NI Opera Chorus

Meet the singers taking part in our Chorus Development Programme

Soprano

Rachael Heater

Soprano Rachael Heater was born in Pennsylvania, where she learned to love music from an early age. Throughout her school years, she participated in…
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Sarah Hoben

Sarah is a 20 year old soprano currently studying Music and Audio Production at Queen’s University Belfast. She has sung with the National Youth…
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Alice Johnston

Alice was born in Lisburn and educated in Belfast. Whilst pursuing a full time career in primary teaching after obtaining a B Ed from…
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Erin Kennedy

Erin Kennedy is an inspiring soprano from Newtownabbey, with a BA Honours degree in Music from Ulster University. As part of the Ulster University…
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Niamh Lavery

Niamh Lavery, originally from Lurgan in Co Armagh, is a soprano and a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow…
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Ella Linton

Ella Linton, from Jordanstown, is a French and Spanish student at Queen’s University Belfast. Alongside her language studies, she works as a peripatetic music…
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Maria Meagher

Maria Meagher is 21 years old and a final year Music Performance Student at Queen’s University Belfast. Maria has achieved a Diploma in Classical…
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Susan Shepherd

Susan Shepherd is a well-respected and much sought-after singing teacher and versatile Soprano from Carrickfergus. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Susan holds a…
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Melanie Topley

Melanie graduated from Queens University with a BA (Hons) in Music and English and an MA in Opera Studies before completing her PGCE in…
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Petra Wells

Petra Wells is a soprano based in Belfast. She trained originally under Robert Alderson whilst studying Law at the University of Manchester and continues…
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Mezzo Soprano

Áine Brolly

Áine Brolly began her training with Judith Sheridan at the Ulster College of Music before studying under acclaimed soprano, Suzanne Murphy both at the…
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Cicely Hé

Cicely Hé, mezzo-soprano from China, graduated from the renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Susan Waters and Valentin Lanzrein. She garnered First…
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Fiona McIlroy

Fiona graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in music and is currently a singing teacher of musical theatre and…
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India Chapman Webb

After graduating with honours in singing performance from the Conservatoire of Music, Paris, in 2009, India went to Rome to do her Masters in…
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Jenny Bourke

Jenny is a music graduate of Queen’s University Belfast and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Her operatic roles include Lucy Lockett The Beggar’s Opera,…
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Naomi Cantley

Naomi is a Belfast-based mezzo-soprano. She has sung with the Northern Ireland Opera chorus, Spark Opera, Capella Caeciliana, the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and the…
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Sheelagh Greer

Sheelagh Greer is a well established and experienced Mezzo Soprano, but in fact started on her musical career playing piano at a young age.…
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Tenor

Charlie Clarke-Hughes

Charlie Clarke-Hughes is a British tenor based in Northern Ireland. Performing internationally and across the UK, he has held the position of lay clerk…
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Desmond Havlin

Desmond Havlin is a tenor from Bangor, Northern Ireland and is based in Belfast. Desmond studies singing with operatic bass Graeme Danby. He has…
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Stephen Rusk

Northern Irish tenor Stephen Rusk has been singing since he was a boy and formally trained as a pianist and organist, studying at Queen’s…
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Gabriel Seawright

Gabriel Seawright received a first class Masters Degree and Postgraduate Diploma with Peter Wilson at the RNCM, generously supported by the Lord and Lady…
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Baritone

James Cooper

James is a Northern Irish Bass based in Belfast and performing across the UK who first joined the NI Opera Chorus for their 2018…
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Matthew Jeffrey

Matthew trained with the Lyric Theatre’s Drama Studio whilst studying at Queen’s University Belfast. He performs with choirs and ensembles including St George’s Choir,…
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Paul McQuillan

Northern Irish Baritone, Paul studied singing with the late Frank Capper and Russell Smythe. He has performed in the chorus for Northern Ireland Opera…
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Ryan Garnham

A bass/baritone from Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland, Ryan graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with First Class Honours in Music in 2019, winning a Flax Trust…
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Seamus Brady

Seamus Brady is a 4th Year student completing a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Studies in The Royal Irish Academy on Music, Dublin, studying…
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Cameron Menzies

Bryan Evans

Jac van Steen

Jennifer Rooney

Matthew Quinn

James Grossmith

Events

Chorus

'Chorus!' Come and hear the NI Opera Chorus perform a concert of opera choruses in The Ulster Hall on 18 May at 7.30pm

Chorus!