Tenor Anthony Kearns to Perform in THE IRISH RING CONCERT at the National Concert Hall This Week

World-renowned tenor Anthony Kearns will sing the tenor role in The Irish Ring Concert - i.e., a trilogy of Irish operas that includes Maritana, The Bohemian Girl and The Lily of Killarney - at Ireland's National Concert Hall this Tues., April 28 and Wed., April 29, 2015.

Said Mr. Kearns: "I'm very pleased to return to the National Concert Hall Dublin to sing the tenor role in The Irish Ring trilogy - a production that includes some of the world's most beautiful opera. I hope our audiences will enjoy it as much as I will."

Mr. Kearns last performed in The Lily of Killarney in 2007 with the Royal Dublin Society - the first complete performance of the opera since the early 20th century. He previously sang the role in the U.S. in 2002.

Kearns has been critically praised for his vocal abilities and effortless range. He made his official U.S. Grand Opera debut in 2011 as the lead tenor in the role of "Edgardo" in Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Naples [Florida].

His first role with the opera company was "Romeo" in Romeo & Juliet: Then and Now. Other roles include "Don José" in the Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown Glasthule Opera Company's production of Georges Bizet's Carmen, "Don Ottavio" in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Lismore Music Festival, and "Alfred" in a concert-staged performance of Johann Strauss' operetta, Die Fledermaus, with The Emerald City [Steamboat Springs, Colorado] Opera. Kearns returned to Opera Naples as lead tenor in Charles Gounod's Faust, a role he previously performed with Opera Ireland (nominated for best production in The Irish Times Theater Awards in 2006). Other roles include "Fenton" in Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff (in Montepulciano, Italy) and "Rinuccio" in Puccini's comic opera, Gianni Schicci, with Opera Ireland.

Besides Kearns, the all-Irish cast includes: Emma Walsh, soprano; Derek Ryan, bass-baritone; and Deirdre Masterson, mezzo-soprano.

The production will also feature The Irish Ring Orchestra, conducted by maestro Aidan Faughey, and the Enchiriadas Treis Choir led by Music Director Cathal Clinch. Jim Molloy Promotions is presenting the three operas.

Maritana is a grand opera composed by William Vincent Wallace, which includes the songs "The Angelus Chorus," "In Happy Moments," and "Scenes that are Brightest," among others. The Bohemian Girl was composed by Michael William Balfe, and is most known for its aria, "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls," recorded by Joan Sutherland and Irish singer Enya. The Lily of Killarney is an opera by Sir Julius Benedict, and contains the favorites: "The Moon Hath Raised her Lamp Above," "It is a Charming Girl I Know," "I'm Alone," and "Eily Mayoureneen."

Mr. Kearns, who resides in the U.S.A., is a respected ambassador of Ireland to the world. His solo career includes concerts, high-profile celebrity engagements, major television appearances, operas, and collaborations with some of the world's most renowned orchestras. He has had the honor to perform for three U.S. Presidents. In fall 2013, Kearns released his debut solo album, "With a Song in My Heart."

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