Irish Soprano Kelli-Ann Masterson is an alumna of both the ABL Irish National Opera Studio 2019-2021 and Northern Ireland Opera Studio 2018-2019. She is a current Cara O’ Sullivan Associate Artist with Cork Opera House (2023-2025).

2024 engagements include Micaëla in Peter Brooke’s La tragédie de Carmen for Cork Opera House, Casilda in The Gondoliers at Buxton Opera House for the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company UK, Fiorella in La Zingarella by Joseph O’ Kelly at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, soloist for the Irish National Day of Commemoration at Royal Hospital Kilmainham broadcast live on RTE and solo recital at the National Concert Hall as part of the Bernadette Greevy Recital Series.

A regular oratorio soloist, recent performances include St Matthew’s Passion at the National Concert Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra, St. John’s Passion with Dublin Bach singers and Handel’s Messiah with the Ulster Orchestra conducted by Christian Curnyn.

Notable opera engagements include: Norina in Don Pasquale in an Irish nationwide tour and Marzelline in Fidelio (Irish National Opera); Semele in Handel’s Semele (Best Opera Irish Times Theatre Awards 2022); Vespetta in Telemann’s Pimpinone and Duchess/Bottle in Todd’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for Opera Collective Ireland; Sharon Graham in Masterclass by Terence McNally for Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard with the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company at the Buxton International Festival; Pamina in Die Zauberflote and at Cork Opera House; Elena in the historic world premiere of Elena e Gerardo for Random Opera Company in Rugby, Warwickshire; Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival and La Fée in Viardot’s Cendrillon at Wexford Festival Opera.

An avid performer of contemporary Irish music, Kelli-Ann created the role of Donal O Dare for the world premiere of Vagabones by Raymond Deane for Opera Collective Ireland, featured in the critically acclaimed 20 shots of Opera with Irish National Opera and was Cover Alice for Gerald Barry’s Alice’s Adventures Underground a Co-production between Irish National Opera and Royal Opera House. Further contemporary engagements include Breathwork by Ena Brennan at Dublin Theatre Festival in conjunction with Irish National Opera, Carbon Women by Aine Mallon for Our Place in Space in conjunction with Dumbworld in Belfast, the role of Rebecca in Amanda Feery’s A thing I cannot name for Irish National Opera and the recent premiere of the piece Moving House by Anselm McDonnell, a song commissioned for Kelli-Ann by the National Concert Hall Dublin.

A versatile performer, concert and recital highlights include her recent sold-out Soprano in Hollywood concert at the National Concert Hall (a programme from the Golden Age of Hollywood Movie Musicals), a concert tour in Singapore in conjunction with Blackwater Valley Opera festival, the 2023 opera gala in Cork Opera House in conjunction with Irish National Opera, guest soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra at their summer concert series which was broadcast live on RTE Lyric FM and most recently the National Defence forces gala at the National Concert Hall.

A multi-prize winner, Kelli-Ann was the 2022 recipient of the Bernadette Greevy bursary from the National Concert Hall, Dublin and was a finalist in the 2022 BA Lirica International Voice Competition, Italy. Other accolades include first prize in the Dramatic Cup at Feis Ceoil, Dublin and both the PwC bursary for an emerging Irish artist and the Liam Healy bursary at Wexford Festival Opera. Kelli-Ann is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (BMus.Ed.) and TU Dublin, formerly DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama (MMus).