Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra
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Anne O'Byrne
Soprano
Richmond, VA

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The Irish Times described Anne O'Byrne as "... a revelation. She sang with exemplary purity of tone and a fluency that could only come from a clear understanding of the composer’s aims."

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What you need to know about Anne O'Byrne:

Irish soprano, Anne O’Byrne hails from Dublin, where, as a young singer, she became a member of the Irish Radio Choir, broadcasting every week on national radio.  She then was awarded scholarships to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. This led to a career in opera and concert which has taken her all over the world.

Anne has worked with many leading conductors and producers – Sir Simon Rattle; Sir Andrew Davis; Jonathan Miller C.B.E; and Trevor Nunn C.B.E.  She has sung over twenty major roles - in Italy, France, Portugal, the UK, Ireland, Australia and the US -  including Pamina in Mozart’s Magic Flute; Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto; Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème; Suzanna in Le Nozze di Figaro; and Leila in Bizet’sPearlfishers.  She has also created roles in new operas for the Wexford, and Covent Garden International Festivals, and recorded for Irish television, the BBC and NPR.

Anne moved to the United States in 2002 where her first appearance was a performance of Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas brasilieras no. 5 with the Richmond Symphony.  Her concert repertoire ranges across a wide spectrum, from early works such as Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 to classical masterpieces like Mozart’s C Minor Mass with the London Symphony Chorus, to modern gems suchas John Tavener’s To a child dancing in the wind. Ms O’Byrne revels in some of the more unusual and exotic requirements of her profession, such as donning a cowl and habit to perform Maxwell Davies’ Missa super l’homme armé ; singing 36 Brahm’s Lieder for Richmond Ballet’s George Balanchine choreographed Liebeslieder Waltzer; or singing Mozart arias to accompany a Burlesque Show!

Since her move to the U.S. with her husband David Fisk, the executive director of the Richmond Symphony, and their two children, Fionnuala and Oliver, Anne has performed for Virginia Opera, Richmond Symphony, and many East Coast choral societies.  She recently had leading roles in Capitol Opera’s Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), and Into the Wood Production’s Minerva (Handel).  Ms O’Byrne has taught voice for over 20 years, and is a voice instructor at U of R, and GreenSpringInternational Academy of Music. Many of her students are top prizewinners in National Competitions and have followed Anne’s lead by also performing in venues like Carnegie Hall.  In 2017 Anne sang the National Anthem for President Barack Obama when he visited Richmond.  She is delighted to be singing with the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time in this concert of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
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  • Home
    • Your Symphony Experience
  • Donate
  • About
    • What to Expect
    • Past Guest Artists
    • History
  • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • Music Director
    • Assistant Conductor
    • Concertmaster
    • Musicians
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Auditions >
      • Audition Requirements
    • Volunteer