DR SYLVIA O'BRIEN
DMUS, ARCM

Awarded Doctor of Music from Trinity College Dublin, Dr O’Brien is Professor of Voice at the the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she lectures in voice, specialising in vocal technique, French mélodie, chamber and contemporary repertoire. 

 

Dr O’Brien travels between Ireland, Austria, China, and Germany presenting masterclasses, coaching, preparing singers for international vocal competitions and professional performances and recruiting students for third level degrees. 

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Dr O'Brien has curated the Contemporary Vocal Techniques programme at the Royal Irish Academy of Music which explores the process of learning and performance practice of contemporary vocal music for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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She is regularly invited internationally to present masterclasses and adjudicate for vocal competitions. Ms O'Brien has been awarded status as Artist-in -Residence on several occasions as well as presenting workshops for composers (see below).

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Dr O'Brien acts is a member of the panel of  external examiners of the Royal Irish Academy of Music and an active member of Society of Musicology in Ireland, presenting at conferences and panels lecturing on contemporary vocal music, performance practice and vocal techniques. 

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MASTERCLASSES

Masterclass, Vienna, 9-10 July 2025

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Masterclass, Royal Irish Academy of Music Ireland, 8 June 2025

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Masterclasses/Performances, Hangzhou, China, 3-10 December 2024

 

Masterclasses/Performances, Kirchenchor St Bartholemaus, Niederkreuchten, Germany, 4-7 October 2024 

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Masterclass 'Performance Practice in 21st Century' 

National Concert Hall, Dublin, 22 May 2023,

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Writing for Voice, composers' workshop,

Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin, 9 January 2023

 

Artist in Residence Masterclass, Contemporary Vocal Practice, Trinity College Dublin, 17 January 2018

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SELECTED CONFERENCES/PUBLICATIONS

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Auto-ethnographic Research in Seóirse Bodley's Never to Have Lived is Best (1965), Performance Research Ireland 'Peter Lang'book series presentation showcase, 25 - 26 September 2025, Concert Hall, East Quad, Grangegorman, Dublin

 

'This is not my Voice' Style Influencing Placement in Standard and non Standard Vocal Practice. Embodied Monologues: Cathy Berberian and Theatrical Imagination, 5 September 2025, Maynooth University, Ireland

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The Expansive Canvas: Large-Scale Form in the Music of 19th-Century Women Composers, International Conference and Collaborative Symposium Dublin, 26-28 August 2025

 

‘Ceathruinti Ni Ogain (1973) by Seóirse Bodley: A Critical Edition’, Research Open Day, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, 06 March 2023

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‘Externalisation and Objectivity in Vocal Practice of the 20th and 21st Centuries’, Performance Research Ireland, National Concert Hall, 25-27 March 2022

 

Implications of Collaboration: The Recreative Artist and Auto-ethnographic Research in Seóirse Bodley's Never to Have Lived is Best (1965), (DmusPerf, Royal Irish Academy of Music 2021) RIAM DMusPerf Sylvia O'Brien.pdf

 

‘Text and Melody in Seóirse Bodley's The Hiding Places of Love’, Maynooth University, The Society for Musicology Ireland, Plenary Conference, 30 June 2019 

 

‘The Relevancy of Collaboration: Elevating the creative and recreative artist.’ Lecture Recital, Royal Irish Academy of Music, May 28th 2018

 

‘Melody, text and compositional styles in Brian Boydell’s vocal works with solo voice,’ Brian Boydell Centenary Conference, RIAM, 23 June 2017

 

Melodic Form in Seóirse Bodley's Vocal Works’, Colloquium Series, Maynooth University, Ireland, 23 February 2018

 

‘Seóirse Bodley and his approach to text from a singer’s perspective’, The Society for Musicology in Ireland Plenary Conference 2016 Dublin City University, 11 June 2016

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SPEAKER

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Guest panel, Liszt reimagining Songs Book Launch, Maynooth University 26 March 2025

 

Guest speaker, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Examiner’s Conference, RIAM, 10 February 2025

 

Guest Presenter, Creative Brain Week, March 4-9, Trinity College Dublin, 2024.

 

Guest Speaker, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Examiner’s Conference, RIAM, 13 February 2019

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Presenter, Writing for Voice, composer workshop Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin, 11 January 2023

 

Guest Panel, Opera Panel Discussion, Contemporary Opera in Ireland, Contemporary Music Centre, 23 March 2017

 

CURRENT RESEARCH

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'Ceathruinti Ni Ogain (1973)' by Seóirse Bodley: A Critical Edition',

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'Externalisation and Objectivity in Vocal Practice of the 21st Century',

 

‘Style governing placement, the presentation of style before placement’,

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