Owen Gilhooly

Owen studied with Jean Holmes at the Limerick School of Music and as a Peter Pears Scholar at the Royal College of Music, studying with international soprano Graziella Sciutti and Margaret Kingsley.  He subsequently joined the National Opera Studio, continuing his studies with Russell Smythe. Owen currently studies with Janice Chapman in London.

He represented Ireland at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2007 and has been the recipient of many awards including the Ralph Vaughan Williams NOS Award, Sybil Tutton Trust Bursary, Christopher Ball Bursary, West Belfast Classical Bursary, The Madeline Finden Vocal Award, Great Elm Vocal Award and bursaries from the Arts Council of Ireland.

He has appeared in principal roles with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, English Touring Opera, Lyric Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North, The Opera Group and the, as well as Wexford Festival Opera, Lismore Music Festival, Buxton Festival Opera, Les Azuriales Opera & Musikverkstatt Wien.

In concert he has appeared with the RTÉ NSO & CO, IBO, Irish Chamber and Ulster Orchestras and internationally with the Bournemouth and Tokyo Symphony Orchestras, the Royal Liverpool and London Philharmonic Orchestras as well as appearances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in works including Berlioz’ “L’enfance du Christ” and The Bridegroom in The Vanishing Bridegroom, Bill Bobstay in HMS Pinafore and Konecký in Osud at the BBC Proms.

Significant performances include Robert in the world premiere of Luke Bedford’s Through His Teeth (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Emilio (Il Cappello Di Paglia di Firenze) (Wexford Festival Opera), Escamillo (Carmen) (Opera Theatre Company), Valentin (Faust) (Everyman Theatre, Cork) and Beethoven’s “Christus am Olberge” in Spain with Camerata Ireland, Handel Messiah Irish Baroque Orchestra & Irish Chamber Orchestra and Verdi Requiem at the Cork International Choral Festival.

His discography includes Weir: The Vanishing Bridegroom BBC Symphony   Orchestra/Brabbins, Hurd: The Aspern Papers Ulster Orchestra/Vass, Joyce Songs: James Joyce’s Musical Dublin RTÉ Concert Orchestra/Houlihan, May: Sunlight and Shadow RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra/Houlihan.

In recent years,  Owen’s voice has now moved into the tenor range with focus on lyric spinto repertoire. Recent engagements included Monostatos, First Armed Man (Die Zauberflöte) for Cork Opera House, Verdi Requiem, Gaston La Traviata, Remendado Carmen and Lensky Eugene Onegin, Sun in the world premiere of The Nightingale and the Rose and Borsa Rigoletto.