Finola Merivale
In this talk, Finola Merivale presented two recent works that engage with themes of place, nature, the climate crisis, and feminism: Dissedate for symphony orchestra, and the bilingual community opera in virtual reality, Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách.
A composer from Ireland, Finola Merivale’s music has been described by the Wire as “edgy and discomforting yet exciting and distinctive,” and by The Washington Post as a “wild ride.” Recent accolades include fellowships from MacDowell and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, a New York State Council on the Arts grant, and a Music Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2021, Finola and her creative team were the winners of the international Fedora Digital Prize for “As an nGnách/Out of the Ordinary,” a community opera in virtual reality which was commissioned by Irish National Opera. Finola completed her DMA in Composition at Columbia University in 2023.
