Petra says there’s “an appetite for opera in Northern Ireland, we just wish we could do more of it”.
She says that during the Covid-19 pandemic only small crowds were allowed to attend and shows sold out with hundreds of people on the waitlist.
Then following that, a Northern Ireland performance of La Traviata sold out before it even started.
NI Opera likewise says many productions regularly sell out and pointed to more than 100 local singers auditioning for about 30 spaces in a chorus development programme.
Chief executive Cameron Menzies says Chalemet’s comments reflect “a generalised and outdated view” that doesn’t match how it is going from “strength to strength here in Northern Ireland”.
Plus many viral TikTok sounds or trends also follow classical tunes., external
“People do listen to opera, they sometimes just don’t realise they’re listening to it,” Petra says.
Nicole Meier says ballet shows no sign of slowing down.
“At age three, the children are still very much flooding through our doors ready and eager to learn,” she says.
Meir believes the future is very bright, with alumni from her studio going on to dance all over the world.
She believes this will continue for “many more, beautiful years to come.”
Charlotte Fastiggi agrees that ballet and opera play a role in Northern Ireland’s cultural landscape.
In fact, because Northern Ireland is small and performers may not have the same access to to large-scale productions like England and other parts of the UK she says supporting the arts is all the more important.
Young performers need to “feel inspired and see that these career paths are possible”.
“I see first-hand how many aspiring young ballet dancers there are in Northern Ireland,” she adds.