Leading dramatic soprano, Sylvia O'Brien has impressed audiences in her performances of opera, oratorio and chamber music.

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Since her critically acclaimed debut as the Governess in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw in 2004, Sylvia has performed numerous leading roles such as The Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Konstanze (Die Entfuhrung), Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress), Fiordiligi (Cosi Fan Tutte), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Jenůfa, and more recently the title dramatic roles in Tosca, Turandot, Lucia di Lammermor and Tristan und Isolde.

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​A devoted enthusiast of contemporary music, Dr O’Brien regularly premieres and commissions new works.  Significant contemporary performances include Feldman’s Neither, Crumb's Apparition, Vivier's Lonely Child and Gerald Barry’s The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. As founding member of the new music ensemble Evlana, www.evlana.com , she performs works of the 20th and 21st century. Upcoming performances 2025 include Judith Weir’s King Harold’s Saga, George Crumb’s Apparition and John Corigliano’s Mr Tambourine Man.

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​As a concert performer, Sylvia is a regular guest soloist with orchestras, chamber ensembles, recital halls and festivals throughout Europe. Her vast repertoire includes Chausson, Berlioz, Mozart, Bach, Verdi, Shostakovich and Wagner and the lighter repertoire of Strauss, Lehar, Novello and Gilbert and Sullivan. Sylvia’s oratorio repertoire highlights include Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s C Minor Mass, Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, Dvořak Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle.

Awarded Doctor of Music from Trinity College Dublin, Sylvia is a member of the vocal faculty of the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she lectures in voice, specialising in French song, Lieder, contemporary vocal techniques and opera. She has previously held positions at Maynooth University, Ireland, Dublin City University and deputy position at Technical University Dublin as well as private consulting. She is also a member of Musicology Ireland presenting at conferences.

Sylvia is regularly invited internationally to present masterclasses and adjudicate. Sylvia has been awarded status as Artist-in -Residence on several occasions as well as presenting workshops for composers. She is external examiner for all exam grades and instruments as panel of Examiners of the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She is an active member of Society of Musicology in Ireland.