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The Irish soprano, vocal coach and reasercher, Aisling Kenny, obtained her Bachelor of Musaic degree from Maynooth University (2002-2005); and her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Basel under Cantilena Stiftung Scholarship (2015-2017), with Evelyn Tubb and later with Ulrich Messthaler. She also obtained her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Musicology from Maynooth University (2005-2010). She has studied singing with Mary Brennan and Aylish Kerrigan and has participated in master-classes with Paul Farrington, Margreet Honig, Emma Kirkby, Christine Schäfer and Andreas Scholl. She has been fortunate to also receive coaching from Jay Bernfeld, Ansy Boothroyd, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, Mary Brennan, David Blunden, Florian Carré, Paul Kieffer, Valérie Guillorit, Regina Hanley, Ian Howell, Judith Mok, Heidi Moss, James Platt, Dorothea Sidow, Thomas Tacquet-Fabre, Paul Triepels, Gerd Türk and Paolo Zanzu.
Aisling Kenny is a soloist, recitalist and ensemble singer specialising in early music. She frequently performs sacred and chamber works of the Baroque and Classical eras, in particular the music of J.S. Bach. She has sung as a soloist with leading Irish and European ensembles including Collegium Vocale Gent (Director: Philippe Herreweghe), Irish Baroque Orchestra, Balthasar-Neumann-Chor (Director: Thomas Hengelbrock), Sestina, Resurgam (since 2008), Camerata Kilkenny, Chamber Choir Ireland (January 2018-August 2019), Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ricercar Consort (Director: Philippe Pierlot) and Staatskapelle Halle working with such conductors Philippe Herreweghe, Peter Whelan, Grete Pedersen, Philippe Pierlot, Claire Duff, James Wood, Duncan Ward and Proinnsías Ó Duinn. An experienced ensemble singer, she has also sung with Vox Luminis (Director: Lionel Meunier), RIAS-Kammerchor (Director: Marcus Creed/Daniel Reuss/Hans-Christoph Rademann), Zürcher Sing-Akademie (Director: Timothy Brown/Florian Helgath), Ensemble Marsyas and Atalante. She also was Soprano in Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Dublin (2005-2008, 2010-2012).
Performances as a soloist include Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) in Eisenach, the town of J.S. Bach’s birthplace and BWV 73 at Bachfest Leipzig in the Thomaskirche, Leipzig, with Collegium Vocale Gent, directed by Philippe Herreweghe, several projects with Irish Baroque Orchestra directed by Peter Whelen including a solo J.S. Bach cantata concert with Irish Baroque Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, George Frideric Handel's Messiah and J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232), W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass with Balthasar-Neumann-Chor and Ensemble at the Laieszhalle, Hamburg directed by Duncan Ward and Spirit and Second Witch in H. Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with Collegium Vocale Gent and Ricercar Consort by Philippe Pierlot.
A dedicated recitalist, highlights include Dowland’s lute songs with Thomas Dunford in Paris and Kilkenny, concerts with historical harpist, Siobhán Armstrong, at Galway Early Music Festival and East Cork Early Music Festival, and a recital at Oxford University with Cecily Lock for Clara Schumann's bicentenary. Aisling Kenny recently curated and performed in a concert of Dowland’s songs in their original settings for multiple voices, alongside Italian madrigals by Marenzio, Monteverdi, and Barbara Strozzi at the Hugh Lane Gallery supported by a Music Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland. She was artistic resident at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris in March 2019 supported by Music Network and the Arts Council.
Aisling Kenny appears as a soloist on Irish Baroque Orchestra's recording for Linn Records, "The Hibernian Muse". "Music for Ireland" by Purcell and Cousser, with Sestina, directed by Peter Whelan and on Sestina's debut recording, "Master and Pupil" with Resonus Classics. She has recently recorded with Collegium Vocale Gent and Zürcher Sing-Akademie and has sung on BBC Radio 3’s In tune.
Aisling Kenny has performed at venues and festivals throughout the world including Salzburger Festspiele, Bachfest Leipzig, Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Barbican London and Leipzig Gewandhaus. She has appeared at many of Ireland’s festivals including Dublin HandelFest, Galway Early Music Festival, Clifden Arts Festival, Sligo Baroque Festival, Ardee Baroque Festival, Kilkenny Arts Festival, East Cork Early Music Festival, Cork Choral Festival, as well as Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She performs as a soloist with choirs and choral societies all over Ireland including Dublin Bach Singers, Galway Baroque Singers and Culwick Choral Society.
When not performing, Aisling Kenny enjoys her work as a vocal coach and regularly facilitates vocal technique workshops for choirs of all ages. She has been Tutor at NUI Maynooth (2005-2007); TeacherSinging Teacher at Killinarden Community School/South Dublin County Council (2010-2012); Singing Teacher at Loreto College Crumlin, Dublin (2011-2012); Examiner at Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin (2011-2012); Singing Teacher at Mount Sackville Secondary School in Chapelizod, Dublin (September 2010-May 2012); Part-time lecturer at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin (October 2010-May 2012); Assistant Lecturer in Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology in Dundalk, Co. Louth (September 2012-September 2015); Choir advisor/Committee Member/Trustee at Charles Wood Festival and Summer School in Armagh (September 2011-Aug 2018); Vocal coach of Schola Cantorum at St Nicholas Collegiate Church in County Galway, Ireland (February 2016-2020); Part-time Lecturer in Music at Dublin City University (2017-2022); Part-time lecturer in music performance at National University of Ireland, Galway (February 2021-February 2022). She has also given workshops on vocal technique to Mornington Singers, Laetare, Choral Union, AIB Choral Society and Gracenotes. She is supported by an Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland and an Individual Artist Bursary from Galway City Council. |
