Music in Fermanagh
April 2018
Following his studies at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with Adrian Thompson Northern Irish tenor Andrew Irwin completed his training at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Leipzig under the tutelage of Prof. KS Roland Schubert.
Andrew is currently a member of the ensemble at Stadttheater Bremerhaven where this season he sings roles in The Tales of Hoffman, Die Entführung aus Dem Serail, Viktora und ihr Husar and the Emperor of Atlantis. In 22-23 he will sing the title role Orphée aux Enfers, Link Larkin Hairspray, Malcolm Macbeth and Dr Richardson Breaking the Waves.
Andrew made his Welsh National Opera début in the role of Amelia’s Servant Un Ballo in Maschera, also singing Cecil Roberto Devereux for the company. He has sung Telemaco in Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria for Longborough Festival Opera and an Opera Highlights tour for Scottish Opera for whom he covered the role of Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His opera engagements have also included Christoph in Maxwell Davies Kommilitonen! with Welsh National Youth Opera, Conte Almaviva in Paisiello Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Junge Mitteldeutsche Kammeroper, Don Ottavio Don Giovanni and Die Knusperhexe Hänsel und Gretel with the Leipzig Sommerorchester and Don Basilio and Don Curzio Le Nozze di Figaro with Clonter Opera.
Equally at home on the concert platform Andrew has performed works by Schütz, Mozart, Rossini and Stainer. A keen recitalist, his repertoire includes Schubert Die Schöne Müllerin, Schumann Dichterliebe, Britten Winter Words, Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel and Finzi Oh Fair to See. He has recorded Irish songs for BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Opera and recently released a disc of Irish, English and German songs with Ruth McGinley, piano.
Andrew won the 2017 Forde Taylor prize for Gilbert & Sullivan at the Feis Ceoil (Dublin) and the E.A. Redman prize for German Lieder performance at the RWCMD. He is grateful for the loyal support of The Fermanagh Trust, The Viola Westminster Bursary, The Joan Trimble Award and Mr Christopher Ball. Most recently he was awarded the Audience Prize at the Northern Ireland Festival of Voice.