18 April 2025
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Cork Opera House is thrilled to present the return of The Cork Proms over five nights in April, featuring the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra and a host of Leeside and Ireland’s finest performers, celebrating the music of the Kings, Queens and Princes of Pop, The Ultimate Classics and the Icons of Musical Theatre.
Claire O’Leary
The Cork Proms will feature three concerts with distinct musical themes. Whether you’re a classical connoisseur, a musical theatre fan, or a lover of pop music, this musical extravaganza has it all.
Beginning on Saturday April 19th, prepare for a night of breath taking musical theatre as The Cork Proms opens with a spectacular show in Epic Icons of Musical Theatre. Not only will this concert showcase some of the most memorable and soaring anthems of musicals that have shaped the theatrical world, it will also bring 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 two dynamic Cork talents in Trevor Ryan (The Montforts and Cork Opera House panto) and conducted by John O’Brien (Morrigan and the Nightingale of the Rose), the evening will feature a stellar line up featuring two homegrown stars who are currently conquering the West End in Claire O’Leary (The Borrowers, The Wizard of Oz, Les Miserables, Sweet Charity) and Shane O’Riordan (Ms Saigon, Elf the Musical, Les Miserables), alongside Ben Morris (Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar), Juliette Crosbie (nominated for the Aer Lingus Discovery Award) and Jacinta Whyte (Grizabella in the international tour of Cats). Together they will deliver a spellbinding evening of favourites from Broadway to The West End, transporting the audience across a timeless musical milieu.
On Wednesday April 23rd, The Ultimate Classics 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.
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 and has also performed with Camerata Ireland; Southbank Sinfonia London as an orchestral pianist. Venues he has performed in include the Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall, London; the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Under Beecher’s baton, the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra will perform enduring TV and cinematic masterpieces that have defined generations.
The Cork Proms will conclude on Saturday April 26th and Sunday April 27th, with a night of pure pop magic in Kings, Queens and Princes of Pop. Curated by Cork Opera House CEO and Artistic Director Eibhlín Gleeson and celebrated Cork musician Jack O’Rourke, the electrifying evening will take you on a musical journey of pop royalty.
Renowned performers Gemma Sugrue, who shot to prominence as a soloist with Jenny Greene & RTE Concert Orchestra, Shobsy (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 RTE’s You’re a Star and live vocalist with the legendary Van Morrison.
These wonderful 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 (Rossini’s Cenerentola, Puccini’s La bohème, Bizet’s Carmen, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Maria Stuarda), as they salute the iconic sounds of pop legends.
“The Cork Proms is a festival of music for everyone and one of our own productions that we hold most dearest at Cork Opera House,” said Cork Opera House CEO and Artistic Director, Eibhlín Gleeson. “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, alongside our own orchestra, to re-imagine and deliver what we hope will be five memorable concerts over nights in April.”
Tickets are now available on www.corkoperahouse.ie