Sylvia O'Brien (soprano)
Encyclopedia
Sylvia O'Brien is a Dublin-born soprano
who has sung leading roles with English Touring Opera
, including the Governess in Benjamin Britten
's The Turn of the Screw
, Gabiella (Countess Zedlau) in Strauss
' Vienna Spirit
and Costanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
. She has also sung as a soloist with the Irish Chamber Orchestra
(Bach's St. John Passion
, 2008) and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
(Morton Feldman
's, Neither, at the RTÉ
Living Music Festival 2006).
Sylvia O'Brien was a choral scholar at Trinity College Dublin and sang in the choirs of both the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral
and the Roman Catholic St. Theresa's Church in Dublin, before making her operatic debut in 2004 as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw with Opera Theatre Company, Ireland's national touring company. She studied for a Master's degree in contemporary vocal techniques at the Dundalk Institute of Technology
. She has sung with several of Ireland's leading contemporary music groups including the Syrius Trio, with whom she toured Ireland in 2006 singing Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander Blok
in an all Shostakovich programme, followed by a performance in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
.
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
who has sung leading roles with English Touring Opera
English Touring Opera
English Touring Opera is an opera company in the United Kingdom. From 1979 to 1992 it was known as Opera 80.- About the company :Opera 80 was founded in 1979 by the Arts Council of Great Britain as the successor to Opera For All; in 1992 the company changed its name to English Touring Opera...
, including the Governess in Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
's The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw (opera)
The Turn of the Screw is a 20th century English chamber opera composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, "wife of the artist John Piper, who had been a friend of the composer since 1935 and had provided designs for several of the operas". The libretto is based on the novella...
, Gabiella (Countess Zedlau) in Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
' Vienna Spirit
Wiener Blut (operetta)
Wiener Blut is an operetta named after the "Wiener Blut" waltz, supposedly with music by the composer Johann Strauss the Younger, who did not live to witness the première. Such was the popularity of the original "Wiener Blut" Op...
and Costanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
. She has also sung as a soloist with the Irish Chamber Orchestra
Irish Chamber Orchestra
The Irish Chamber Orchestra is a Irish classical music ensemble, administratively based at the University of Limerick. The ICO primarily gives concerts at the University Concert Hall, Limerick and at the RDS Concert Hall, Dublin...
(Bach's St. John Passion
Johannes Passion
The St John Passion , BWV 245, is a sacred oratorio of Johann Sebastian Bach from the Passions. The original Latin title Passio secundum Johannem translates to "The Suffering According to John" and is rendered in English also as St. John Passion and in German as Johannespassion...
, 2008) and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is the concert music orchestra of Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
(Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman was an American composer, born in New York City.A major figure in 20th century music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown...
's, Neither, at the RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
Living Music Festival 2006).
Sylvia O'Brien was a choral scholar at Trinity College Dublin and sang in the choirs of both the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland...
and the Roman Catholic St. Theresa's Church in Dublin, before making her operatic debut in 2004 as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw with Opera Theatre Company, Ireland's national touring company. She studied for a Master's degree in contemporary vocal techniques at the Dundalk Institute of Technology
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Dundalk Institute of Technology formerly Regional Technical College, Dundalk is a campus situated in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, halfway between Dublin and Belfast . The campus is 800 metres from the main Dublin Belfast road and 3 minutes drive from the M1 motorway to Dublin. Dublin Airport...
. She has sung with several of Ireland's leading contemporary music groups including the Syrius Trio, with whom she toured Ireland in 2006 singing Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander Blok
Alexander Blok
Alexander Alexandrovich Blok was a Russian lyrical poet.-Life and career:Blok was born in Saint Petersburg, into a sophisticated and intellectual family. Some of his relatives were literary men, his father being a law professor in Warsaw, and his maternal grandfather the rector of Saint Petersburg...
in an all Shostakovich programme, followed by a performance in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.