Soprano brings Irish luck to CT
2008-03-12 13:49
Birgit Ottermann
Cape Town - Rising Irish opera star Celine Byrne will be sharing her Irish luck and charm with guests at the 3rd annual St Patrick's Ball at Cape Town's historic Castle of Good Hope on Saturday.
The talented lyric soprano will enchant guests with her beautiful voice at the glittering charity ball, which will bring together the very best of Cape Town and Ireland in celebration of Ireland's patron saint St Patrick.
Apart from all the glitz and glamour, the ball will also feature a high-stakes auction in aid of charity - the brainchild of Howard Eurocape's Frank Gormley, who has remained committed in assisting previously disadvantaged individuals and communities in their quest for entrepreneurial and developmental skills.
Celine is the perfect person to add an Irish touch to this special event, as St Patrick has only brought her luck.
Maria Callas winner
Last year, on St Patrick's Day, the young diva won the first prize in the prestigious Maria Callas Grand Prix singing competition in Athens.
"And this year, I will celebrate the one year anniversary of my St Patrick's Day win, by singing at the St Patrick's Ball," the bubbly singer told News24 in Cape Town on Monday.
Interestingly enough, last year was also the 30th anniversary of the death of famous soprano Maria Callas, and as chance would have it, the 30-year-old Celine was born in the same year Maria Callas died.
Is it all coincidence? Well, perhaps, but Celine Byrne has been a very lucky girl to date.
The Maria Callas Prize is the latest of numerous awards that she has won.
She has also been fortunate enough to perform at major concert houses both in Ireland and abroad, including New York's Carnegie Hall, the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the Hermitage in St Petersburg, where she was greeted with enthusiastic acclaim by her audiences.
Roberto Alagna
Some of the highlights for 2008 include singing for the Pope at The Vatican and another concert at Carnegie Hall.
Celine has also performed with other great singers including French tenor Roberto Alagna in Moscow and St Petersburg in November last year.
"It was a wonderful experience. We got on so well. Roberto has got a great sense of humour. I'm very chatty, so it was great that he was so relaxed."
Despite all the obvious success, Celine never considered becoming an opera singer when she was a child.
"I've always loved singing, but becoming an opera singer was never something I dreamed of," she confessed to News24.
'Not a real job'
"We have a very good education system in Ireland and students are encouraged to study towards 'real jobs', so a music career, which can be very unstable and insecure, was never really an option for me," says Celine, who lives in Naas, in Ireland's County Kildare.
However, after completing her school education, Celine decided to take the year off to work and figure out what she wanted to do with her life. "I also took singing lessons as a hobby," she says.
The innocent hobby turned into Celine's discovery of a great talent, and by the end of that year Celine decided to study music at Dublin's Royal Irish Academy of Music.
"It is just something that came easy to me from the beginning and has continued to give me great joy," she reveals.
The lyric soprano, whose roles include Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, Mimi in La Boheme, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, will be singing some of her favourite opera arias at St Patrick's Ball including O mio babbino caro (from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi) and Catalani's haunting La Wally aria Ebben, ne andro lontana.
Three sexy tenors
Celine will also sing a selection of Irish songs and is especially looking forward to performing the popular Brindisi (of Verdi's La Traviata) with Cape Town Opera's three tenors Marcus Desando, Sipho Fubesi,
and Phandulwazi Maseti. "I hope they're sexy," she giggles.
This is Celine Byrne's first visit to South Africa.
"Cape Town is a beautiful city," says Celine. "I'm so glad to have some time for sightseeing. Sometimes I only have a few days in a city and because of a hectic rehearsal schedule don't get to see much."
An excited Celine told News24 about her planned trip to Table Mountain and Cape Point and also of the 2-day safari that she wants to squeeze in before the ball on Saturday.
First love
Accompanying Celine on her South African visit, is her husband Thomas Deans, whom she first met when she was only 14.
"He was my first kiss," she confesses, "but I was far too young to have a boyfriend. We remained friends and even performed together in a few amateur musicals, and many years later we got married," she says.
The pair have three children, 2 boys (aged 11 and 2) and a girl (aged 6). "She's the little princess, she still believes she'll grow wings," Celine jokes.
Isn't it difficult to follow a demanding opera career and have a family, News24 asks.
"It's not always easy," Celine confesses, "but in a way it inspires me to work even harder. Time can be limited and precious when you're a mother, and as a result I'm much more focused and work much harder. I'm VERY organised," Celine says with emphasis.
'Don't get obsessed'
"I'm also glad that I got kids at a young age. At 30 I'm still young in opera terms. When I'm older and my career is in full bloom, my kids will also be older and able to travel with me. It really is a privilege to have children," she adds.
Family life has also given Celine some perspective.
"Opera can be a real 'dog eat dog' world and people can get so obsessed with their careers. I'm very determined, but I try to keep a balance and not lose the joy of singing. It's always nice to remember that I have another life too, I have a family," she says.
What would Celine's dream opera role be one day?
"I would love to sing Violetta in La Traviata - it would really suit my personality," she laughs.
"Yes, Celine is very extroverted and loves to flirt," her husband Thomas is quick to confirm.
And what advice would she give to other young singers, News24 asks.
"Follow your dreams, but don't become obsessed. If you have the talent and passion, go for it. Take good care of your voice and know your limits, but most importantly respect yourself and respect the people around you."
- News24