Spotlight Chamber Music Series IV

Songs for Ronnie: A recital of songs and arias dedicated to the memory of the great soprano and singing teacher Veronica Dunne (1927 – 2021), to include arias by Bizet, Massenet and Tchaikovsky, as well as songs by Irish composers Thomas Moore, Percy French, William Balfe, Joan Trimble, Ina Boyle, Hamilton Harty, Herbert Hughes, T.C. Kelly, E.J. Moeran, William Vincent Wallace and a selection of traditional Irish airs.

Musicians:

Niamh O’Sullivan – Mezzo-Soprano
Gary Beecher – Piano

Programme

Songs for Ronnie

Cork native mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan is praised for her “bewitchingly beautiful, dark vibrant voice” (SüddeutscheZeitung). A 2023–2025 BBC New Generation Artist and former studio member of the Bayerische Staatsoper, O’Sullivan has quickly established herself as one of the most exciting mezzos today.

The 2024/25 season sees O’Sullivan make a series of house and role debuts, including her house and role debut as Ino Semele for Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and as Olga Eugene Onegin for Canadian Opera Company, Ino Semele in her return to the Royal Opera House, and role debuts as Ursule Béatrice et Bénédict and Maddalena Rigoletto for Irish National Opera.

O’Sullivan continues as a 2023–2025 BBC New Generation Artist, with plans to include a gala concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and recitals at the Wigmore Hall with pianist Gary Beecher and St George’s, Bristol, alongside her recital work in the UK and at home in Ireland.

In the 2023/24 season, O’Sullivan made her role debut as Wellgunde in a new Barrie Kosky production of Das Rheingold at the Royal Opera House, Wellgunde in Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung and Mercédès Carmen for Opernhaus Zürich, and her role debut as Carmen La tragédie de Carmen at the Buxton Festival.

Other recent plans have included Meg Page Falstaff at Opernhaus Zürich, Mercédès Carmen at English National Opera, Mirza Lalla-Roukh and Paulina Ein Wintermärchen with Wexford Festival Opera. O’Sullivan’s close association with Irish National Opera has seen her sing Charlotte Werther, Mercédès Carmen, Tisbe La Cenerentola, Third Maid Elektra, Asteria Bajazet and Alva in the world premiere of The First Child for the company.

In concert, O’Sullivan has performed Elgar Sea Pictures at the Prinzregententheater for the Munich Festspiele, Mozart Requiem and Handel Messiah with the MüncherHofkantorei, the main role of Cain in Scarlatti Il primo omicidio with The Jakobsplatz Orchester conducted by Daniel Grossmann, Cousser The Applause of Mount Parnassus at the Wigmore Hall with Ensemble Marsyas conducted by Peter Whelan, The Messiah with the Ulster Orchestra, Second harlot in Handel Solomon with the English Concert and Mahler Symphony No.2 with the Irish National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anja Bihlmaier.

As a member of the Opera Studio at the Bayerische Staatsoper from 2016 to 2018, O’Sullivan’s roles included Hänsel Hänsel und Gretel, Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, the Secretary in Menotti The Consul, Flora La traviata, Barena Jenufa and a concert performance of Der Rosenkavalier at Carnegie Hall conducted by Kirill Petrenko.

O’Sullivan studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and was a participant of the Académie du Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2023.

International award-winning pianist Gary Beecher is one of Ireland’s most versatile musicians, with a varied career as a soloist, collaborator, musical director and educator.

Gary is passionate about collaborating with singers and has had several international competition successes in recent years, including 1st Prize at the International Nadia and Lili Boulanger Voice-Piano Competition (France), the Rudolf Jansen Pianist Prize at the 53rd International Vocal Competition LiedDuo (Netherlands), and Pianist Prize at the International Helmut Deutsch Song Competition (Austria). Additionally, Gary enjoys working as an assistant conductor and repetiteur. He has worked on several productions as repetiteur, musical director and curator at the Cork Opera House, and with Irish National Opera and Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, among others.

As a soloist, Gary was a winner of the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year among several other national awards. He has recorded and performed as a soloist with both the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and RTÉ Concert Orchestra and has also performed with Camerata Ireland & Southbank Sinfonia London as an orchestral pianist. Venues he has performed in include the Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall, London, the National Concert Hall, Dublin and all major venues across Ireland as well as several venues across Europe.

Radio broadcasts include both live and recorded performances on BBC Radio Three, Classic FM, RTÉ Radio One and RTÉ Lyric FM.

Gary trained at the MTU Cork School of Music and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama London. Gary is now a member of the Keyboard Faculty at the MTU Cork School of Music and has given masterclasses to the MA Piano Accompaniment students at Guildhall in London.