AOI and Irish Heritage Fundraising Concert and Black-Tie Reception
Join us in Blüthner Piano Centre, for a captivating October fundraising soirée as Mezzo-Soprano Anna-Helena Maclachlan, one of our young artists program, and Pianist Luke Lally Maguire grace the stage with their extraordinary talents.
Immerse yourself in a carefully curated program of operatic arias and Irish art songs, complemented by a refined selection of solo piano masterpieces. This promises to be an unforgettable evening celebrating the nuances and depths of XIX and XX centuries’ music.
The Accademia dell’Opera Italiana, Blüthner Piano Centre and Irish Heritage will host the evening, welcoming all their members and supporters for a glamorous black-tie soiree.
Anna-Helena Maclachlan is a mezzo-soprano from Westmeath, Ireland. She is currently enrolled in Royal Academy Opera at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Anna-Helena studies with Susan Waters and Ingrid Surgenor. She previously graduated from the Royal Irish Academy of Music with a First Class Honours Bachelors degree.
Awards include the Irene Sandford Award at RlAM and the Young Opera Voice award at Navan Festival. Anna-Helena was also recently awarded the audience prize at Glenarm Festival of Voice and the Canto al Serchio award at Birr Festival of Music. She is a bursary recipient of both the Veronica Dunne Bursary for Young Irish Singers and the Black Water Valley Opera Festival Bursary.
Anna-Helena's opera roles include Cold Genius in King Arthur and Melissa in La Liberazione di Ruggiero with RIAM Opera, Victorian 2 in Opera Collective Ireland's production of Will Todd's Alices Adventure in Wonderland, and the title role in L'|taliana in Algeri with Wexford Factory Opera. At Royal Academy Opera, Anna-Helena has performed the roles of Mrs.Herring in Albert Herring and Philomene in Twice Alexander, and next season will perform the roles of Hansel in Hansel und Gretel' and Third Lady in 'Die Zauberflote'. Anna-Helena has taken part in several song projects. She was a soloist in Colman Pearce's 'Sundays at Noon' concert in the Hugh Lane Gallery, where she performed two of his song cycles -'Summerfest' and 'Memories of Childhood'. She was also selected by lain Burnside to participate in the European tour of his song project 'Open your eyes and tell me what you see'. Anna-Helena was chosen to take part in the song programme of Tara Erraught's 'Celebrating the Voice' in January 2023.
Most recently, she was part of a Yeats in Music' song recital at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. Anna-Helena's oratorio experience includes singing as alto soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria, Handel's Messiah and Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor. She has also guested with the Diva Voces choir, where she sang the baritone solo in their all- female performance of Faure's Requiem. Most recently, Anna-Helena performed the alto solo in Beethoven's Mass in C with the St. Cecilia Singers, and in Mozart's Requiem with Bray Choral Society.
Luke Lally Maguire is a London-based pianist currently studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he has recently completed his Masters in Performance. From September 2023, Luke continues his studies at Guildhall on the Artist Diploma programme under the tutelage of Carole Presland, Charles Owen and Ronan O’Hora. He also holds a Bachelor of Music from TUDublin Conservatoire studying with Dr. Mary Lennon.
An experienced performer both in competitions and on the concert platform, Luke is a multiple prize-winner in Ireland’s leading classical music competition, Feis Ceoil for both solo and collaborative performance. In January 2023, Luke made his solo recital debut in the Kevin Barry Room at the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Most recently, he performed in Wigmore Hall as part of the Irish Heritage Music Bursary auditions where he was the recipient of the Music Bursary for Performance valued at £5000.
A versatile pianist, Luke is also in demand as an accompanist and chamber musician, frequently performing in collaborations for recitals and concerts. He is a member of Trio Casella, an award-winning piano trio based in London. Luke was also a member of the 2020/21 Irish National Opera Studio where he held the position of assistant repetiteur, receiving regular coaching from Richard McGrath and Brenda Hurley.
Luke himself has engaged in several piano masterclasses and lessons with Richard Goode, Paul Lewis, Christopher Elton, Barry Douglas, Vanessa Latarche, Leon McCawley, Hilary Coates and Therese Fahy among others.
Luke is generously supported by the Ireland Funds having been awarded a George Moore Scholarship for the period 2021-23. He is also grateful to receive funding from Help Musicians for the 2023/24 period.