Paula Murrihy
Representation: General Management
Mezzo-Soprano Paula Murrihy is a native of County Kerry, Ireland. She received her Bachelor in Music from DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin before going on to study for a Masters in Vocal Performance at New England Conservatory, where she was the recipient of the prestigious John Moriarty Presidential Scholarship and the Presser Award. Paula has participated in many young artist programmes including the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program and those at the Tanglewood Music Center, William Walton Foundation, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and more recently Santa Fe Opera. As a participant on the 2003 Vocal Fellowship Program at Tanglewood, she performed in the world premiere of the opera Ainadamar by Osvaldo Golijov, a work which she went on to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in Disney Hall.
Recent operatic performances include Ino in Semele for Boston Lyric Opera, performances as Dido in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas at the Teatro Comunale, Bologna, Messagiera Orfeo with the Handel and Haydn Society, 2nd Lady Die Zauberflöte for Santa Fe Opera, title role Ariodante for Emmanuel Music and Good Witch in Conrad Susa's Transformations for Wexford Festival Opera. Other stage roles include Suzy La Rondine with Boston Lyric Opera, Hänsel Hänsel und Gretel, Nancy Albert Herring and Diana La Calisto with New England Conservatory Opera Theatre. Paula made her Italian debut as Dido for the Lugo Opera Festival in 2007. In 2007 Paula was also part of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program where she created the role of Lucy Perez in the world première of Pasatieri’s Hotel Casablanca. Last season Paula joined Oper Frankfurt where her roles included 2nd Lady Die Zauberflöte, Flora La Traviata, Tebaldo Don Carlo and Maddalena Il Viaggio a Reims.
Paula’s extensive concert repertoire includes Vivaldi’s Gloria, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Schubert’s Mass in C, Mozart’s Requiem, and Bach’s St. John Passion. In the 2005/2006 season she was soloist in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with North Carolina Symphony and the Handel and Haydn Society. More recently Paula has performed in performances of Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem for the H&H Society, Mendelssohn’s Elijah Utah Symphony, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse Gabrieli Consort, Paukenmesse as part of the Tanglewood season and the St Matthew Passion both for Boston Symphony Orchestra.
An accomplished recitalist, Paula has also performed at the Aldeburgh Festival, UK, and was invited to participate in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Masterclass Series at Carnegie Hall, New York as well as a recital with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in the Shannon International Music Festival.
In 2008 Paula made her Royal Opera House debut as Tebaldo in the new production of Don Carlo with Antonio Pappano. Future plans include Annio La Clemenza di Tito for Chicago Opera Theater, Cherubino Ghosts of Versailles for Opera Theatre of St Louis and Wexford Festival Opera and Mercedes Carmen for the Royal Opera House in addition to further roles with Oper Frankfurt. Paula joins Oper Frankfurt as a member of their ensemble in September 2009.
Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Rosie Goddard
