Irish National Opera (INO) has announced the seven artists who will take part in the 2024–25 INO Studio. 

The annual programme for opera artists, now in its seventh year, is designed to mentor emerging talent in Ireland  – singers, directors, conductors, designers and répétiteurs – and provides training, professional experience and career guidance. The singers receive opportunities to take part in INO productions and non-singing members work behind the scenes assisting in opera rehearsals, gaining experience and learning directly from artists and professionals in the field.

2024–25 artists
The INO Studio 2024–25 artists are mezzo-soprano Leanne Fitzgerald, tenor Cathal McCabe, baritone David Kennedy, director Grace Morgan, conductor Peter Joyce and répétiteur Ella Nagy. Soprano Deirdre Higgins, who took part in the 2023–24 cohort, will remain in the programme for a second year. 

Leanne Fitzgerald is a graduate of TUD Conservatoire with an MMus in Vocal Performance. This season she will perform as Giovanna in Verdi’s Rigoletto and cover Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Previously, she has sung roles in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier and Salome. Fitzgerald was also a regular member of Chamber Choir Ireland from 2017 to 2022.

Dublin tenor Cathal McCabe recently graduated from the TU Dublin Conservatoire where he received the Michael McNamara award for the highest performance mark, as well as the Anne Leahy award for highest dissertation mark. He also won the Song Prize at the 2023 NI Opera/BBC Radio 3 Glenarm Festival of Voice. McCabe will perform as First Shouter in Lady Gregory in America at Wexford Festival Opera in October.

Baritone David Kennedy, a graduate in music performance from RIAM Dublin, studied under baritone Thomas Hampson at the LiedAkademie in Germany during the 2022/23 class and was invited to return for 2023/24. Kennedy is also a member of the Wexford Factory 2024/25 young artist programme and will cover roles in L’elisir d’amore and Die Fledermaus with INO Studio during the 2024/25 season.

Deirdre Higgins has recently completed a Masters of Music (Performance) in the TU Dublin Conservatoire, where she studied under Mairéad Buicke and Mairéad Hurley. She has won a number of awards for her singing including at the Feis Ceoil and the Birr Lions Club Bursary at the Birr Festival of Music last year.

Peter Joyce, a graduate in conducting and composition from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, has worked with various orchestras including the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. He is also the founder and conductor of the Esker Festival Orchestra. Joyce was the recipient of the Feis Ceoil IMRO Composition Award in 2020 and he won First Prize and Orchestra Prize at the 2023 Feis Ceoil Conducting Competition. 

Ella Nagy, an Irish-Hungarian pianist based in Dublin, has joined the Irish National Opera Studio as assistant répétiteur for the 2024–25 season. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Nagy already has a background in opera, beginning in 2017 under the late Veronica Dunne, and performing in the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival in 2023 and 2024. She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2022 BVOF | John Pollard RIAM Bursary and the 2019 Maura Dowdall Concerto Competition. 

Grace Morgan is a theatre maker and director who also works in opera. She is co-artistic director of theatre company tasteinyourmouth and her directing credits include Landmark and Octopus Theatricals’ Theatre for One as part of Cork Midsummer Festival, Puccini’s Suor Angelica as part of Wexford Festival Opera, and You’re Needy (sounds frustrating) as part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She will direct tasteinyourmouth’s new opera Hysterically Shopping! To some sort of end... with Glasshouse Ensemble as part of Dublin Theatre Festival in October. Morgan is currently the Associate Director of Pan Pan Theatre. 

Previous participants in INO Studio include mezzo-soprano Madeline Judge, who performed this year in La traviata, conductor Medb Brereton-Hurley who also took part in La traviata, and director Chris Kelly who took part in Trade/Mary Motorhead.

For further information on INO Studio, visit www.irishnationalopera.ie.

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