"I'm delighted and honoured to be this year's Music Network/CCI residency recipient and I'm excited to spend a month in Paris working on French vocal repertoire from the baroque and romantic eras. I look forward to sharing the fruits of the residency with audiences soon!" Sharon Carty
Music Network and the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI) are delighted to announce Sharon Carty has been awarded the annual Music Network/Centre Culturel Irlandais Music Performance Residency for 2024-2025.
This annual Residency was created to enable Irish musicians to further their performance practice at the Centre in Paris and provides a valuable opportunity to showcase work on an international stage.
Irish mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty has firmly established a reputation as a respected interpreter of both early and contemporary works, performing regularly in mainstream opera and concert repertoire. An alumna of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, MDW Vienna and the Oper Frankfurt Opernstudio programme, her opera repertoire includes many of the important roles for lyric coloratura mezzo-soprano including Dorabella, Dido, Orfeo, Hänsel, Ruggiero and Sesto as well as premiering a number of new opera works in Ireland, Germany and Italy.
Sharon worked in France for the first time in 2023, and inspired by the experience she plans to spend her time during the residency strengthening her French repertoire, developing her professional network in France, auditioning for conductors and casting directors and improving her French language skills. This will include working on the French Berlioz song cycle Les Nuits d'ete with Parisian pianist and conductor Alphonse Cemin, and collaborating with Parisian baroque specialist Stephane Fuget.
Commenting on the news, Music Network CEO Sharon Rollston said: “We are delighted to once again be partnering with Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris on this residency and to be able to support the work of this year’s recipient Sharon Carty. This Residency offers a wonderful opportunity for a musician to further their performance career at the centre in Paris, and is an important avenue for showcasing Ireland’s dynamic musical talent on an international stage.”
The month-long residency takes place at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and offers recipients the opportunity to tap into the resources of both CCI and Paris. Former recipients include Siomha Brock (2023-2024), Sue Rynhart (2022-2023), Caitriona Frost (2021-22), Macdara Yeates (2020-21), Mairéad Hickey (2019-20), Aisling Kenny (2018-19), Sam Comerford (2017-18), Barry Donoghue (2016-17) and Rhob Cunningham (2015-16).
Music Network Artist Residencies
We support musicians to develop their professional careers at all stages.
Every year we provide both professional and emerging musicians with residency opportunities at home and abroad, in collaboration with our network of partners.
Our residencies give musicians time, mentoring, funding and other supports to assist the development of their artistic practice and careers.