Paula Murrihy
Internationally acclaimed Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy is a regular guest at the world’s major opera houses and concert halls, performing a wide-ranging repertoire. She was previously a member of the Ensemble at the Oper Frankfurt, where she created the title role in “Carmen” in Barrie Kosky’s iconic production, and also sang Octavian in “Der Rosenkavalier”, Dido in “Dido and Aeneas”, the title role in Fauré’s “Pénélope” and Polissena in “Radamisto”.
She opened her 2021/22 season with a company debut singing the Composer in Katie Mitchell’s production of “Ariadne auf Naxos” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona. Later in the season she returned to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow to reprise the title role in “Ariodante”, to the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia to sing Muse /Nicklausse in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” conducted by Marc Minkowski, and to Irish National Opera as Carmen. On the concert platform, Murrihy joined The English Concert to sing Micah in a performance of Handel’s “Samson” in London, as well as Ruggiero in “Alcina” in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and sang the role of Arsamene in Handel’s “Serse” for a tour of Spain and the US, at venues including Carnegie Hall. In Ireland Murrihy performed Berlioz’s “Les Nuits d’été” with the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
Last season, she made her debut in the title role in “Ariodante” in a livestreamed concert performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Christian Curnyn. She made her debut as Orfeo in a concert performance of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” with Opera North, conducted by Laurence Cummings and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and sang Dorabella in “Così fan tutte” at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia.
Further recent highlights include her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, as Stéphano in “Roméo et Juliette”, a return to Santa Fe Opera as Ruggiero in “Alcina” and as Orlofsky in “Die Fledermaus”, Concepción in “L’Heure espagnole” for the Zurich Opera House, Donna Elvira at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and an appearance at the Salzburg Festival as Idamante in Peter Sellars’s production of “Idomeneo” conducted by Teodor Currentzis.
An accomplished recitalist, Murrihy has given performances at the Wigmore Hall with Malcolm Martineau, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Shannon International Music Festival, the Chancellor’s Concert at the University of Limerick, in Frankfurt and at the Diaghilev Festival in Perm. In October 2020, she released her debut solo album with American pianist Tanya Blaich on Orchid Classics. Titled “I Will Walk with My Love”, the disc explores folk-inspired songs and myths and features works by Brahms, Mahler, Debussy and Grieg, as well as Irish folksongs.
As of January 2023