Professor Jennifer Walshe and Irish National Opera and win 2026 Sky Arts Award

Professor Jennifer Walshe and Irish National Opera have won the Opera category at this year's Sky Arts Awards for MARS, a sci-fi epic weaving together space billionaires, forced impregnation, and anti-capitalist Martian bacteria. 

Featuring a libretto by Mark O’Connell, the contemporary opera is written for two sopranos, two mezzo-sopranos, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, two percussion, synthesizer, violin, viola, cello, double bass and electronics.

MARS premiered at the Galway International Arts Festival in July 2025 and has been programmed by the Opéra de Lille for its 2026–27 season.