Feel Good Festival: Niamh O'Sullivan and Gary Beecher

Irish mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan is a rapidly rising star on the international stage, praised as being ‘the owner of one of the most sheerly beautiful lyric mezzos…in some time' (Opera Traveller). In the last seasons and beyond O’Sullivan makes a series of high profile debuts in Europe and the United States.

Gary Beecher is one of Ireland’s most versatile pianists, with a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, vocal coach, orchestral pianist, musical director and educator.  Gary is passionate about collaborating with singers and he has recorded and performed as a soloist with both the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and RTÉ Concert Orchestra and has also performed with Camerata Ireland & Southbank Sinfonia London as an orchestral pianist.

O’Sullivan is the owner of one of the most sheerly beautiful lyric mezzos I’ve had the pleasure of hearing in some time.  The voice has wonderful sheen, with a ruby red exterior enveloping a creamy core.  The tessitura of the role held no terrors for her, taking wing effortlessly on top.  Opera Traveller, May 2025

"a subtle, sophisticated player with a maturity of both technique and interpretive outlook" 

 Belfast Telegraph

This event is part of the Feel Good Festival.

Concert Programme

The Waters of Life Songs of Sea, Lake, Rain & River
I. Sea
Joseph Haydn – The Mermaid Song
Claude Debussy – La mer est plus belle
Gustav Mahler – Phantasie
Rebecca Clarke – The Seal Man
Johannes Brahms – Versunken
Rachmaninoff – The Storm
Cole Porter – The Tale of the Oyster
 

II. Lake
Schubert – Auf dem Wasser zu singen
Felix Mendelssohn – Schilflied, Op. 71 No. 4 (Auf dem Teich) ca.
Samuel Barber – Mélodies passageres, Op.27 : No.2, Un cygne
Hugo Wolf – Morike Lieder: Die Geister am Mummelsee
William Bolcom – The Fish

INTERVAL

III. Rain
Charles Villiers Stanford – Songs of the Clown: The Rain It Raineth Every Day
Joan Trimble – Green Rain
Johannes Brahms – Regenlied, WoO 23
Samuel Barber – Three songs, Op.10, No.1: Rain Has Fallen
Korngold – Songs of the Clown, Op.29 (from 9 Shakespeare Lieder): For the Rain It Raineth Every Day

IV. River
Copland – Old American Songs 2: IV At the River
Franz Schubert – Liebesbotschaft
Franz Schubert – Die Forelle
Poulenc – La grenouillere
Franz Liszt – Im Rhein, im schönen Strome
Clara Schumann– Die Lorelei, S.273
Rachmaninoff – Spring Waters