Dublin Choral Foundation celebrated the 90th Birthday of our esteemed patron, Dr Veronica Dunne, at the National Concert Hall, on Thursday, August 3rd 2017.

A Gala Operatic Evening in tribute to Dr Veronica Dunne who celebrated her 90th Birthday on August 2nd 2017, featuring some of her most illustrious singing students:

Celine Byrne, Tara Erraught, Miriam Murphy
Patrick Hyland,  Robert McAllister, James McCreanor,
Gemma Ní Bhriain, Niamh O’Sullivan & Sarah Shine.
Jung Hoon Heo (Aldo) & Youngwoo Kim        

Chorus: Members of The Lassus Scholars and students of Ronnie Dunne.

Special guest: John O’Conor (piano).

Producing the next generation of opera-stars as she approached her 90th Birthday Dr Veronica Dunne had long been recognised as one of Ireland’s ‘National Treasures’. This Legendary Lady was celebrated in song at the National Concert Hall on Thursday August 3rd by her ‘extended family’.

Born on Aug. 2nd 1927 Ronnie herself was a great artist, performing with many of the most renowned singers of her era in Rome, Milan, Dublin (and other Irish venues) at the ROH Covent Garden where she made her début in Der Rosenkavalier in 1952. From 1961 Ronnie combined a performing career with that of teaching, initially at Dublin’s College of Music and since 1992 at the RIAM. In  2002 she performed in Opera Ireland’s production of Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades.

Her fascinating life story is outlined by Alison Maxwell in her authorized biography ‘Ronnie’.

Ite and Ronnie on her 90th birthday

Programme

  • Bizet (Sequidilla from Carmen,     Au fond du temple saint – duet from The Pearl Fishers)
  • Donizetti (Una furtiva lagrima & Venti scudi from L’Elisir d’amore)
  • Giordano (La mamma morta & Vicino a te from Andrea Chenier)
  • Gounod (Faites-lui mes aveux from Faust)
  • Leoncavallo (Stridono Lassù & duet Nedda/Silvio from Pagliacci)
  • Mozart (Soave sia il vento from Cosi fan tutte)
  • Offenbach (O belle nuit & Helas mon coeur – Septet from Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
  • Puccini (Che gelida manina from La Bohème, Vogliatemi bene – duet from Madama Butterfly, Nessun dorma from Turandot)
  • Rossini (Largo al factotum from Il barbiere di Siviglia Nacqui all’affanno…Non più mesta from La Cenerentola & duet Serbami ognor from Semiramide
  • Strauss (Hab mir’s gelobt – final trio from Der Rosenkavalier)
  • Verdi (Bella figlia dell’amore – quartet from Rigoletto & Va pensiero from Nabucco)

Internationally renowned pianist, John O’Conor, will perform Andante from Mozart’s Piano Poncerto no 21 – ‘Elvira Madigan’.