Meet the soloists for Mendelssohn's Elijah!

Kevin Neville is a bass-baritone from Limerick city. He has won numerous competitions for opera, lieder, oratorio, sacred song, art song and musical theatre at Feis Ceoil Dublin, Feis Ceoil Sligo, Féile Luimní (Limerick) and Feis Maitiú (Cork). He recently completed a year on the Northern Ireland Opera Studio programme.

Kevin on Elijah: "I haven’t sung Elijah before but I have sung in Elijah before. When I was a boy soprano, I was the young soloist with the Limerick Choral Union at the University Concert Hall Limerick. So it’s really cool to be coming back to the piece to sing the title role 15 years later."
 

Why should you book? 
"Mendelssohn’s music is fantastic and the story in Elijah is full of drama. It’s an amazing piece and since we are performing it in English, everyone can come along on the journey without any language barriers or surtitles."

You might not know: "I have a very eccentric wardrobe and I love to dress according to my mood. I think how we dress ourselves conveys our personality and mood in an instant and can tell people so much about ourselves or be a fun conversation starter. Everyone loves playing dress up as a kid, those of us in the opera world just never stopped! I like to carry that into my ‘real world’ wardrobe as well."

 

Elaine McDaid is a Derry-born Northern Irish soprano, currently studying with Kathryn Harries in London. She is a member of the Northern Ireland Opera Studio 2018-19.

Elaine on Elijah: "This is my first Elijah and I’m really looking forward to it! The soprano solo is a challenging sing, very emotional, and with a big orchestra behind it. I’m very excited to get my teeth into it! We also have a great cast of Northern Irish soloists and choristers, and it’s really very special to get to work at home with the Ulster Orchestra."

Why should you book? "Elijah really is a behemoth of a work - it has everything from fire and brimstone to soothing pastorales, so there really is something for everyone in this piece. I’ve also heard a sneak peek of the Belfast Phil in rehearsals, and they sound absolutely incredible. This work is so rarely performed here in Northern Ireland - and this really is a performance you don’t want to miss!"

You might not know: "I sang a lot of musical theatre at school, but gave it all up to study Law and French law at university. This time six years ago, I was working in copyright law enforcement... and I would have laughed myself silly if you’d told me I’d one day sing as a soloist in the Ulster Hall with the Belfast Philharmonic and the Ulster Orchestra... but here I am!"

Conor Breen is from Co. Armagh and read English Literature at Queen’s University, Belfast, before taking up a place on NI Opera’s Young Artist Programme. Conor will also sing the role of Dr. Blind in NI Opera's Die Fledermaus later this year.

Conor on Mendelssohn: "I have never performed this work before, but the major tenor arias in the oratorio were some of the first repertoire I ever learned as a young tenor, and I've been looking forward to my first Elijah ever since. I have sung other pieces of Mendelssohn - his Lobgesang and Die Erste Walpurgisnacht."

Conor on the Phil: "I was a member of the choir some years ago, and have had the pleasure of being invited back every so often to perform as a soloist. Some highlights include Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music and Mozart's Mass in C Minor!"
 

Dawn Burns is a mezzo-soprano from Belfast. She is a former winner of the NI Opera Festival of Voice, and grateful recipient of the Arts Council / BBC NI Young Musicians’ Platform Award. Last year, she was a member of the NI Opera Studio programme. Dawn’s future engagements include the role of Ida in Die Fledermaus at NI Opera in the Autumn.

Dawn on Elijah: "There are so many exciting moments in Elijah - I’m particularly looking forward to hearing some of the big chorus moments like ‘Baal! Hear and Answer’ and ‘Then did Elijah the prophet break forth’."

Dawn on the Phil: "I last sang with the Philharmonic as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem at a ‘Come and Sing’ event. That was a few years ago and I’m looking forward to joining them again for this dramatic piece."