New platform for operatic expertise

A new platform for interdisciplinary collaboration in opera research both within and beyond the University has been established.

The Cardiff Interdisciplinary Research in Opera (CIRO) was officially launched at the School of Music’s Love to Death: Transforming Opera conference held at the Wales Millennium Centre in association with the Royal Musical Association.

Professor Rachel Cowgill, School of Music, said: "CIRO is an exciting way of bringing together the different strands of operatic expertise from both within the School of Music and from a range of other academic schools at Cardiff. It is also going to be a fruitful way of continuing and further developing our collaborations with Welsh National Opera, Music Theatre Wales and other related external organisations."

CIRO plans to host a programme of events each year, including seminars (with home, visiting and international speakers), workshops, reading sessions, and panel discussions. Bringing together such a diverse range of expertise will enrich individual work as well as leading to publications, new creative work, and funding applications for multi-and interdisciplinary research projects.

CIRO members are drawn from the Schools of Music, Social Sciences, English, Communication & Philosophy, Psychology, and European Languages, Translation & Politics. External organisations represented include Welsh National Opera, Music Theatre Wales, DARE (an Opera North/University of Leeds partnership), and Opera’r Ddraig.

Provided by Cardiff University