Acclaimed Offaly singer selected to record in studio with RTÉ Concert Orchestra

Offaly singer Deirdre Higgins has been selected to record in studio with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Higgins was one of five singers chosen for the prestigious opportunity courtesy of RTÉ lyric fm, in association with the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition.

The competition invites the most talented young singers to compete on this global stage, with a star-studded jury, international press coverage, and exposure to the most influential people in the industry.

As a result of her success in the competition, she will have the unique opportunity to rehearse and record in Studio 1 in the RTÉ Radio Centre with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under conductor Gavin Maloney.

The studio recordings will then be showcased this spring across RTÉ lyric fm, from Marty in the Morning to Lorcan Murray’s Classic Drive and will include a selection of arias from Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Gounod, Dvorak, and Charpentier.

Higgins is a classically trained soprano and was a member of the Irish National Opera Studio from 2023-2025. 

Her vast experience with INO included covering key roles such as Mimì in La Bohème (Puccini) and Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust and she has sung the role of Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore.

As part of her accomplished career, Deirdre has also worked with the esteemed Wexford Festival Opera since 2022. In the 2024 festival, she debuted as Eileen O’Doherty in the premier of Alberto Caruso’s Lady Gregory in America.

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Aside from Higgins, The other competition winners are tenor Patrick Hyland from Kildare, tenor Seán Tester from Louth, tenor Cathal McCabe from Dublin, and baritone Seán Boylan from Meath.

Sinéad Wylde, Head of RTÉ lyric fm, said: “At RTÉ lyric fm, we have an important commitment to nurture new voices and give singers the opportunity to be heard on lyric fm at this early stage in their operatic careers."

She continued: We have worked closely with Dearbhla Collins, Artistic Director of the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, to identify this new generation of opera singers to introduce them to RTÉ lyric fm listeners all over Ireland.

Wylde insists that this opportunity can be a vital stepping stone in growing the careers of the singers involved. She explains: "This initiative will also help to develop their careers, providing each singer with a crafted studio broadcast recording which will no doubt lead to many more performance opportunities both in Ireland and internationally."

Dearbhla Collins, Artistic Director of the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, added: "One tool that young singers are often missing in building their career and developing opportunities is excellent quality recordings, and to have the opportunity to create these with an orchestra of the quality of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is an outstanding opportunity.”