Sinéad O’Neill
Sinéad began her career in opera as a stage manager with Wexford Festival Opera, and
subsequently spent several hard-working and enjoyable years as a freelance stage manager
for opera, theatre, and dance. During this period, she also found time to complete a
Master’s degree in Musicology at the University of Oxford. On moving to England, Sinéad
was lucky enough to develop a relationship with Glyndebourne, where she not only
completed a PhD (awarded by the University of London and supported by the Arts and
Humanities Research Council) but also worked as Assistant Director on productions of
Falstaff and L’Incoronazione di Poppea.
Sinéad’s own productions include the critically-acclaimed Susannah for Hampstead Garden
Opera, David and Goliath (stage premiere) for Queens’ College, Cambridge, and, most
recently, the creation of a new opera, The Raven, with composer Matt Rogers. The Raven
became the first opera to be performed at Bestival, during the summer of 2010, and also
had runs at The King’s Head, Islington and The Arcola (as part of the Grimeborn Festival).
Sinéad and Matt are currently creating a song cycle to mark the centenary of Scott’s last
journey in Antartica. The premiere of Scott’s Last Journey will be the launch event of
Cambridge City Opera, Cambridge’s first fully-professional opera company, of which Sinéad
is Founder and Artistic Director.