Opera Theatre Company, Ireland’s national touring opera company, has announced the appointment of Annilese Miskimmon as its new artistic director. Born in Belfast in 1974 and raised in Bangor, Co Down, Miskimmon is a graduate of Christ’s College Cambridge and London City University. Although still only 29 years old, her professional opera directing career to date has taken her to the San Francisco Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), Den Norske Oper (Oslo) and Oper Frankfurt reviving productions by Richard Jones, Deborah Warner and Graham Vick. She has worked with many of the world’s leading conductors including Simon Rattle, Nicholas McGegan, Charles Mackerras, Mark Elder, Louis Langree and Vladimir Jurowski. Miskimmon made her Irish directorial debut in OTC’s new production of Cinderella (La Cenerentola) by Rossini, which toured nationwide during November.