The production promises strong representation from Northern Ireland, with Mr Irwin joined by sopranos Mary McCabe, Petra Wells, and mezzo-soprano Jenny Bourke. Mr Menzies said: "Great opera should move, challenge, and delight audiences in equal measure, and few works achieve that balance more successfully than Carmen. "I have wanted to direct Carmen for many years, but I have always felt that it is a piece that demands the right moment. "For Northern Ireland Opera, that moment is now. A special pre-show panel event, Behind the Curtain: Muse, Martyr, and Murder Victim, will take place on Thursday, August 20.