Six rising stars of the opera world will take to the stage at the National Concert Hall in Dublin tonight, hoping to be crowned the winner of the prestigious Veronica Dunne International Singing competition 2025.
The significance of taking part in a competition like this is career changing, said Dearbhala Collins, Artistic Director of the competition.
"It’s a huge stepping stone to a career, because if you put down that you’re the first prize winner, or a finalist in any of the big international competitions - like this one in Ireland - then it opens doors," she said.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the competition, which was created in 1995 by the legendary classical music teacher Dr Veronica Dunne.
It is an "established Irish musical event of international standing and we are committed to discovering the future’s best classical singers," Ms Collins said.
"We are also committed to supporting and developing the best of Irish and international talent," she added.
The competition has grown in stature during its 30 years and 220 singers from across the globe initially applied to take part in this year’s competition.
The list was whittled down to 65 participants who were invited to Dublin over the last week to sing and perform for audiences and judges.
The singers travelled from 25 countries including the UK, USA, Australia, Costa Rica, China and South Korea.
Eighteen Irish singers made it to this level of the competition too and they expressed enthusiasm about the experience.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
"It’s just brilliant, just being in this environment is incredible, hearing these world class singers everywhere you go is amazing," said Cathal McCabe, who is a young tenor from Dublin.
Mr McCabe said he believes performing in front of the international jury is a critically important element of this competition for emerging voices like his.
"The most valuable thing is the jury panel themselves, they are hand picked from some of the best operatic institutions in the world and getting feedback from them is invaluable," he said.
Inviting leading people from the world of opera to come to Dublin to join the international jury was part of the original vision of the founder.
Veronica Dunne believed that offering young singers a chance to perform in front of some of the most influential people in the opera world in Dublin would hopefully lead to the singers getting work on the international stage.
Ms Collins also believes that part of the ongoing attraction of the competition is that singers get to perform in front of an international jury of influential musical leaders.
"If you can impress a judge, this could lead to you getting you a role.. this competition can expose you to more casting directors which turns an opportunity into real work," she observed.
This year, the jury has drawn some heavy hitters to Dublin.
They include musical directors from the Met opera houses in New York, Berlin and Seattle.
Hannah O’Brien is a young Irish soprano and said that while "it can be daunting singing in front of the jury, but then in the hall with the audience smiling at you, wishing you well, it just all feels more doable".
The final six singers tonight include: Judith Le Breuilly (mezzo soprano) Charlotte Bowden (soprano), Hanseong Yun (bass baritone), Maria Hegele (mezzo soprano), Anna Kelly (mezzo soprano), and Julia Muzychen Greenhalgh (soprano).
While no Irish singer has made through to the final this year - the performers know that gaining experience in this competition is a precious opportunity for singers.
"We know one of the voices we find here will be heard on stages around the world," said Diarmaid Hegarty, Chairman of the competition.
"The previous winners have led the way," Mr Hegarty added.
Those previous winners have gone on to create successful international careers and this year’s participants will be hoping that this competition will bring them another step closer to realising their dream career.
The Veronica Dunne International Singing competition will be broadcast live on Lyric FM from 7pm tonight.
