LOOKING for a night of classical music featuring some of the best up-and-coming Irish artists? Look no further than the Rising Stars Concert series at University Concert Hall in Limerick, taking place on Thursday April 20. This year’s concert will feature a diverse group of talented musicians including Grace Coughlan on cello, Aimee Kearney and Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada on soprano, Valentine Laporte on flute, and Anna Mitchell on violin.
These gifted artists hail from top music schools around the country including MTU Cork School of Music, the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, The Royal Irish Academy of Music, TU Dublin Conservatoire, and the Irish National Opera Young Artist Studio. The concert program is chosen by the artists themselves, making for a unique and intimate evening of music.
Anna Mitchell is a rising star in the classical music world, currently completing her MA in Classical String Performance at the Irish World Academy in Limerick. She has performed with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra on numerous occasions and was awarded the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Emerging Artist Grant along with the RTÉ Lyric FM Scholarship in 2021.
Grace Coughlan, who recently graduated with First Class Honours from MTU Cork School of Music, is continuing her cello studies with Christopher Marwood in the Master of Arts in Performance program. Aimee Kearney, winner of the Contemporary Irish Music Cup in the Feis Ceol 2023 and the Irene Sandford Award 2021, is a soprano studying at The Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Valentine Laporte is a third-year Bachelor of Music student at TU Dublin Conservatoire, where she is studying flute with Ciarán O’Connell. She previously completed a Musical Studies Diploma in 2019 from the Toulouse Conservatoire in France.
Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada is an Irish soprano based in Ireland and the UK, having recently graduated from Royal Academy Opera where she studied with Kate Paterson and Raymond Connell. She is now a member of the Irish National Opera Young Artist Studio.
Hosted by RTÉ Lyric FM’s Liz Nolan, this concert promises to be a memorable evening of classical music. Pianist Dearbhla Collins will provide accompaniment on the night. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience these rising stars in person! Visit www.uch.ie to book your tickets now.
