Catherine Donnelly

Catherine Donnelly is a soprano from County Down. She was a member of the ABL Aviation Irish National Opera studio in 2021-2022 and associate artist with Northern Ireland Opera in 2020-2021. She graduated from TUD Conservatory of Music and Drama with first class honours in the Master of Music Performance degree in 2018.

Catherine qualified for the 2019 Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition and has won several awards including the audience prize at Northern Ireland Opera’s Festival of Voice in 2018 and runner up Tony Quigley bursary in the Dramatic cup at Feis Ceoil.

She made her INO debut as First Bridesmaid in Mozart’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’; performed the title role in Balfe’s ‘The Sleeping Queen’ at the National Concert Hall and the role of Daniel in Handel’s ‘Susanna’ in Smock Alley Theatre. During her period with Irish National Opera Studio she covered Celine Byrne in the role of ‘Michaëla’ in Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ and Anna Devin in the role of Elisabetta in Donizetti’s ‘Maria Stuarda’. She presented Mozart repertoire in Masterclass with Joyce DiDonato at the National Concert Hall and has given recitals at Boyle Arts Festival, Belfast International Arts Festival and with Newry Chamber Music.

Catherine is mother to two boys and, having studied medicine as an undergraduate, works as a doctor in care of the elderly in Northern Ireland. She looks forward to joining the Ulster Orchestra with NI Opera in May where she will perform as soloist for Mendelssohn’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ under conductor Dinis Sousa.