From: Cork, Ireland. LA Opera: Second Harlot in Solomon (2023).
Irish mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, praised for her “bewitchingly beautiful, dark vibrant voice” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin under Veronica Dunne. She followed her studies by joining the Opera Studio at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich from 2016 to 2018.
In the 2022/23 season, Niamh returns to London to make her company debut with English National Opera as Mercédès in Carmen, also covering the title role. She returns to Irish National Opera for further performances of Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh's The First Child before making her role debut as Charlotte in Werther with the company. She also makes an eagerly-awaited return to Wexford Festival Opera for her role debut as Mirza in Félicien David’s Lalla-Rouhk. In concert, she will make her debut appearance with the English Concert and Harry Bicket for a tour of Solomon throughout the US and Europe.
Her numerous operatic engagements in Munich include Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, the Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul, Flora in La Traviata and Barena in Jenůfa. She also travelled with the company of the Bayerische Staatsoper for a concert performance of Der Rosenkavalier at Carnegie Hall, New York, conducted by Kirill Petrenko. Other operatic highlights include her 2018 Irish National Opera debut as Tisbe in La Cenerentola, appearing later with the company as Mercédès in Carmen, Alva in The First Child and in a co-production between the Royal Opera House and INO as Asteria in Bajazet. In 2022, Niamh made her debut at the Zurich Opera as Wellgunde in Andreas Homoki’s new production of Das Rheingold, later returning to the house to make her role debut as Meg Page in Falstaff opposite Sir Bryn Terfel.
In concert, Niamh has performed Elgar’s Sea Pictures at the Prinzregententheater as part of the Munich Festspiele in July 2019 and has sang both Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah with the Müncher Hofkantorei. She also performed the main role of Cain in Scarlatti’s Oratorio Il Primo Omicidio with the Jakobsplatz Orchester conducted by Daniel Grossmann.
