Tutors
Majella Cullagh - MA
Majella Cullagh is one of Ireland’s foremost international sopranos. She graduated from London’s prestigious National Opera Studio in 1993 and has had a twenty year career on the operatic stage. Her performances have brought her to many of the important houses in Europe; she’s performed in New York, Dallas, California and as far afield as New Zealand. Highlights include performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall, at the Royal Swedish Opera, the Royal Danish Opera, Opera di Verona, Opera de Toulon, Edinburgh festival and the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo.
While Majella’s career has been concentrated on the operatic stage, she also performs extensively in oratorio and on the concert platform. She has sung recitals in London, Milan, Amsterdam, Catania, La Coruna, Pesaro and Stuttgart.
Majella has an impressive discography with over thirty recordings on the Opera Rara, Chandos and Naxos labels. Her latest release, on the Naxos label, is Rossini’s Le Siege de Corinthe, recorded live at the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad, Germany.
Majella received first class honours in her Taught Master’s Degree from the CIT Cork School of Music in 2009. She has recently entered the education arena and has adjudicated at the Royal Academy of Music and the DIT Conservatory, Dublin. Majella is a member of the board of directors at the Cork Opera House.
Ms. Cullagh performing - click here
Keith Greene - MA, BMUS, PDGE. DIPLCM. ATCL
Keith hails from Clonmel Co. Tipperary and is currently living in Cork city. Keith is a member of Defence Forces Ireland Band 1 Brigade, playing flute and piccolo. Keith undertook his professional training in University College Cork with an honours bachelor of music degree and continued his studies at Trinity College Dublin with a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. Keith's primary interests lie in musical theatre, a field in which he has worked extensively, both on and off the stage. He has taught with many stage schools in the south of Ireland, working in capacities of Musical Director, Choreographer and Producer. Performance credits include Reilly (Our Day Out), John The Baptist (Godspell), Billy Crocker (Anything Goes), Topper (Scrooge), Prince Charming (Cinderella), Pish Tush (Mikado), King Herod (Jesus Christ Superstar), Molokov (Chess), Moose (Crazy For You), Mr.Primm (Sleeping Beauty) and most recently Keith performed in the ensemble of Cork Operatic Societies 'Orpheus' in The Everyman Palace Cork.
Aonghus Joyce - BMus
A native of Letterfrack in Connemara, Aonghus Joyce started his piano studies with Sr Karol O’Connell of Kylemore Abbey. He went on to study with Eleanor Malone in the CIT Cork School of Music, graduating from the Bachelor of Music Degree course with First Class Honours in 2011. Aonghus is currently working towards his MA in Piano Performance in the Cork School of Music, studying under Nicholas O’Halloran and graduating in October 2014. He has been the grateful recipient of piano masterclasses from such distinguished pianists as Finghin Collins, Philippe Cassard, Romain Descharmes, Rokas Zubovas and Veronique Bonnecaze. Recent performances include a recital with internationally acclaimed soprano Mary Hegarty, as part of his MA studies. Upcoming engagements include a solo piano recital in the 37th Clifden Arts Festival, 2014.
A keen singer, Aonghus is continuing his vocal studies with Marian Crowley at the Cork School of Music and is currently working towards an Associate of the London College of Music qualification. He is heavily involved in group singing projects, in particular choral groups. He has been a tenor in the celebrated choir Madrigal '75 since 2009 and is also a member of the award-winning choir Voci Nuove.
FIONA O' REILLY - MA, BMUS, LTCL, PRII DIP IN PR
A B.Mus graduate from University College, Cork, with a Master of Arts in Music from Cork Institute of Technology and a Licentiate of Trinity College, London, Fiona began her vocal studies at the Cork School of Music with Mr. Robert Beare. She continued her studies in Dublin with Dr.Veronica Dunne and subsequently in London with Vocal coach Mr. David Harper. In addition to her vocal studies Fiona has also studied drama with well-known director and teacher Mary Curtin.
Fiona has extensive experience in the fields of opera, operetta, oratorio and recital. She has worked with Wexford Festival Opera, Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Co-Opera, and Opera South among others. Her roles include Mimi and Musetta (La Bohemè), Butterfly (Madam Butterfly),Countess Almaviva (Marriage of Figaro), Micaela (Carmen),Servilia (La Clemenza di Tito),Yum Yum (The Mikado), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance),Josephine (HMS Pinafore), Euredice and Diana (Orpheus in the Underworld), Fiona (Brigadoon).
Oratoria performances include The Messiah, Samson, Judas Maccabaeus(Handel) The Creation(Haydn) Requiem, Mass in C Minor (Mozart) Elijah (Mendelssohn) Petit Messe Solennelle (Rossini) Requiem (Brahms) Requiem(Faure) Gloria (Vivaldi)Stabat Mater(Dvorak).
Fiona has appeared in several broadcasts for television and radio. Recordings include a solo album of nostalgic songs entitled Love’s Old Sweet Song. She has toured with the operatic trio Voce di Donnain their highly acclaimed shows ‘Three Ladies and a Suitcase’, ‘Disarming Divas’and ‘You’d be surprised’.
She also staged a one woman musical theatre show ‘Love Life and Lyrics’to great acclaim and full houses.
EMMA NASH - MA (ADVANCED OPERA PERFORMANCE), BA
Irish soprano Emma Nash has been described as “outstanding...with a vivid stage presence” by The Arts Desk (Orpheus in the Underworld 2014), “splendid” by Opera Magazine (Der Vampyr 2014) and a soprano with a “exciting, individualised vocal colour” by Opera Today (Hansel and Gretel, Wexford Festival Opera 2015). Emma graduated with distinction from the M.A in Opera Performance course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she was winner of the Lee Freeman Scholarship Prize, the Dolan Evans Award and a Leverhulme Scholarship. Recent engagements include the role of Valencienne in a concert performance of The Merry Widow at the Cork Opera House. This was the second instalment of The Cork Opera House Concert Performance Series following the success of La Traviata (June 2016) in which Emma sang the roles of Aninna and Flora. In 2015 Emma made her Wexford Festival Opera debut as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and chorus in the mainstage productions of Koanga and Le Pré aux Clercs. She also made her solo debut with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra in December at The National Concert Hall under the baton of Christopher Bell. In May 2015 Emma enjoyed great success as Gilda in Opera Theatre Company’s national tour of Rigoletto directed by Selina Cartmel. She went on to cover Gilda for Longborough Festival Opera in July. In March 2017 Emma travelled to Naples Florida to sing at the Kind Mariners Charity Gala and appeared on CBS TV. In June she will premier a new opera Front of House by composer Tom Lane at the Cork Midsummer Festival before returning to Wexford Opera Festival for their 2017 season. There she will sing the role of Polly in the world premier of The Dubliners by Andrew Synott and the role of Handmaiden in Medea directed by Fiona Shaw.
Emma is passionate about contemporary opera having performed in a workshop performance of Irene Buckleys new opera Lament for Art O Leary as part of the 2015 Midsummer Festival in Cork. She played the role of Narrator in Brian Irvine’s new opera The Oldest Woman in Limerick with Wide Open Opera in 2014. She created the role of Joan in Irene Buckleys live score for The Passion of Joan of Arc which since premiering at the Cork French Film Festival has enjoyed successes at Glasgow Film Festival and Union Chapel London among others.
A student of Suzanne Murphy other notable roles include Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia (Irish Youth Opera) and Janthe in Der Vampyr (The Everyman/Cork Operatic Society).
Emma has appeared as a guest soloist for the Welsh National Opera with David Pountney at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival where she showcased the work of contemporary opera composer Elena Langer. She sang the role of Moppet in the Royal Philharmonic Society opera award winning production of Paul Bunyan with the Welsh National Youth Opera (Wales Millennium Centre).
Other highlights include soprano soloist with the RWCMD Badinerie Ensemble (St Martin in the Fields), Pamina in the The Magic Flute (RWCMD), Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia (RWCMD), The Controller (cover) in Flight (RWCMD), Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld (Opera’r Ddraig), First Niece in Britten’s Women at the Bath International Music Festival (RWCMD) and scenes from Ariadne auf Naxos (Zerbinetta), The Cunning Little Vixen (Vixen), and Falstaff (Nanetta) with the RWCMD Concert Orchestra all conducted by David Jones.
An alumna of Opera Theatre Company's Young Associate Artist Programme Emma is a recipient of a Help Musicians U.K Sybil Tutton Award and two Arts Council Travel and Training Awards.
EMMA POWER - BMUS
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Emma, a Waterford native, was introduced to music through the WIT’s Choral Programme at a very young age. Progressing through the choirs in the programme, combined with individual lessons and musicianship classes – both provided by her director, Niall Crowley – lead Emma to studying music at third level.
In 2014, Emma graduated from the Cork School of Music with first class honours, having focused her studies on vocal performance with Mary MacSweeney and conducting with Alan Cutts. During her time in Cork, Emma was a member of Madrigal ’75 and Voci Nuove, two internationally acclaimed choirs (the latter of which she was directly involved in its founding), and was a member of the Irish Youth Chamber Choir for the ‘15/’16 season. She has enjoyed performing and competing in places like Toronto, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Northern Ireland as a chorister. As a soloist, Emma has worked with Cor Cois Abhainn (‘Messiah’), Cork Orchestral Society (‘Faust’) and Eat My Noise Productions (‘INCHOIR’, ‘Carinae’).
Since 2014, Emma has been a member of Ensemble Dagda, Ireland’s newest historically informed Baroque ensemble, specialising in works from the 17th Century. The Ensemble has enjoyed residencies at West Cork Chamber Festival, East Cork Early Music Festival, and have accepted a place as Apprentice Ensemble for the 2017/18 season as part of the Galway Music Residency.
As a professional chorister, Emma spent three years as a recipient of the Choral Scholarship awarded by St. Finbarre’s Cathedral, Cork. During the 2015/16 season, she was awarded a second scholarship by St. Peter & Paul’s Church, Cork, and split her time between both churches.
Emma has been teaching privately since 2015 in Waterford and Cork, giving lessons in musicianship, harmony and singing. She takes part in annual educational music workshops provided by West Cork Music for primary and secondary schools around Cork City and County during the school year. Emma is looking forward to starting work as part of the team at the Montfort College, meeting new students and making good music.
Majella Cullagh - MA
Majella Cullagh is one of Ireland’s foremost international sopranos. She graduated from London’s prestigious National Opera Studio in 1993 and has had a twenty year career on the operatic stage. Her performances have brought her to many of the important houses in Europe; she’s performed in New York, Dallas, California and as far afield as New Zealand. Highlights include performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall, at the Royal Swedish Opera, the Royal Danish Opera, Opera di Verona, Opera de Toulon, Edinburgh festival and the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo.
While Majella’s career has been concentrated on the operatic stage, she also performs extensively in oratorio and on the concert platform. She has sung recitals in London, Milan, Amsterdam, Catania, La Coruna, Pesaro and Stuttgart.
Majella has an impressive discography with over thirty recordings on the Opera Rara, Chandos and Naxos labels. Her latest release, on the Naxos label, is Rossini’s Le Siege de Corinthe, recorded live at the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad, Germany.
Majella received first class honours in her Taught Master’s Degree from the CIT Cork School of Music in 2009. She has recently entered the education arena and has adjudicated at the Royal Academy of Music and the DIT Conservatory, Dublin. Majella is a member of the board of directors at the Cork Opera House.
Ms. Cullagh performing - click here
Keith Greene - MA, BMUS, PDGE. DIPLCM. ATCL
Keith hails from Clonmel Co. Tipperary and is currently living in Cork city. Keith is a member of Defence Forces Ireland Band 1 Brigade, playing flute and piccolo. Keith undertook his professional training in University College Cork with an honours bachelor of music degree and continued his studies at Trinity College Dublin with a Post Graduate Diploma in Education. Keith's primary interests lie in musical theatre, a field in which he has worked extensively, both on and off the stage. He has taught with many stage schools in the south of Ireland, working in capacities of Musical Director, Choreographer and Producer. Performance credits include Reilly (Our Day Out), John The Baptist (Godspell), Billy Crocker (Anything Goes), Topper (Scrooge), Prince Charming (Cinderella), Pish Tush (Mikado), King Herod (Jesus Christ Superstar), Molokov (Chess), Moose (Crazy For You), Mr.Primm (Sleeping Beauty) and most recently Keith performed in the ensemble of Cork Operatic Societies 'Orpheus' in The Everyman Palace Cork.
Aonghus Joyce - BMus
A native of Letterfrack in Connemara, Aonghus Joyce started his piano studies with Sr Karol O’Connell of Kylemore Abbey. He went on to study with Eleanor Malone in the CIT Cork School of Music, graduating from the Bachelor of Music Degree course with First Class Honours in 2011. Aonghus is currently working towards his MA in Piano Performance in the Cork School of Music, studying under Nicholas O’Halloran and graduating in October 2014. He has been the grateful recipient of piano masterclasses from such distinguished pianists as Finghin Collins, Philippe Cassard, Romain Descharmes, Rokas Zubovas and Veronique Bonnecaze. Recent performances include a recital with internationally acclaimed soprano Mary Hegarty, as part of his MA studies. Upcoming engagements include a solo piano recital in the 37th Clifden Arts Festival, 2014.
A keen singer, Aonghus is continuing his vocal studies with Marian Crowley at the Cork School of Music and is currently working towards an Associate of the London College of Music qualification. He is heavily involved in group singing projects, in particular choral groups. He has been a tenor in the celebrated choir Madrigal '75 since 2009 and is also a member of the award-winning choir Voci Nuove.
FIONA O' REILLY - MA, BMUS, LTCL, PRII DIP IN PR
A B.Mus graduate from University College, Cork, with a Master of Arts in Music from Cork Institute of Technology and a Licentiate of Trinity College, London, Fiona began her vocal studies at the Cork School of Music with Mr. Robert Beare. She continued her studies in Dublin with Dr.Veronica Dunne and subsequently in London with Vocal coach Mr. David Harper. In addition to her vocal studies Fiona has also studied drama with well-known director and teacher Mary Curtin.
Fiona has extensive experience in the fields of opera, operetta, oratorio and recital. She has worked with Wexford Festival Opera, Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Co-Opera, and Opera South among others. Her roles include Mimi and Musetta (La Bohemè), Butterfly (Madam Butterfly),Countess Almaviva (Marriage of Figaro), Micaela (Carmen),Servilia (La Clemenza di Tito),Yum Yum (The Mikado), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance),Josephine (HMS Pinafore), Euredice and Diana (Orpheus in the Underworld), Fiona (Brigadoon).
Oratoria performances include The Messiah, Samson, Judas Maccabaeus(Handel) The Creation(Haydn) Requiem, Mass in C Minor (Mozart) Elijah (Mendelssohn) Petit Messe Solennelle (Rossini) Requiem (Brahms) Requiem(Faure) Gloria (Vivaldi)Stabat Mater(Dvorak).
Fiona has appeared in several broadcasts for television and radio. Recordings include a solo album of nostalgic songs entitled Love’s Old Sweet Song. She has toured with the operatic trio Voce di Donnain their highly acclaimed shows ‘Three Ladies and a Suitcase’, ‘Disarming Divas’and ‘You’d be surprised’.
She also staged a one woman musical theatre show ‘Love Life and Lyrics’to great acclaim and full houses.
EMMA NASH - MA (ADVANCED OPERA PERFORMANCE), BA
Irish soprano Emma Nash has been described as “outstanding...with a vivid stage presence” by The Arts Desk (Orpheus in the Underworld 2014), “splendid” by Opera Magazine (Der Vampyr 2014) and a soprano with a “exciting, individualised vocal colour” by Opera Today (Hansel and Gretel, Wexford Festival Opera 2015). Emma graduated with distinction from the M.A in Opera Performance course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she was winner of the Lee Freeman Scholarship Prize, the Dolan Evans Award and a Leverhulme Scholarship. Recent engagements include the role of Valencienne in a concert performance of The Merry Widow at the Cork Opera House. This was the second instalment of The Cork Opera House Concert Performance Series following the success of La Traviata (June 2016) in which Emma sang the roles of Aninna and Flora. In 2015 Emma made her Wexford Festival Opera debut as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and chorus in the mainstage productions of Koanga and Le Pré aux Clercs. She also made her solo debut with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra in December at The National Concert Hall under the baton of Christopher Bell. In May 2015 Emma enjoyed great success as Gilda in Opera Theatre Company’s national tour of Rigoletto directed by Selina Cartmel. She went on to cover Gilda for Longborough Festival Opera in July. In March 2017 Emma travelled to Naples Florida to sing at the Kind Mariners Charity Gala and appeared on CBS TV. In June she will premier a new opera Front of House by composer Tom Lane at the Cork Midsummer Festival before returning to Wexford Opera Festival for their 2017 season. There she will sing the role of Polly in the world premier of The Dubliners by Andrew Synott and the role of Handmaiden in Medea directed by Fiona Shaw.
Emma is passionate about contemporary opera having performed in a workshop performance of Irene Buckleys new opera Lament for Art O Leary as part of the 2015 Midsummer Festival in Cork. She played the role of Narrator in Brian Irvine’s new opera The Oldest Woman in Limerick with Wide Open Opera in 2014. She created the role of Joan in Irene Buckleys live score for The Passion of Joan of Arc which since premiering at the Cork French Film Festival has enjoyed successes at Glasgow Film Festival and Union Chapel London among others.
A student of Suzanne Murphy other notable roles include Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia (Irish Youth Opera) and Janthe in Der Vampyr (The Everyman/Cork Operatic Society).
Emma has appeared as a guest soloist for the Welsh National Opera with David Pountney at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival where she showcased the work of contemporary opera composer Elena Langer. She sang the role of Moppet in the Royal Philharmonic Society opera award winning production of Paul Bunyan with the Welsh National Youth Opera (Wales Millennium Centre).
Other highlights include soprano soloist with the RWCMD Badinerie Ensemble (St Martin in the Fields), Pamina in the The Magic Flute (RWCMD), Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia (RWCMD), The Controller (cover) in Flight (RWCMD), Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld (Opera’r Ddraig), First Niece in Britten’s Women at the Bath International Music Festival (RWCMD) and scenes from Ariadne auf Naxos (Zerbinetta), The Cunning Little Vixen (Vixen), and Falstaff (Nanetta) with the RWCMD Concert Orchestra all conducted by David Jones.
An alumna of Opera Theatre Company's Young Associate Artist Programme Emma is a recipient of a Help Musicians U.K Sybil Tutton Award and two Arts Council Travel and Training Awards.
EMMA POWER - BMUS
Emma, a Waterford native, was introduced to music through the WIT’s Choral Programme at a very young age. Progressing through the choirs in the programme, combined with individual lessons and musicianship classes – both provided by her director, Niall Crowley – lead Emma to studying music at third level.
In 2014, Emma graduated from the Cork School of Music with first class honours, having focused her studies on vocal performance with Mary MacSweeney and conducting with Alan Cutts. During her time in Cork, Emma was a member of Madrigal ’75 and Voci Nuove, two internationally acclaimed choirs (the latter of which she was directly involved in its founding), and was a member of the Irish Youth Chamber Choir for the ‘15/’16 season. She has enjoyed performing and competing in places like Toronto, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Northern Ireland as a chorister. As a soloist, Emma has worked with Cor Cois Abhainn (‘Messiah’), Cork Orchestral Society (‘Faust’) and Eat My Noise Productions (‘INCHOIR’, ‘Carinae’).
Since 2014, Emma has been a member of Ensemble Dagda, Ireland’s newest historically informed Baroque ensemble, specialising in works from the 17th Century. The Ensemble has enjoyed residencies at West Cork Chamber Festival, East Cork Early Music Festival, and have accepted a place as Apprentice Ensemble for the 2017/18 season as part of the Galway Music Residency.
As a professional chorister, Emma spent three years as a recipient of the Choral Scholarship awarded by St. Finbarre’s Cathedral, Cork. During the 2015/16 season, she was awarded a second scholarship by St. Peter & Paul’s Church, Cork, and split her time between both churches.
Emma has been teaching privately since 2015 in Waterford and Cork, giving lessons in musicianship, harmony and singing. She takes part in annual educational music workshops provided by West Cork Music for primary and secondary schools around Cork City and County during the school year. Emma is looking forward to starting work as part of the team at the Montfort College, meeting new students and making good music.