Paula Murrihy

Biography

Irish Mezzo-Soprano Paula Murrihy received her Bachelor of Music from DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin before continuing her studies in North America at the New England Conservatory. She also participated in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program and as an apprentice at Santa Fe Opera. A member of Oper Frankfurt’s acclaimed ensemble her many roles included Medoro Orlando Furioso, Dido Dido and Aeneas, Lazuli L’étoile, Octavian Der Rosenkavalier, and her role debut as Carmen in Barrie Kosky’s iconic production, which reprised in Frankfurt for their 2020 revival.

In the 20-21 season Paula makes her debut in the title role of Handel’s Ariodante in a livestream concert performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Christian Curnyn, and her debut as Orfeo in a concert performance of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Opera North, conducted by Laurence Cummings and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. She also sings Dorabella Cosi fan tutte at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, and returns to the role of Ariodante in her company debut at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. 

An accomplished recitalist, Paula has given performances at the Wigmore Hall with Malcolm Martineau, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Shannon International Music Festival, the Chancellor’s Concert at the University of Limerick, in Frankfurt and at the Diaghilev Festival in Perm. This season, she releases her debut solo album with American pianist Tanya Blaich on Orchid Classics. Titled I will walk with my love, the disc explores folk inspired songs and myths and features works by Brahms, Mahler, Debussy and Grieg, as well as traditional Irish folksong.

Recent highlights include her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, as Stéphano Roméo et Juliette, a return to Santa Fe Opera as Ruggiero in Alcina and Orlofsky Die Fledermaus and the Salzburg Festival as Idamante in Peter Sellars’ production of Idomeneo conducted by Teodor Currentzis. Last season Paula returned to Frankfurt to sing the title role in Fauré’s Pénélope, and has recently appeared with the Dutch National Opera as Octavian Der Rosenkavalier and Sesto La Clemenza di Tito, at Opernhaus Zürich as Concepcion in L’heure Espagnole and Cherubino Le Nozze di Figaro, at the Teatro Real in Madrid as Frances, Countess of Essex in Britten’s Gloriana, at Oper Frankfurt as the Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, and returned to her native Ireland to make her role debut as Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle for Irish National Opera.

Further appearances include her role debut as Elvira Don Giovanni with Orchestra of the 18th Century, Ino in Semele for Boston Lyric Opera, Ghosts of Versailles for Opera Theatre St Louis, Dido Dido and Aeneas for Los Angeles Opera, Tebaldo Don Carlo, and Mercedes Carmen for Covent Garden, Annio La Clemenza di Tito at the Théâtre Capitole Toulouse, Medoro Orlando Furioso for Opéra de Nice, Octavian Der Rosenkavalier at Staatsoper Stuttgart and Ascanio in Terry Gilliam’s production of Benvenuto Cellini at English National Opera.

On the concert platform Paula enjoys a close relationship with MusicAeterna and Teodor Currentzis and performances include Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, Purcell’s Indian Queen, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, Hindemith’s Die Junge Magd and Das Knaben Wunderhorn at the Mariinsky Theatre and on a tour of Europe. Highlights include her debut at the BBC Proms in 2016 in Haydn’s Paukenmesse and performing works by Tommaso Traetta with La Nuova Musica and David Bates at the Wigmore Hall, and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Sir Mark Elder and the Britten Sinfonia. Further concert appearances include Messiah with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Elijah with the Spanish National Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Christmas Oratorio with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Handel’s Solomon, Alexander’s Feast and Honneger’s Judith for the Nederlandse Programma Stichting, and Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In the United States she has worked with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where she premiered John Harbison’s Symphony No. 6, the Philadelphia Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven Symphony No. 9), the Handel and Haydn Society (Juno/Ino in Semele) and the St Paul Chamber Orchestra in performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion.