Five opera singers from across the island of Ireland will be taking part in an exciting live opera competition in front of a live audience and jury panel in Glenarm this summer during Northern Ireland Opera’s 14th Glenarm Festival of Voice.
The evening will be hosted by NI Opera’s Patron, broadcaster Sean Rafferty and the audience will hear the finalists perform stunning arias, Irish art songs and ensemble pieces. An opera judging panel will select the winner of the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and the Song Prize and the audience will vote for the winner of the Kathryn Harries Audience Prize. Now in its 14th year, this annual event is a celebration of some of the finest young opera voices on the island of Ireland.
The five finalists selected for 2024 are: Hannah McKay (soprano), Zoë Jackson (soprano), Peter Thomas O’Reilly (tenor), Seamus Brady (baritone) and John Johnston (baritone), and the Peter Rankin Piano Intern is Orlaith Sharkey.
The team who will coach the finalists includes opera specialist coaches Dr Ingrid Surgenor MBE and Professor Mark Wildman. They will work with the opera singers on their competition repertoire across the weekend in the build-up to the Competition Finale on Sunday 25th August at 6.30pm in Glenarm’s Church of the Immaculate Conception.
The 14TH Glenarm Festival of Voice also features three recitals with NI Opera’s festival partners, BBC Radio 3, which will be recorded in front of a live audience. This year’s rising star recitalists are baritone Liam Bonthrone (8pm, 23th August), baritone Ben McAteer (8pm, 24th August) and mezzo Niamh O’Sullivan (3pm, 25th August) and will take place in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm. The pianist for all three recitals is Michael Pandya who has also curated the repertoire.
Founder of The Glenarm Festival of Voice, Glenarm Festival of Voice Jury Chair and Vice Chair of Northern Ireland Opera. Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE DStJ DDL comments: ‘’Fourteen years on, The Glenarm Festival of Voice can be justly proud of its outstanding support for young Irish singers and the operatic careers it has helped launch. It is particularly pleasing that the first ever winner and international baritone Ben McAteer, now Vice Patron of The Festival, returns in recital.”
NI Opera is supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council commented: “Congratulations to all the performers who have made it through to the final stage of the competition. Opportunities like this can be a real game changer, a truly pivotal moment in a burgeoning music career to learn and develop as a performer, alongside seasoned professionals. We wish all of the finalists the very best for the competition.”
NI Opera will also be welcoming back the 2023 winner of the 13th Glenarm Festival of Voice, soprano Anna Gregg with pianist Tristan Russcher to the historic Londonderry Arms in Carnlough where she will perform an afternoon song recital on 24th August from 3-4pm.
Ticket links and more information for all events can be found via www.niopera.com
NI Opera are grateful for the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, The Fidelio Charitable Trust, The Londonderry Arms Hotel and Glenarm Castle.
