turmoil. Claire Keegan has been shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize for her novel Small Things Like These. Set in the 1980s in County Wexford, Ireland, at a time when the infamous Magdalene laundries were still operating, the book follows a coal merchant and father of five daughters who is faced with a moral choice. Presenter: Steven Rainey Producer: Olivia Skinner

Live from Belfast with Ruth McGinley, Conor Mitchell, Claire Keegan

Joanne's next guest is multi-award-winning opera/music-theatre composer, librettist and stage director, Conor Mitchell. Joanne first met Conor in 2013 when he composed the score for Siamsa’s production Imigéin. Conor’s unique music blends the worlds of stage design with contemporary visual arts and finds new ways to engage his audience through socially relevant, politically charged subjects. A double Ivor Novello nominee and double Fringe First winner, he is the recipient of the Arts Council Northern Ireland Major Individual Artists Award - the highest honour bestowed by the agency - and a life fellow of the Arts Foundation for composition.