Mairead Buicke on the Music in Monkstown Festival and going from pipe band to Puccini

MAIREAD Buicke, star of the operatic stage and concert platform, reveals that her first ensemble experience was as a member of the Newcastle West Pipe Band. 

The soprano is gearing up for a concert with pianist Anthony Byrne showcasing operatic heroine roles for the Music in Monkstown Festival in Co Dublin later this month.

“As a member of a major opera company you learn many roles. You put so much work into preparing the music and delving into a character and then you put it away maybe for years. We thought it would be good to put a show together using some of this material.