Master Class with the Celtic Tenors

Thursday, December 3, 2015, 4 pm to 6:30 pm
Campus: 
Dayton
M110 Creative Arts Center, Recital Hall
Audience: 
Future Students
Current Students
Faculty
Staff
Alumni
The public

CELIA and the Wright State University School of Music invite you to join us for a Master Class with the Celtic Tenors, Matthew Gilsenan, James Nelson, and Daryl Simpson. On December 3rd only, these world-class artists will conduct a master class including six WSU music majors on the Recital Hall stage, M110 Creative Arts Center, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Get tips and strategies from these masters who love what they do. You’ll love it too!

Facilitated by Dr. Peter Keates, this event is free and open to the public. For more information on the Celtic Tenors’ Dayton Christmas tour, visit the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s website at http://www.daytonperformingarts.org/philharmonic-performance/celtic-teno....

Matthew Gilsenan

Matthew Gilsenan was born into a hard-working farming family in North Meath. Steeped in the local musical traditions and raised by parents who shared a great love for music, from the great composers to obscure Irish folk, Matthew along with all his siblings was born to sing.

His classical training started in the Sisters of Mercy convent in Kells, Co.Meath, aged 10, and progressed to some of the great Irish and Scottish teachers. Although he ventured into opera and classical singing, Matthew never lost his love for the music of his youth, in particular the vibrant contemporary Irish music which is his great source of inspiration.

Matthew's busy singing life ran in parallel with his engineering career, but his desire to sing was too strong. So in 1997, he decided to take a six month sabbatical from engineering and embarked on his singing career. So in the space of one year, Matthew’s live singing moved from his engineering firms rock band to Ireland’s National Chamber Choir to the operatic stage and onwards, together with James, founding The Celtic Tenors, in a sensational boardroom signing with EMI classics. Matthew has never looked back!

James Nelson

James Nelson, from Sligo, though resident in Baltinglass in West Wicklow, James is a BA., B.Mus (Hons) graduate from UCD, and a student of David Harper (UK), Britta Sundberg (Sweden) and Edith Forrest & Dr Veronica Dunne (Ireland).

Highlights from an oratorio repertoire of over 60 works include Frank Martin’s “Golgotha” in Bern and Zürich Cathedrals, “L’Enfance du Christ” (Berlioz) alongside Katia Ricciarelli in Rome and Florence, as well as “Gerontius”, Verdi “Requiem”, Britten’s “St Nicolas”, Haydn’s “Creation”, the Bach Passions etc.

More than 50 roles in opera and operetta include Tichon (Katya) for Opera Theatre Company in Portugal, Josef (Wiener Blut) and Cecco (Il Mondo della Luna) also for OTC, Basilio (Figaro) for Scottish Opera under the baton of Raymond Leppard, Pinkerton (Butterfly) at Hever Castle in Kent, Snout/Wall (Midsummer Night’s Dream) for Singapore Lyric Opera, Cavaradossi (Tosca) and Calaf (Turandot) for Opera in the Open, Lensky (Onegin) in Russia, Alfredo (Traviata) at Como in Italy, and roles for Opera Ireland, Opera Liceu, New Israeli Opera, and the Wexford and Buxton Festivals.

James writes a column for the “Sligo Weekender” – “Nelson’s Column”. James is also part of an ongoing building project in Kenya, helping give AIDS orphans a second chance at life, building and upgrading their accommodation and education facilities, as well as teaching them music and performing in concerts with the kids. Check out www.kenyabuild.com . A debut charity CD is also available – “Cheryl’s Children – “On Top of the World”.

Daryl Simpson

Daryl Simpson, from Omagh, Northern Ireland, developed his love of music during schooling at Omagh Academy, which then led him to study at Queen’s University (Bmus), Royal Irish Academy of Music (DipMus), and Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (PgDipMus, MMus and MOpera).

After leaving Scotland, Daryl became an inaugural ‘Young Associate Artist’ at Opera Theatre Company, performing in various operas, recitals and broadcasts. He was then accepted to the prestigious Oper Zurich Studio, where he went on to perform several roles including Tamino (Die Zauberflöte). His concert/oratorio performances include appearing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra, as well as the Zurich Kammer Orchestra.

In September 1998 in the aftermath of the Omagh tragedy, Daryl formed the Omagh Community Youth Choir, bringing young people together to promote Peace and Reconciliation through music. OCYC has had unprecedented international success including recording with Lord Lloyd-Webber and appearing on The Royal Variety Show. Their collaboration with, ‘Playing for Change’, scored a US Billboard No 10, headlined at Glastonbury Festival and a release of, ‘All you Need is Love,’ for Starbucks/Red.

Daryl also plies his skills as an MD, Arranger and Vocal teacher but takes most pride from mentoring and developing young talent for a career in music.

For information, contact
Stephanie Dickey
CELIA Administrative Coordinator
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