Carolyn Dobbin

Carolyn Dobbin, Irishmezzo-soprano, began her career as a teacher of Art and Design before commencing the Opera course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2002, where she studies with Patricia MacMahon.

Operatic roles performed at the RSAMD include Idamante (Idomeneo 2003), Cherubino (Figaro 2004), Squirrel (L’enfant et les sortileges 2003), Dido (Dido and Aeneas 2004) and she will perform the role of Ottavia (Poppea) in 2005.

For Castleward Opera, Carolyn has sung the roles of Maddalena (Rigoletto 2004), Alisa (Lucia di Lammermoor 2002), The Plaintiff (Trial by Jury 2002) and Barbarina (le nozze di Figaro 2001) and later in 2004 will be appearing with Irelands Opera Theatre Company in Vera of Las Vegas. Carolyn performed the role of Brautjungfern in Der Freischutz with Sir Charles Mackerras in the Edinburgh Festival 2004 and took part in the Britten-Pears performance of Handels L’allegro conducted by Richard Egarr 2004. In 2005 she will sing the role of the Witch in Dido and Aeneas with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at the Barbican and perform in scenes with the National Opera Studio in February. Carolyn will appear as DorabellaCosi fan tutte, directed by Sir Thomas Allen in the Samling Foundations inaugural operatic presentation at the Gateshead’s new Sage Theatre.

Carolyn has appeared as guest soloist and given recitals throughout the UK and Europe.
She has broadcast for the BBC and worked on the sound track for the film ‘Solid Air’ which was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival. Carolyn forms part of a group of musicians called Transfusion including John Wallace and performed a variety of music including De Falla’s sieteCanciones popularesEspanolas at the Kilkenny Festival 2003. She has also performed with Patricia MacMahon and the acclaimed accompanist, Malcolm Martineau in a recital in Edinburgh. She sang in Opera Gala concerts in Oslo, with Handmade opera in Malta and performed Mahler’s Ruckert lieder in Glasgow and Montsalvatge’s Canciones Negras in Belfast in 2004.

Oratorio performances includeVivaldi's Gloria, Mozart's Requiem, Haydn's Heiligmesse, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, Schubert’s Mass in Bb, The Russian Requiem by Elis Pehkonen and Handel’s Messiah at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. Future engagements include Beethovens Mass in C, Handel’s Coronation Mass, Rutter’s Buxtehude Magnificat and Mendelson’s Elijah.

Carolyn has won many competitions including Gold medal winner at the British Federation of festivals at Warwick University, the Margaret Dick Competition and was runner up for two years in prestigious Governors' Prize held at the RSAMD and represented the Academy in the Inter-conservatoire BruceMillar Competition.

She has taken part in many courses including the prestigious Samling Foundation, Britten-Pears Summer School , British Youth Opera workshop, Opera Plus, Hand Made Opera in Italy and Oxenfoord International Summer School which has led to her participation in Masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Sarah Walker, Philip Langridge and Della Jones.

For more information log on to www.carolyndobbin.com

Forthcoming performances :

Opera Theatre Company,Vera of Las Vegas, November 19 th 20 th Sligo, 23 rd Bray, 25 th Limerick, 27 th Cork, 29 th Galway, December 2 nd 4 th Dublin.

National Opera Studio Scenes, Orchestra of Scottish Opera, Glasgow, 23rd February 2005

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment,Didoand Aeneas,( Witch ) The Barbican, 2 nd April 2005

RSAMD production of Poppea,(Ottavia). Chandler Theatre RSAMD, Haddow House, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, May 2005 (dates to follow).

The Samling FoundationCosi Fan Tutte, ( Dorabella)‘Northern Symphonia Orchestra’, The Sage Theatre, Gateshead, 4 th, 6 th, 8 th and 9 th July 2005.

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