Deirdre Masterson
Performing Arts Dean

Deirdre Masterson currently acts as Performing Arts Dean for Irish American University and director of The Irish College of Music Theatre, leading the introduction of Music Theatre into the Irish institution’s suite of educational offerings. Ms Masterson has an extensive background in performance- opera, operetta, recital, concert and recordings to critical acclaim.

A native from Gorey Co. Wexford, Deirdre started her music studies at a young age in the Wexford School of music under the direction of Alan Cutts. She made her Wexford International Opera Festival debut at the tender age of twelve playing the part of the “spirit,” in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Deirdre received a full scholarship to study opera and drama at third level with Dr. Veronica Dunne and graduated from TU with an MMus, and is currently completing a PHD. She made her professional operatic debut with Opera Ireland at eighteen playing the parts of “Sandman,” and “Dewfairy,” in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. She has many awards and accolades to her credit including the title of being the youngest singer ever to win the Gervase Elwes award at Feis Ceoil Dublin and winning a scholarship to study with the renowned Wagnarian soprano Astrid Varnay in Munich. Deirdre is a seasoned
concert artist performing from our National Concert Hall to Carnegie Hall to critical acclaim.

A founding member of “The Irish Sopranos,” Deirdre has performed to sell out tours on both sides of the Atlantic over the last decade and enjoyed chart success with both their album releases “A Time for Us,” and “Believe.” Deirdre is a featured artist on many recordings including “Faith of our Fathers,” “Who fears to speak,” and her solo EP entitled “You Will Be the Light”, which reached the top 3 in the album charts. Deirdre successfully released two hit singles “Dreamer” and “Jealous of the Angels” in 2022-both featured tracks from the much anticipated album release “Mo Chroi”, which was released September 30th , reaching number 1in the charts.

In 2011, Deirdre formed The Irish College of Music Theatre – Ireland’s first Musical Theatre College providing fully accredited third level courses in business  partnership with Dublin Institute of Technology. The Irish College of Music Theatre (IMT), currently boasts operating successful branches at The National Opera House and her home town Gorey, Co. Wexford, nurturing young talent wishing to audition for the profession and/or progress onto third level performing arts programmes. Further developments include the delivery of The Young Artists Programme in association with The National Opera House, which is a specially designed course for aspiring young Irish singers, wishing to embark on a professional singing career. In October 2021, this chosen cohort had the pleasure of officially partaking in Wexford’s International Opera Festival Fringe Event.

Deirdre is also very passionate about her vocal rehabilitation work, collaborating with ENT Surgeon Mark Rafferty and Speech and Language therapist Dr Ciaran Kenny promoting the well-being of vocal health care. Deirdre is a regular guest speaker and tutor to visiting institutions including Trinity College Dublin, and an adjudicator for Music and Singing competitions, and very much enjoys performing in operas, concerts and recitals outside of her academic commitments.

For more information, please visit www.deirdremasterson.com

David Wray
Music

Trained at Lancaster University and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London. He has since worked as a pianist, musical director and arranger in both Musical Theatre and Opera. He was assistant to the director of The English Bach Festival, London, for three years with whom he appeared in many productions at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and throughout Europe.

Musical Direction credits include Dido & Aeneas (Queen Elizabeth Hall, London South Bank), Acis & Galatea (London/Barcelona), MZT Dance Company (London), The Rocky Horror Show, The Hot Mikado, Side by Side by Sondheim, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, Assassins , Putting It Together, all in Dublin. As Artistic & Musical Director for Music Theatre Ireland productions include: Listen to my Heart, the Songs of David Friedman, The Last Five Years, And The World Goes Round, I Love You’re Perfect Now Change, Songs For A New World, Red Hot and Cole, A New York Songbook, Noel & Gertie. USA & European Tours include musical direction and arrangements for The Three Irish
Tenors, Druid and The Irish Sopranos. David was musical director for the critically acclaimed world premiere production of Angela’s Ashes playing at the Bord Gais Theatre Dublin and Belfast Opera House. He was recently M.D. for the Irish Premiere of Daddy Long Legs for Boulevard Productions at Smock Alley Theatre which was recently streamed globally and for the off broadway show Ordinary Days at Smock Alley theatre for the Rising Theatre company.

David is currently Artistic & Musical Director for Opera In The Open, Dublin who are currently presenting their 24th season. Arranging/Orchestration credits include Just Bodies for the Irish Modern Dance Theatre, A Chelsea Affair (Theatre Space, Dublin) and for Cork Opera House’s acclaimed 2009 production of Bryan Flynn’s ‘Michael Collins’ seen both in Cork Opera House and the Olympia Theatre, Dublin. David is currently working on a new music theatre piece Under Heaven with Wexford playwright Billy Roche.

David has recorded and orchestrated projects for many Irish based artists. Recent recordings which have received acclaim include Simon Morgan’s ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ recorded with the Prague Philharmonic and Irish Soprano Sandra Oman’s two albums Liberty and Noel and the newly released Little Trip To Heaven by Maria Fitzgerald. In 2022 David worked on an orchestral recording project ‘Mo Chroí’ with the soprano Deirdre Masterson.

David is currently leading the music department of the Music Theatre programme at the the American College, Dublin, Ireland’s first Musical Theatre degree programme. He was M.D. for their production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ’A Grand Night For Singing’ at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida and most recently ‘A Chorus Line’ at Smock Alley in Dublin, Sondheim’s Into The Woods, Little Women – The Musical in the DLR Mill Theatre, Dundrum and the forthcoming production of Merrily We Roll Along also performing at DLR Mill Theatre, Dundrum.

Mary MacDonagh
Dance

Mary MacDonagh trained at the Nesta Brooking’s School of Ballet in London and worked as a dancer and actress. Her television credits include RTE, BBC and UTV. Mary now works extensively in theatre, and the music industry in Ireland and Europe as Director and Choreographer.

She is founder and Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer with Storm Dance Company. She is also Artistic Director and Principal Teacher at the Chapel Lane School of the Performing Arts, of which a large number of students are currently working in theatre, film, television and the music industry. Mary is founder/Director of The Fun Company of which she is very proud and which funds talented students from all genres of the entertainment world to undertake full time professional dance and theatre training.

Recent credits include, A Tale of Two Cities, Crazy for You, 42nd Street, Chess, Jekyll & Hyde, Witches of Eastwick, Beauty & The Beast, Oliver!, Les Miserables, CATS, All Shook Up, Oklahoma! and Jesus Christ Superstar.

For Lyric Opera she choreographed Aida, Rusalka, The Marriage of Figaro, HMS Pinafore and The Mikado and H.M.S Pinafore for The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, (UK). Multi-award winner Mary also coaches professional dancers and in this respect has worked throughout Europe and as far afield as Japan.

Mary is head of dance with The Irish College of Music Theatre and American College Dublin with whom she recently Directed/Choreographed ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ at the Elaine Johnson World Theatre at Lynn University, Florida and ‘Musical Theatre Celebration’ at The National Concert Hall, Dublin.

Mary’s career has covered Opera to Musical Theatre, Plays to Boybands. Her diversity and talent has led her to be on of the most sought after Directors and Choreographers in Ireland and the UK. Mary now works extensively in theatre, television and in the music industry.

Peter McCamley
Acting

Peter is a graduate of the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in the UK where he gained a degree in Acting, and then completed an MFA in Performance at The American College, Dublin, where he holds the position of the head of the acting department.

His work includes: The RSC, The Blueman Group, Channel 4, Channel 5, RTE, Birmingham Stage Company. He played William Shakespeare for Wexford Festival Opera in 2021 Impossible Interviews and Harry Houdini in 2022 as well playing The Royal Minister in Cinderella by Alma Duscha for WFO 2023.  Peter played the part of Inspector Yeats in RTE’s new Drama ‘Clean Sweep’ which is due to air this spring.
He recently directed Tosca for the Dublin Opera in the Open. As a musician Peter plays with Billy Roche as the drummer/Backing Vocalist on: The Billy Roche – Red Guitar Tour. He teaches the Guitar and Drums.  With his wife, Aileen Donohoe, Peter also runs an events company, Ad Personam Cultural Events Ltd, and a theatre company, Menapia Theatre, both based in Wexford.
Peter is represented by Geraldine Dunne of Center Stage Agency.

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Ross Scanlon
Music

Ross Scanlon trained at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama where he was awarded the Michael McNamara Gold Medal of excellence in performance and at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
At the Royal Academy of Music Opera School his roles included Lurcanio Ariodante, Masino La vera Costanza, Monostatos Die Zauberflöte and Scaramuccio Ariadne auf Naxos.
Elsewhere, his roles have included Le Thérière L’Enfant et les sortlièges with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Barbican, London, Hot Biscuit Paul Bunyan for Welsh National Opera, John Pynes Vagabones, Irus The Return of Ulysses and
Male Chorus The Rape of Lucretia for Opera Collective Ireland, Ed A Belfast Opera for NI Opera, Bookkeeper The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny for OTC, Dublin, Remendado Carmen for Lyric Opera, Dublin and Tamino Die Zauberflöte for Glasthule Opera.
Ross sings widely in concert, his engagements including Alexander’s Feast, Messiah and The Creation with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Messiah at the Halle Festival, Germany, at the Handel Music Festival, Dublin, and with the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra. Other oratorio’s include Britten Saint Nicolas, Dvořák Stabat Mater, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, Haydn Die Jahreszeiten and Missa in Tempore Belli, Mendelssohn Elijah and St Paul, Stainer Crucifixion, Mozart’s Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore and Coronation Mass, Schubert’s Mass in B flat, Jenkins ‘The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace’, Goodall Eternal Light – A Requiem (Irish Premiere), Bach Magnificat and Respighi Lauda per la Nativtà del Signore.
In 2018, Ross was invited to sing for HRH, Prince of Wales, with The Ulster Orchestra, Belfast. Recent engagements include Ode for St Cecilia’s Day, Edinburgh Bach Choir, Edinburgh, Tenor Soloist for Carl Orff Carmina Burana, Bray Choral Society and in September will embark on a nationwide tour to mark the 10th year of
his acclaimed recital ‘The John MCCormack Songbook’.
Ross is a member of the Vocal Faculty at The Lir Academy, Trinity College and The American College, Dublin where he lectures on the Musical Theatre Course. He is also an Examiner for the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Fearghal Curtis
Music

Fearghal is an opera singer, podcast producer and celebrant from Dublin. He is a graduate from D.I.T. Conservatory of Music and Drama, and the Royal Academy of Music, London. He was an Associate Young Artist with Opera Theatre Company and is a previous bursary recipient of the The International Opera Award.
Most recently, he was part of the ensemble for Michael Gallen’s new opera Elsewhere with Straymaker, which premiered at the Abbey Theatre. He has an interest in dance and movement and enjoys work that mixes opera, theatre and dance. He was the Tenor Soloist in John Scott’s The Wanderer for Irish Modern Dance Theatre Company at The Cork Opera House.
Other opera highlights include The Magic Flute (1st Armed Man/Chorus), Orfeo ed Euridice (Ensemble), The Second Violinist (Chorus), Tales of Hoffmann (Spalanzani/Chorus), Eithne (Taoiseach/Chorus), Acis and Galatea (Acis/Ensemble), Orpheus and the Underworld (Orpheus/Mercury), The Turn of the Screw (Prologue and u/s Quint), Pygmalion (Pygmalion), La Rondine (Prunier), L’Orfeo (Apollo/Shepherd/Spirit), Gondoliers (Marco), Der Vampr (Georg), Cox and Box (Box), amongst others.
Fearghal launched his first podcast series Let’s Talk About The Arts in 2020, which is a safe space to uplift and support the arts industry and artists through important and open conversations. He has produced and worked on many Irish podcast productions with Tall Tales Podcasts.
In 2022, Fearghal launched his own Cabaret evening, The Curtis Cabaret at The Sugar Club, Dublin to great success. Since its launch, The Curtis Cabaret has returned to The Sugar Club for A Christmas Special and A Valentine’s Day Special. He is a celebrant and solemniser with Entheos Ireland. He was named one of the Top 50 People to Watch for 2023 by Irish journalist Andrea Cleary for The Irish Times.
@fearghc
@letstalkaboutthearts

Aileen Donohoe
Voice/Accents & Dialect Coach

Aileen Donohoe is a professional singer, actress and voice teacher with West End and International experience.
Aileen holds a BA Honours from Trinity College, Dublin and a post-graduate from The Royal Academy of Music,
London. She is an inaugural candidate of American College Dublin’s Master of Fine Arts programme. Having
received a distinction for her post-graduate studies at The Royal Academy of Music, Aileen was awarded the
prestigious D’Oyly Carte Singing Award.

Aileen embarked on her professional career singing the role of Rose in Kurt Weill’s One Touch of Venus at The
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and subsequently; Carmen, La Boheme and Cosi Fan Tutte at the Royal Festival
Hall.

In London’s West End, Aileen performed for five years in the smash-hit musical Wicked at the Victoria Apollo Theatre. As a cast member, she received an Olivier Award for Best Ensemble Performance and won West End Eurovision. Other West End Credits include; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Mrs Potts/Madame de la Grande Bouche/Sugar Bowl) and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, The Phantom of the Opera at her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket, London. Aileen played the lead role of Donna in the internationally successful Mamma Mia at The Point, Dublin and in Paris, Lisbon, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

Aileen played the leading role of Trilby in the premiere production of Svengali, on board QE2 World Cruise. She was cast by Les Miserables composers; Alain Boublil and Claude Michel-Schonberg in their original production of Marguerite in London and also by Michel LeGrand and lyricist Don Black as an original cast member of the musical The Count of Monte Cristo at The Players Theatre, London.

Aileen can be heard on the London Cast Recording of “Zip Goes A Million” by Eric Maschwitz and music by George Posford and has recorded an original song by Wexford Playwright, Billy Roche: “Love Makes a Fool of You” from the Movie Trojan Eddie. “Christmas by Candlelight,” Aileen’s solo album, with music by Robert Scott is available on www.aileendonohoe.com.

Aileen has played the iconic role of Evita, Florence in Chess and Violet in Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, all at The National Opera House, Ireland. Her one-womam show, A Date with Doris, has played at The National Concert Hall, Dublin, The Cork Opera House, The Mill Theatre, The National Opera House and Beacon Arts, Glasgow. For more information and upcoming dates see: www.adatewithdoris.com

For Billy Roche, Aileen recorded the song Love Makes A Fool of You from Roche’s movie Trojan Eddie and more recently played the screen role of Lady FitzGerald in Billy Roche’s short film Sequah. Aileen can be heard singing an original song by Roshan Gunga, on the soundtrack of the 2023 film Elicit starring Rita Tushingham.

Aileen is co-founder of Ad Personam Cultural Events with Peter McCamley. APCEL produced Castle-Lake the Inaugural Arts Festival at Johnstown Castle, By Billy Roche at The National Opera House and Christmas by Candlelight.

Duncan Brickenden
Music

Our director, Duncan Brickenden, trained at the Conservatory of Music (TUD), the Royal Academy of Music, London and Central Saint Martins, London (UAL). At the Conservatory he studied organ with Peter Sweeney and voice with Colette McGahon-Tosh. Having completed a Bachelor of Music degree, he progressed to the Academy studying with countertenor Michael Chance and tenor, Philip Doghan.

Duncan has held contracts with Chamber Choir Ireland and the Grammy award-winning ensemble Ars Nova Copenhagen. He was also a choral scholar and gentleman of the choirs of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin.

Duncan is the current director of Dublin City Choral Union, The RDS Singers, Diva Voces and The Brook Singers. He is also choir director for the NTMA Choir, Barclays Choir and Mercer Choir and is a junior lecturer at the American College Dublin and lecturer at City Colleges, Dublin.

In 2017 he completed an MA in Arts & Cultural Enterprise at Central Saint Martins, London, focusing his research on the cultural and social effects of music as an aid to integration into society and the workplace and, in the same year, was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).

Duncan is currently under the tutelage of conductor Robert Houlihan.

Noel Lennon
Music

Noël holds a BA Mus. in Performance & Composition, Post Grad in Education and MA in Ethnomusicology. He studied piano at RIAM and LSM, Dublin. Awards include gold medal/Cup at Dublin’s Feis Cheoil Piano Competition, Orchestral/Choral Conducting Scholarship with CNC under Dr Geoffrey Spratt, Cork School of Music and Best Music Director with AIMS for Jesus Christ Superstar INEC ARENA 2014. Recording Credits include a series of programmes for RTE’s Theatre Nights (recorded at NCH and broadcast on RTE Radio 1).

MD Production Credits Include: Anything Goes, Crazy for You, Singin’ in the Rain, 42 nd Street, Our House, West Side Story, The Wiz, Oliver!, The Wedding Singer, Back to the 80’s, Hello Dolly, All Shook Up, Grease, High School Musical, FAME, Pirates of Penzance, CATS, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, We Will Rock You, Beauty & The Beast, Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, Ghost (Irish Premier), Les Misérables, Starlight Express (Irish Premier), Godspell (Revised Score Irish Premier), Hairspray, Seussical, The Addams Family, The Sound of Music, A Chorus Line and Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Noël has also worked as Pianist/Music Director in Residence, Summer Opera (Glór Theatre) and toured as Pianist/Music Director with The Rat Pack Crooners
UK and Ireland (’07, ’08 & ‘10) and The Three Irish Tenors – Scotland ‘09. Noël lectures in Music Education at Mary Immaculate College, University of
Limerick and in Music Theatre with The Irish College of Music Theatre, American College Dublin.

Aisling Breen
Dance

Aisling is a Dublin based performer and teacher.  Theatre appearances include “Shaz” in ‘Tinder the Comedy’ (Tivoli
Theatre/Olympia Theatre/UK tour). “Resident Director/Understudy” ‘Menopause The Musical’ (UK Tour). “Mrs Pugh” in ‘Annie’, “Lina Lamont” in ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, “Ensemble and U/S Miss Lynch/Jan” Grease (at Cork Opera House). “Sharon Ní Hoolahoop” in ‘Éirevision’, “Sunshine Suzy” in ‘The Snow Queen’, “Slip” in ‘The Little Mermaid’ and “Shakira the She Wolf/Velma the Vulture” in ‘The Jungle Book’ at The Gaiety Theatre.

Television and film productions include: Fair City(Marina Delaney), Apres Match. The Late Late Show.  Commercials for Aldi,  Glohealth, Dunnes Stores and An Post. Aisling has worked on many tv shows and films in Ireland as part of the
dance/movement team. These dance appearances include Penny Dreadful, Vikings Valhalla, The Last Duel, Tudors, Camelot and Fame The Musical.

Aisling was the Movement Director on the play “A Day in May” and assisted the choreographer on the musical concert “Angel Of Broadway” at The National Concert Hall. As a teacher, Aisling strives to help students overcome stage fright and performance anxiety and focuses on confidence building in class, making performance and play accessible to every age group!