Recital Performances
Recitals 2025 – Ireland’s Summer Opera Festival
Our 2025 Recitals Series will take place at Salterbridge House, St Carthage’s Cathedral, Villierstown Church, Tourin House, and Woodhouse Estate Stradbally. These recitals will include Handel and Haydn – English Songbook; Irish Melodies – with music by Ina Boyle; Irish Writers’ Series: Wilde in Music; Irish Salon Opera Series: La Zingarella by John Kelly; RDS Collins Memorial Bursary; Irish Songmakers Recital; Irish Heritage Bursary; RIAM John Pollard Recital; BVOF Bursary Recital, and BVOF Chorus Recital 2024.
Our programme of open air lunchtime recitals are extended free of charge for local communities in the towns of Lismore, Dungarvan, Youghal, and Castlemartyr.
BVOF Open Air Lunchtime Recitals
This year, we continue our pop-up programme of free lunchtime festival recitals. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some highlights of the classical and operatic repertoire in a less formal way.
We present these recitals as an opportunity to enjoy a flavour of the festival with some beautiful music, at outdoor settings around the Blackwater Valley, with classical and opera highlights performed by members of the BVOF Chorus.
To celebrate our 2025 festival, we are continuing to offer our free BVOF Open Air Lunchtime Recitals across both Cork and Waterford counties – into Youghal, Castlemartyr, Lismore and Dungarvan.
Attendance is free of charge however pre-booking is essential and required in advance.
The BVOF Open Air Lunchtime Recitals are kindly supported by both Cork County Council and Waterford City and County Council.
DATES & TIMES:
LISMORE: Millennium Park – Tuesday 27th May at 12 noon
DUNGARVAN: Walton Park – Friday 30th May at 12 noon
YOUGHAL: Green Park – Saturday 31st May at 12 noon
CASTLEMARTYR: Castlemartyr Resort – Sunday 1st June at 12 noon
BVOF Bursary Recital - Wednesday 28th May
With 2025 BVOF Bursary Award Winners: soprano Aimee Kearney and pianist Georgina Cassidy.
DATE & TIME: Wednesday 28th May at 1pm
VENUE: Tourin House Waterford
ARTISTS: Aimee Kearney – soprano | Georgina Cassidy – piano
TICKET PRICES: €25. Unallocated seating (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
Arias at Villierstown - Thursday 29th May
With countertenor Iestyn Morris, mezzo-soprano Gemma Ní Bhriain, mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond, bass-baritone Jakob Mahase, baritone Chris Cull, bass-baritone Rory Dunne, tenor Seán Tester, and bass-baritone Massimo Modoni.
DATE & TIME: Thursday 29th May at 1pm
VENUE: Villierstown Church, Ballingowan West
ARTISTS:
TICKET PRICES: €25 / €10 Concessions. Unallocated seating. (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
LUNCHTIME RECITAL PACKAGE: €40 per person: The Saucy Hen Villierstown at 12pm
Irish Heritage Recital - Friday 30th May
Featuring the 2025 Irish Heritage Bursary winners. In 2017, Irish Heritage and BVOF established a collaboration to enhance the benefits of the former’s annual Music Bursary with the inauguration of the Irish Heritage Award. The recipients of this award are the winner and runner-up of the Irish Heritage Bursary auditions.
This award is made possible by the generous support of Michael and Gianni Alen-Buckley.
DATE & TIME: Friday 30th May at 12pm
VENUE: Salterbridge House, Cappoquin
ARTISTS: 2025 Bursary winners
TICKET PRICES: €25. Unallocated seating. (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
LUNCHTIME RECITAL PACKAGE: €40 per person: Barron’s Coffee House Cappoquin at 12pm
RIAM John Pollard Recital - Friday 30th May
Featuring 2025 BVOF | RIAM John Pollard Bursary Winners.
DATE & TIME: Friday 30th May at 3pm
VENUE: Salterbridge House, Cappoquin
ARTISTS:
TICKET PRICES: €25 (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
Irish Salon Opera Series: The Tinker and the Fairy by Michele Esposito - Saturday 31st May
With soprano Amy Hewitt and baritone Timothy Conor.
DATE & TIME: Saturday 31st May at 12pm
VENUE: St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore
ARTISTS:
TICKET PRICES: €25. Unallocated seating. (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
LUNCHTIME RECITAL PACKAGE: €40 per person: Fuller’s Bistro Lismore at 2pm
Irish Writers’ Series: George Bernard Shaw - Saturday 1st June
With mezzo-soprano Gemma Ní Bhriain, tenor Seán Tester, actor Barry McGovern, and pianist Máire Carroll.
Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco – under the aegis of the Fondation Princesse Grace.
Limited concession tickets available for senior citizens, full-time students, unwaged and disabled visitors. Maximum 2 tickets per customer account. Proof of eligibility required. T&Cs apply.
DATE & TIME: Saturday 1st June at 3pm
VENUE: St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore
ARTISTS: mezzo-soprano Gemma Ní Bhriain, tenor Seán Tester, actor Barry McGovern, and pianist Máire Carroll
TICKET PRICES: €25 / Limited Free Concession Tickets. Unallocated seating. (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
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RDS Collins Memorial Recital - Sunday 1st June
With tubist Adam Buttimer and pianist Máire Carroll.
This award is a performance award exclusively for past RDS Music Bursary winners. Created in 2017 thanks to the support of Michael and Loret O’Brien, the RDS Collins Memorial Performance Award is in association with the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.
Limited concession tickets available for senior citizens, full-time students, unwaged and disabled visitors.
Maximum 2 tickets per customer account. Proof of eligibility required. T&Cs apply.
DATE & TIME: Sunday 2nd June at 1pm
VENUE: St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore
ARTISTS:tubist Adam Buttimer and pianist Máire Carroll
TICKET PRICES: €25 / Limited Free Concession Tickets. Unallocated seating. (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
Summertime - Monday 3rd June
With soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh, tenor Peter O’Reilly, and pianist Frasier Hickland.
DATE & TIME: Monday 2nd June at 3pm
VENUE: Woodhouse Estate, Stradbally
ARTISTS: Soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh, tenor Peter O’Reilly, and pianist Frasier Hickland
TICKET PRICES: €25. Unallocated seating (Ticket price excludes €3.50 booking fee per order)
