Esker Festival Orchestra 2023 Announce Soloists
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Esker Festival Orchestra. Esker Festival Orchestra’s 10th-anniversary celebration will feature performances of Gustav Mahler’s legendary Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’. The 2023 edition will also include for the first time the newly formed Esker Festival Choir, information about how you can join the Esker Festival Choir will be available soon. Esker Festival Choir will be made up of singers of all ages from all over Ireland.
Esker Festival Orchestra is delighted to announce the vocal soloists for its performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. This exciting collaboration will feature two amazing members of the Irish National Opera Studio, Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada and Madeline Judge.
Kathleen is an Irish soprano based in Ireland and the UK. Recently graduating from Royal Academy Opera where she studied with Kate Paterson and Raymond Connell, Kathleen is now a member of the Irish National Opera Young Artist Studio. Kathleen has performed lead roles including Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (Lauretta, Royal Academy Opera, 2021), Handel’s Alcina (Morgana, Ensemble OrQuesta, 2021) and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena, Royal Academy Opera 2020). Kathleen premiered the role of The Green Death Witch in the Royal Opera Academy’s production of Freya Waley-Cohen’s Witch. Kathleen also won the Dramatic Cup at the Feis Ceoil this year and was a recipient of the Margaret and Tony Quigley Award.
Madeline Judge is an operatic mezzo-soprano originally from Waukee, Iowa, USA. A graduate of Drake University and New York University, Madeline is now based in Dublin and recently completed her Doctorate in Voice Performance degree from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Trinity College Dublin where she studies with Dr. Imelda Drumm. Previously, Madeline has been engaged by Irish National Opera as an understudy for the lead role Angelina in Rossini’s La Cenerentola which starred Tara Erraught in 2019 and was featured as a soloist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in their young artist showcase. She has been an active member of INO’s chorus since 2018. For the 2022/2023 season, Madeline is a member of the Irish National Opera Studio and their Company Chorus.
The Esker Festival Orchestra 2023 summer rehearsals and Irish performance tour will take place from Monday, 14 August to Sunday, 20 August 2023. Rehearsals will take place in the wonderful surrounds of the University of Galway and will see performances in Galway and Dublin under the baton of founder and Director, Peter Joyce.
For further information, please see the Esker Festival Orchestra website.
