‘Winners,’ the opera by Sembrich composer-in-residence Richard Wargo, will receive its New York premiere when it is presented by Chelsea Opera on October 11 and 12.

‘Winners’ is the first act of Wargo’s, ‘Ballymore,’ an opera based on the play ‘Lovers’ by the Irish playwright Brian Friel.

Wargo began composing the work during a residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in County Monaghan, Ireland.    It had its American debut in 1999.  The idea of the work had been something Wargo had had since seeing the production of Winners and Losers performed at his high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1986.  The play consisted of a pair of one act plays by Brian Friel, the well known Irish playwright. Wargo wrote to Friel  with the germ of the idea of an opera based on Friel’s work and he  was encouraged by Friel’s response.  Ballymore  (the complete opera) was also developed through a series of workshops conducted by the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Skylight Opera Theater in Milwaukee.

  ‘Winners’ will be performed with the Chelsea Opera Chamber Orchestra, led by guest conductor Steven Crawford with stage direction by Lynne Hayden-Findlay, on Friday, October 11 at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 12 at 4:00 pm at St. Peter’s Church in Chelsea (346 West 20th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets are $35 preferred, $30 general admission and $20 students/seniors purchased in advance (or $45, $40 and $25 at the door). For information, call 1-866-811-4111.