BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:1043@nicholaspriory.com DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260425T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260425T213000 DTSTAMP:20260127T195929Z URL:https://nicholaspriory.com/events/if-music-be-the-food-of-love-concert -south-west-shakespeare-festival/ SUMMARY:If Music Be The Food Of Love - Concert (South West Shakespeare Fest ival) DESCRIPTION: \;\n\nAs part of the inaugural Sout West Shakespeare Festi val\, Lightbear Lane is delighted to welcome mezzo-soprano Iryna Ilnytksa and pianist Alex Wilson to explore the operatic world of William Shakespea re with us.\n\nThis thoughtfully curated programme weaves together well-lo ved and rarely heard arias inspired by Shakespeare’s plays. From the dra matic power of Rossini and Verdi’s Otello and Mercadante’s Amleto\, to the glowing lyricism of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi and the spel lbinding Baroque world of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen\, the music travels across centuries while staying rooted in Shakespeare’s enduring stories. Alongside these vocal works\, expressive piano solos offer moments of ref lection and contrast.\nLove and longing\, jealousy and loss\, magic and tr ansformation unfold through music of striking emotional range. Intimate\, passionate\, and rich in colour\, this concert celebrates the lasting conv ersation between Shakespeare’s poetry and the power of music.\n\nDoors a t 6:45pm for a chance to get a drink from our bar while enjoying "Impressi ons of Venice"\, an exhibition inspired by our "The Merchant of Venice" pe rformance on the 24th April.\n\nUkrainian mezzo-soprano Iryna Ilnytska beg an studying music at the age of eight. At the age of twelve\, she won the first prize at an opera competition in Luhansk/Ukraine for young singers a nd went on to sing the roles of Carmen and Dalila at the Opera studio in K yiv. Iryna studied classical voice at the Academy of Music Claudio Abbado in Milan\, Italy in the opera class of Maestro Vincenzo Manno. Her first r oles in the UK were Third Lady\, Third Spirit\, Idamante\, Lola and Orfeo. She worked with Red Earth Opera\, Somerset Opera\, Staircase Opera and Op era in a Box in the South West. Iryna also sang solos in Mozart's Coronati on Mass K317 and Vespers K339\, alto solo in G.F. Handel’s “Messiah” \, as well as other concerts with different ensembles at Exeter Cathedral.  Iryna founded Exeter Opera in 2021 and has since directed and toured ope ras in the South West.\n\nAlex Wilson is a pianist who performs as a soloi st\, accompanist and chamber musician. A former British Contemporary Piano Competition finalist\, he studied music at the University of York before graduating from the Royal College of Music in 2011.\nHe has performed at v enues including Wigmore Hall\, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Cadogan Hall in Lo ndon and at the Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow.\nHe has appeared on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music and regularly plays with Bournemouth Symphony Orch estra\, BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales\, UPROAR Wales new musi c ensemble and London Sinfonietta.\n\n\n\nDirections\nSt Nicholas Priory i s on Mint Lane with walking access from Fore Street or Bartholomew Street West.\n\nThe nearest car park is Mary Arches Street\, which is a five-minu te walk. Exeter Central railway station is a ten-minute walk. The bus s tation is a 15-minute walk with many buses stopping on the High Street whi ch is ten minutes away.\n\nAccess\nUnfortunately\, due to the nature of th is historic building\, there is no wheelchair access for our upstairs room s.\n\nFacilities\nOur outdoor toilet block can be made available on reques t.\n\nIf you have any questions or concerns about your visit please email  admin@nicholaspriory.com ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nicholaspriory.com/wp-content/uploads/20 26/01/Shakespeare-opera-1.png CATEGORIES:Arts,Featured,Opening LOCATION:St Nicholas Priory\, Mint Lane\, Off Fore Street\, Exeter\, Devon\ , EX4 3BL\, United Kingdom X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Mint Lane\, Off Fore Street \, Exeter\, Devon\, EX4 3BL\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=St Nicholas Priory:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260329T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR