We are delighted to be starting our series of spring concerts in Castleisland this year. We are even more delighted to be joined by the Differter Saitenspielkreis from Germany, a plucked string orchestra with whom we have performed before, many moons ago, and by Ailish Walshe and the Castleisland Presentation Secondary School and Community choirs. It promises to be a wonderful evening of music and all proceeds are going to the Castleisland Day Care Centre to fund their wonderful work.
And Kerry Choral Union is ready to sing all about it.
With a luxury selection box of musical talent, do we have a show for you. Tickets are available from Kerry Choral Union members and at the door on the night. Come on in out of the cold and let us put you in the festive spirit!
Kerry Choral Union is delighted to announce that Maksym Lozovyi will also be joining us on stage at our Christmas Gala concert on Sunday night. Maksym is a famous baritone from Ukraine and is especially well-known in his native city of Kherson. Due to the atrocities of the war being waged against his country, Maksym was forced to leave his city with his family.
In Ukraine, Maksym performed to sold out audiences. His baritone voice is full of extraordinary timbre and he is a very musical and artistic performer. His favorite genre is opera, but he also sings popular music. Maksym has won many prizes in Ukraine for his singing including;
– Second prize at the international opera vocal competition “Open international audition” (2018, Rimini, Italy)
– A special prize for best singer at the international M. Magomayev competition in Lviv 2019.
– He has also participated in a major international opera festival in Kherson (2020)
Maksym tells us he is very happy to perform in Tralee on Sunday as a guest soloist with Kerry Choral Union, but he’s not as happy as we are to have him.
Lucy White has a BMus from Huddersfield University where she specialized in performance. She taught violin and performed with several orchestras throughout the UK before moving to County Kerry in 2001 where she has continued to perform and teach. In 2016 she was a founding member of Kerry Scotia Ensemble, Kerry’s only professional string ensemble and in 2019, alongside 2 teaching colleagues, established Sempre Music Academy, providing quality string and piano tuition throughout County Kerry.
Megan O’Neill is a soprano from Killarney, County Kerry. She completed her BMus Degree in Maynooth University in 2018 and graduated with a First Class Honours Degree. In August 2020, she completed her Masters in Music Performance Degree at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where she received a First Class Honours. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Music Performance Degree at the RIAM. Megan was a lead soloist at the prestigious Maynooth Annual Carol Service under the direction of Dr John O’Keeffe. In 2016, she featured as a soloist with ‘Choir of the World’ Maynooth University Chamber Choir on their tour of America and China. In 2019, Megan played the role of Mary-Braud in the Irish première of the opera Banished by British composer Stephen McNeff. Later in 2019, she played the role of Sirena in Francesca Caccini’s opera Alcina at the Abbey Theatre, gaining her a feature in The Irish Times. She starred as Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia by Benjamin Britten in the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2019, coached by Brenda Hurley. Megan performed at the launch of Sorolla, Spanish Master of Light, the 2019 exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland curated by Ann Murray and was a featured soloist in A Heavenly Christmas Tree by Colin Mawby, conducted by Blanaid Murphy at St Ann’s Church, Dublin. In November 2020, she was awarded second prize in the Irené Sandford singing competition. Megan is also a part of the Camerata Ireland Academy for the year 2020/2021.
