COMPLETE WITH gown and pearls, a Russian diva braved a top-deck diving board and bitter cold on Galway Bay yesterday to mark a special birthday.
Soprano Evelina Dobraèeva didn’t quite break into song, but those observing her were tempted to as she gazed out over the Burren. The occasion was the 30th anniversary photo-shoot for Music for Galway.
Dobraèeva is participating in a gala concert tomorrow, with fellow Russian opera star and baritone Rodion Pogossov, accompanied by Dearbhla Collins on the piano. Regular performers in the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Pogossov and Dobraèeva will sing duets and arias from I Pagliacci, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, The Barber of Sevilleand Die Fledermaus.
The concert is the first in a season to celebrate the organisation’s 30th birthday. Since its foundation by a group of like-minded Galway residents, it has attracted musicians and singers such as Nigel Kennedy, Yehudi Menuhin, Emma Kirkby, Wolfgang Holzmair, John O’Conor, Barry Douglas and Peter Donohue.
Tomorrow’s concert in the Town Hall Theatre will include a fundraising auction of a piece of sculpture by John Behan RHA, inspired by Galway-based cellist Adrian Mantu, and jewellery contributed by Cobwebs.
Also in Galway, the Open House exhibition sponsored by the Irish Architecture Foundation will be marked this evening by Mayor of Galway Cllr Michael Crowe at the Centre Pier building, Galway docks.
A number of public buildings will be accessible free of charge to the public over the weekend.
More details are on openhousegalway.ie.