Announcement
The Board of Northern Ireland Opera wishes to share a difficult decision regarding the future direction of our programming. After a period of strategic review, the Board has decided to conclude our annual residency in Glenarm. This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment it will cause.
As Trustees, our primary charitable obligation is to ensure the long-term resilience of Northern Ireland Opera. In a challenging and rapidly shifting financial landscape, we have a duty to consolidate our resources and refocus on our core functions ie, The production of full-scale opera and the maintenance of year-round artist development. The delivery of our national mandate across the whole of Northern Ireland.
To protect these fundamental pillars of our mission, we must make difficult choices about how and where we deploy our limited resources. Our focus must now be on ensuring that Northern Ireland Opera can continue to produce world-class work that sustains the professional opera sector in this country for years to come.
The Festival’s success over the last 15 years is due in no small part to the extraordinary commitment and vision of Dame Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle, whose leadership and generosity have sustained and shaped the event since its inception. We also recognise the invaluable contribution of distinguished coaches and mentors, including the late Kathryn Harries OBE, Dr Ingrid Surgenor MBE and Professor Mark Wildman, whose work has had a lasting impact on generations of singers. We also give special thanks to Sean Rafferty MBE, BBC’s Richard Yarr MBE, Simon Lepper, the Earl and Countess of Antrim, Richard Hamilton and Alastair J. Rankin MBE.
Northern Ireland Opera’s commitment to training young local talent remains steadfast and we will continue to deliver as much specialised training as we can through the Chorus Development Programme, Young Artist Programme, Morning Melodies, our Schools GCSE and A’ Levels outreach, HMP Hydebank Wood College Women’s Choir and our community and creative skills outreach.
Northern Ireland Opera extends its sincere thanks to Glenarm Castle, St Patrick’s Church Glenarm, The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Seaview Integrated Primary School, the Village Community and all those who have contributed to the festival over the past fifteen years, including artists, audiences, partners, funders, and the Glenarm community.
The Board of Northern Ireland Opera 21 April 2026
The 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice, August 2025
The festival featured public recitals and events, including three concerts in partnership with and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and culminated in a vocal competition hosted by Northern Ireland Opera Patron and broadcaster Sean Rafferty.
The 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice took place from 22-24 August 2025 – find out more here
BBC Radio 3 Recitals
The BBC Radio 3 recitals are free to attend (tickets available by applying via a ticket draw at BBC Shows and Tours) . These three recitals are recorded live by BBC Radio 3 and subsequently edited into four lunchtime concerts, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 a few weeks after the festival.
The BBC Radio 3 Recitals for 2025 were on a theme of ‘Landscapes’ and featured mezzo soprano Carolyn Dobbin with BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists baritone James Atkinson and tenor Santiago Sanchez, with pianist Simon Lepper who curated the recital series. These recitals will be broadcast as the Lunchtime Concerts on BBC Radio 3 in Autumn 2025.
Vocal Competition
Singers were chosen from applications from across the island of Ireland after submitting a recording and spend four days working with top opera and song professionals who in 2025 will be Dr Ingrid Surgenor and Professor Mark Wildman.
The singers and pianists involved with the Glenarm Festival of Voice competition benefit from a highly focused experience and the opportunity to perform and make contacts with opera professionals. The winner of the competition is awarded the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize, and becomes the NI Opera Young Opera Voice for that year. The judges also choose the winner of the Song Prize, and the audience vote for the winner of the Kathryn Harries Audience Prize.
The winner of the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize for 2025 was Éadaoin Hassett (soprano), Aimee Kearney (soprano) was winner of the Kathryn Harries Audience Prize, Clare Quinn (soprano) winner of the Chair of the Jury’s Special Prize and Jacq Herbots (tenor) winner of the Song Prize. The Peter Rankin Piano Intern was Orlaith Sharkey.
You can read the finalists’ biographies by clicking here.
Review of the Competition Finale in ‘Seen and Heard International’
Afternoon Concert
The Afternoon Concert takes place on the Saturday of the festival and features a Northern Irish opera singer performing a relaxed recital between 3 and 4pm. For the 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice this event was performed by mezzo soprano Carolyn Dobbin with pianist Tristan Russcher. Carolyn explored how Ulster Scots song has changed over time: from folk song evolving into classical art song to folk song influences in contemporary song.
Morning Craft and Drama Activities for Children
As part of our commitment to outreach and education, we provide free workshops and activities for local children on the Saturday of the festival, as well as visiting Seaview Integrated Primary School in term time to deliver a workshop around the skills used in opera, from singing, to drama, to costume design.
Children’s Drama and Craft Workshop at The Coach House event tickets from TicketSource
Patrons of The Glenarm Festival of Voice
Patrons: The Earl and Countess of Antrim
Vice-Patrons: Richard Hamilton and Ben McAteer.
We are grateful to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, our donors, supporters and friends and our principal funder, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland for supporting the 15th Glenarm Festival of Voice.
Click through our gallery below to see some images from previous Festivals over the last fifteen years.
