Hailing from Cork, Niamh O’Sullivan is a talented mezzo-soprano singer, often praised for her “bewitchingly beautiful, dark vibrant voice”. Her next role will see her appear as Maddalena in a production of one of the world’s best-loved operas, Rigoletto.
The last thing I saw and loved… well I don’t know if this counts because I was in it but Wagner‘s Götterdämmerung at Opernhaus Zürich. I had the immense pleasure of being able to sit in and watch all the rehearsals for this as I was a Rhein maiden and wasn’t in it until the very end. There was just exceptional singing and storytelling and something I will never forget. I adore Wagner‘s music!
The book I keep coming back to… if I’m honest, I’m not a massive reader. Whoops!
I find inspiration in… observing people in everyday life. It’s the best way to understand human emotions and I like to bring this with me on stage. I find this is the key to my interpretations and artistry.
My favourite film is… I love all the old musicals – The Sound of Music, The King and I, West Side Story. They will never get old.
My career highlight is… fortunately I can say it’s hard to pick one but if I had to, my main stage debut at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden as Wellgunde in Das Rheingold with Antonio Pappano conducting. That or singing my dream role as Charlotte in Werther in my hometown of Cork. That was the most special evening.
The song I listen to to get in the zone is… anything Barbra Streisand. I adore her.
The last book/film/show/artist I recommended is… anything by Sally Rooney, love them all! Recently I went to the cinema to see The Substance and it’s still sitting with me. It’s the most bizarre film I’ve ever seen. I’d still recommend it but it’s definitely not for everyone! If it’s an opera and you can see Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, just go! It’s the most magical opera in every way. My absolute favourite. Finally, the most beautiful thing I’ve listened to recently is Emily D’Angelo’s latest album Freezing. Emily is a young Canadian mezzo and she’s just a stunning artist.
My dream role would be… Octavian in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. When I watched this opera for the first time, it did something to me that no opera before had ever done. It moved me beyond tears and ever since then, I’ve dreamt of singing Octavian and luckily I will debut it in 2026.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… it’s cliched but, be yourself! It’s the most important thing to remember as an artist. No one else has what we have and you should embrace that. Show the world what you have that’s special and unique to you.
The art that means the most to me… Richard Wagner’s music. His work also moves me to tears every single time. I heard Tannhäuser in 2017 when I was in Munich at the opera studio and since then, I’ve been completely in love with Wagner’s music. In particular, “The Pilgrim’s Chorus” from Tannhäuser. It’s one of the most powerful pieces of music in his repertoire in my opinion.
My favourite moment in this show is… there are so many special moments in Rigoletto, but I just adore “Tutte le feste al tempio” sung by Gilda and of course, the famous Rigoletto quartet “Bella figlia dell’amore”.
The most challenging thing about being on stage is… remembering to be in the moment. It’s so easy to go into this weird performance bubble and to let the adrenaline take over, but it’s so nice to be on stage and to feel present and to be absolutely in control of what you do but still feel free. I love that feeling, it allows me to be spontaneous.
After a show… I’m usually starving because I can never eat that much before a show, so I always try to find a nice restaurant and enjoy a glass of wine with good company!
If I wasn’t an opera singer, I would be… probably a primary school teacher. Most of my family are in education and I always adored visiting my mum’s school with her when I was young. I find children and their minds fascinating!
The magic of theatre/opera to me is… the unique ability to move people and tell stories in real time. It’s something that can’t be experienced in film or TV and I find it very special that, as opera singers, we can do that.
Rigolleto plays at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre December 1-7. Tickets from €16.50 are on sale now. Find out more information here.
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