Cork Proms is back this month!
Kicking off on 19 April, The Cork Proms will feature three concerts with distinct musical themes.
"The Cork Proms is a festival of music for everyone and one of our own productions that we hold most dear at Cork Opera House,” said Cork Opera House CEO and Artistic Director, Eibhlín Gleeson.
The first show, ‘Epic Icons of Musical Theatre’, will showcase some of the most memorable and soaring anthems of musicals that have shaped the theatrical world, as well as bringing to life some of the unforgettable characters who have defined the stage, from Nancy in ‘Oliver!’, Jean Valjean in ‘Les Misérables’, to Maria in ‘The Sound of Music’.
Curated by dynamic Cork talent Trevor Ryan and conducted by John O’Brien, the evening will feature a stellar line up homegrowns start Claire O’Leary and Shane O’Riordan, alongside Ben Morris, Juliette Crosbie, and Jacinta Whyte. Together they will deliver a spellbinding evening of favourites from Broadway to The West End.
On 23 April, ‘The Ultimate Classics’ concert will take audiences on a dazzling journey of iconic masterpieces from popular culture. From the thrilling strains of ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, to Rossini’s exhilarating ‘William Tell Overture’ and Wagner’s iconic ‘Ride of the Valkyries’, the evening pays tribute to many of the most iconic cinematic, TV, and cultural moments.
The concert is curated and conducted by acclaimed pianist and musical supremo Gary Beecher, who has recorded and performed as a soloist with both the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
The Cork Proms will conclude with ‘Kings, Queens and Princes of Pop’ on 26 and 27 April, a night of pure pop magic curated by Cork Opera House CEO and Artistic Director Eibhlín Gleeson and celebrated Cork musician Jack O’Rourke.
Renowned performers Gemma Sugrue, who shot to prominence as a soloist with Jenny Greene and RTÉ Concert Orchestra; Shobsy, who recently signed an international publishing deal with Pangea International Music Publishing; Sexy Tadgh, heralded as Irish Times 50 to watch in 2024; and Lucia Evans, a winner of RTÉ’s You're a Star and live vocalist with the legendary Van Morrison.
The singers will deliver a show-stopping celebration of the greatest hits from some of the world’s greatest performers such as Queen, Prince, Elton John, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Michael Jackson, and George Michael. The performers will be accompanied by the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, conducted by Elaine Kelly. Eibhlín Gleeson said: “It gives us immense pride to be able to bring together so many superb artists, many of whom have a long history with Cork Opera House.”
Tickets are now available for The Cork Proms at corkoperahouse.ie.