Kildare tenor to sing with RTE Concert Orchestra

A TENOR from Punchestown has been chosen by Lyric FM to record with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in Studio 1 at RTÉ under the baton of composer Gavin Maloney.

In association with the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, Lyric has selected Patrick Hyland with four other young singers to record with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in RTÉ this January.

Alongside Patrick, the other competition winners are tenor Seán Tester from Louth, tenor Cathal McCabe from Dublin, soprano Deirdre Higgins from Offaly, and baritone Seán Boylan from Meath.

Patrick Hyland, an award-winning Irish tenor, has performed globally in prestigious venues such as Glyndebourne Opera House and The Royal Albert Hall.

He has also collaborated extensively with Irish National Opera, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and has previously studied under Veronica Dunne herself at the Royal Irish Academy.

This will kick off an enormous year for the talented Kildare singer as he then embarks on a gruelling seven date tour of the eastern USA, from Florida to Maine, in a little over a fortnight with the Irish Tenors in March.

Then in the summer, Patrick will have his triumphant homecoming with a Summer Serenade Concert in The Moat in Naas on Friday, 5 June.

The RTÉ recordings will be showcased this spring across Lyric from Marty in the Morning to Lorcan Murray’s Classic Drive, and will include a selection of arias from Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Gounod, Dvorak, and Charpentier.

“At Lyric we have an important commitment to nurture new voices and give singers the opportunity to be heard on our station at this early stage in their operatic careers,” said Sinéad Wylde, Head of RTÉ lyric fm.

“We have worked closely with Dearbhla Collins, Artistic Director of the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, to identify this new generation of opera singers to introduce them to our listeners all over Ireland.

“This initiative will also help to develop their careers, providing each singer with a crafted studio broadcast recording which will no doubt lead to many more performance opportunities both in Ireland and internationally.” Dearbhla Collins, Artistic Director of the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, added: “One tool that young singers are often missing in building their career and developing opportunities is excellent quality recordings, and to have the opportunity to create these with an orchestra of the quality of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is an outstanding opportunity.” The Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition is a triennial international classical singing competition held in Dublin, Ireland.

The competition invites the most talented young singers to compete on this global stage, with a star-studded jury, international press coverage, and exposure to the most influential people in the industry. The competition is led by Dearbhla Collins and chairman Professor Diarmuid Hegarty of Griffith College.