Festival of Voice back in Glenarm this August

Five opera singers have been selected as finalists from applications received from across the island of Ireland and will compete for the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize, the Audience Prize and the Song Prize by performing arias, ensemble pieces and Irish art songs in front of an audience and a judging panel of opera experts, hosted by NI Opera’s Patron, broadcaster Sean Rafferty. This year the festival also welcomes a new Vice Patron, Newry baritone Ben McAteer who was the first winner of the Glenarm Festival of Voice vocal competition in 2010. He is an in-demand opera singer with companies across the UK and Europe and has, since his win in 2010, returned to perform at the festival as a BBC Radio 3 Recitalist.

The five finalists are: Hannah O’Brien (soprano), Heather Sammon (mezzo-soprano), Michael Bell (tenor), Owen Lucas (tenor), David Kennedy (baritone) and the Peter Rankin Piano Intern for 2022 is Doireann O’Carroll. The team who will coach the finalists includes Kathryn Harries, Dr Ingrid Surgenor and

pianist Simon Lepper. They will work with the finalists on their competition repertoire across the weekend in the build-up to the Competition Finale on Sunday, August 28 at 6.30pm in Glenarm’s Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Tickets for all events are available to book now via www.niopera.com

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