MEET THE BVOF 2022 CHORUS: We were delighted to feature the return of the BVOF Chorus at the 2022 festival. Performing across the week in our production of Orfeo ed Euridice, the BVOF Open Air recitals and of course their magnificent ‘Stepping out from the Chorus’ recital, the chorus were no doubt one of the stars of the festival. Find out more about our 2022 chorus members below:
Soprano
Bláthnaid Nicholson is a 22 year old soprano currently studying with Colette McGahon-Tosh. Previously, she has performed professionally in venues such as Carnegie Hall, New York and The National Concert Hall, Dublin. Bláthnaid is thrilled to be making her Irish operatic debut in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice this year with Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.
Hannah Barrett is a 26-year-old soprano from Dublin and a graduate of the TU Dublin Conservatoire where she achieved an honours degree in vocal pedagogy. She will be entering the final year of her master’s in vocal performance under the tutelage of Mairead Buicke and Aoife O’Sullivan at TU Dublin Conservatoire in September.
Tara McDermott is a soprano from the United States and is thrilled to make her Irish festival debut with BVOF! She has worked professionally with Washington Opera Society, and featured with Catholic University of America in roles including Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica and Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro.
Clíodhna Regan is a 19 year old soprano under the tutelage of Mairead Buicke in the TUD Conservatoire of Music and Drama, where she has just completed her first year of her BA in Music performance. Clíodhna is a Feis Ceoil prize winner in many junior vocal competitions, most recently the Milne Cup in the Senior vocal competitions.
Mezzo
Fidelma Kelly came to opera relatively recently, and is currently studying under Mairead Buicke in the TUD Music Conservatory. She featured with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in several of their productions and toured with them and the BBC Concert Orchestra and Danish Symphony Orchestra. She is continuing her singing training in TUD and preparing for the performance diploma with Trinity College London.
Praised for her ‘natural acting coming from genuine musicality’ (Edinburgh Reporter), Áine Cassidy is an MMus student at the TU Dublin Conservatoire, under the tutelage of Colette McGahon-Tosh. She has worked with the Sestina Next Generation training programme and Edinburgh Studio Opera. Concert solos have included Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle.
Tenor
Oisin Ó Dálaigh is a tenor based in Galway and Dublin, he has a first class degree from the Conservatory of Music and Drama, TUD. Oisín has numerous operatic roles under his belt and has performed as part of countless choruses with different operatic companies across Ireland.
Keith Matthews is a tenor from Dublin who is a recent honours graduate specialising in vocal performance from TU Dublin Conservatoire. He has performed in multiple operatic productions and concerts across the country and at home and abroad with some of Ireland’s top choirs and he looks forward to his continued work with INO in their production of Tosca in July.
Stephen Walker is a tenor who studied in the TU Dublin Conservatoire with Dr. Robert Alderson. He has appeared in multiple productions and concerts in Ireland and the UK and is a multi-prize winner. This was Stephen’s second time working with BVOF and he looks forward to working with Wexford Festival Opera Chorus later this year!
Bass
Fionn Ó hAlmhain has performed extensively in Ireland and the UK with Irish National Opera, Opera Collective Ireland, Salford Choral Society, Piccadilly Symphony orchestra and others. He is also an alumnus of the Glyndebourne Academy where he was nominated for the Gus Christie Award. Fionn will be undertaking a Masters in Voice at the Royal Academy of Music in London this coming year.
Lyric baritone Eoin Foran is a first-class honours graduate of TU Dublin Conservatoire. Most recently Eoin studied with Scott Johnson at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where he will graduate with a masters of music in July. Over summer, Eoin looks forward to singing with Duchy Opera Company, British Youth Opera, and joining Wexford Festival Opera as part of their Opera Studio Factory program.
Having trained initially as an actor, David Mulhall has since begun studying voice with Dr. Robert Alderson, and is a graduate of TUDublin Conservatoire (BMus Hons). During his career he has worked with Irish National Opera, Wexford Opera Festival and Lyric Opera Productions. Upcoming productions include Der Rosenkavalier with Irish National Opera.
