Young Tralee singer scoops up awards at Feis Maitiu                  

Young Tralee soprano, Aisling O’ Carroll, continued her award-winning streak this week by taking two first prizes (in the Oratorio and Lieder categories), three seconds (Grand Opera, Early Music and Vocal Recital) and the overall singing award – the Martgaret Dillon Cup at this year’s Cork Feis Maitiu. 18-year-old Aisling, who in 2008 won the Killarney Rotary Club Musician of the Year competition and Kerry School of Music Student of the Year is a Leaving Certificate student in Brookfield College, Tralee and daughter of Kerry School of Music Principal Aidan O’ Carroll who also acts as her vocal coach and accompanist. Aisling also studies with international soprano Cara O’ Sullivan.

The Feis Maitiu, now in its 82^nd year, is considered to be one of Europe’s largest and most well-organised performing arts festivals and runs over nine weeks every spring attracting upward of 10,000 entries.

Listen to Aisling O'Carroll

“It was my first time in open competition and I had no idea what to expect” says Aisling, who is also an accomplished ballerina and plays Violin, Viola and Piano to Diploms level. “Classical singing something quite new in  my life. I only started having lessons with my father in January 2008. I was the youngest singer in all the competitions having just turned eighteen two days before Christmas. So I was just outside the under 18 age category. I knew that many of the singers would be full-time music undergraduates and post-graduates. As it transpired my chief rival, a Czech Mezzo-Contralto, who eventually alternated all first and second prizes with me is a Masters graduate in Vocal performance who has studied with almost every famous teacher in the country! I was terribly intimidated at first but felt that I acquitted myself quite well in the end”

“I was particularly impressed to discover legendary names like Cara O’ Sullivan, Finbarr Wright, Mary Hegarty, Majella Cullough and the names of great Tralee singers Kay Lynch and Miriam Murphy on the three trophies that I won!”

Aisling has no immediate musical plans. “I’m singing Messiah next week at the Dominican Church with the Kerry Chamber Orchestra and Choir. This summer I’m playing the role of Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro in a Kerry School of Music Youth Opera project and have quite a few recital and concert opportunities lined up for the rest of the year. Before that, however, there’s a little matter called the Leaving Cert to attend to in the next month or so. So I really have to get my head down.”

“What I really want is for my voice to strengthen and mature for a couple of years while I build up a proper repertoire. I’d also like to perform as much as possible but not have to rely on singing for my livelihood. So I imagine I’ll take a degree in something else and continue studying singing for the moment in my spare time”

The Kerry Chamber Choir, Orchestra and soloists  - including Aisling O’ Carroll - perform Handel’s Messiah to celebrate the composer’s 250 anniversary Easter Tuesday at the Holy Cross Dominican Church, Day Place, Tralee at 8pm. The concert is free and open to all.