Gina Oberoi – Engela (mezzo soprano)
Martin O’Leary (piano)
13:10, Thursday 23 March, Riverstown Hall
Programme:
Seoirse Bodley (1933-): In Quiet Celebration (2000)
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen (1884)
Wenn mein Schatz hochzeit mach
Ging heut’ Morgen über’s Feld
Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer
Die zwei blauen Augen
Martin O’Leary (1963 -): Tenebroso (2020) (first performance)
Martin O’Leary (1963-): Mahlergesang (2022)
Today’s programme begins with a short piano piece offered as a salute to the distinguished Irish composer Seoirse Bodley to celebrate his 90th birthday. Mahler’s ‘Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen’ were written in the aftermath of an unhappy love affair and set his own poems. My own ‘Mahlergesang’ sets another poem by Mahler which was probably intended for inclusion in the song cycle. It was expressly written for today’s performer. In between these is the first performance of my piano piece ‘Tenebroso’ which was written after the death of a close friend.
Gina Oberoi-Engela (mezzo soprano)
Award winning Mezzo Soprano Gina Oberoi has extensive experience in Opera, Oratorio and concert platforms in both Ireland and abroad. She has performed in Germany, Italy, Romania, France Japan and the Czech Republic.
In Ireland she has performed at the Waterfront Concert Hall in Belfast and multiple performances with the RTE Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra at the National Concert Hall and major concert venues in Dublin. She has also performed on RTE Lyric FM. In September 2018 Gina sang the role of Jackie Kennedy in the Bord Gais show "Callas". Gina was also invited to perform at the launch of the 2017 and 2018 Bealtaine Festival in Ireland. Following this, she subsequently gave a series of recitals as part of the festival. Gina was the soloist at the one hundredth year anniversary concert given by the Irish Embassy in Bucharest to commemorate the 1916 Rising.
Gina has performed many sacred works in both Ireland and Europe with prominent choral societies, including Handel's Messiah, Handel's Israel in Egypt, Handel's Dixit Dominus, Mozart's Requiem, Mozart's Mass in C Minor, Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Bach's Mass in B Minor, Bach's St John's Passion, Bach's St Matthew's Passion, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater and Forrest's Jubilate Deo and Durufle's Requiem. In March 2019, Gina took part in the first performance of Martin O’Leary’s ‘Psalmus Invitatorius’, written to mark the 50th anniversary of the Maynooth Choral Society.
On the Opera stage her roles includes Flora from Verdi’s La Traviata, Cherubino from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Rosina from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Hansel from
Humperdincks's Hansel and Gretel, Ariodante from Handel's Ariodante, Stefano from Gounod's Romeo and Juliet, Annio and Sesto from Mozart’s La Clemenza Di Tito and Idomeneo from Mozart’s Idomeneo.
Gina received honours in her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music from the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. She received coaching at the the Bayrische Staatsoper Munich and the National Opera Studio London. Gina is also a Company Artist with Cork Opera.
Martin O’Leary
Martin O'Leary was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1963. From 1981 to 1985 he read music at Trinity College, Dublin, and successfully completed an M. Litt in composition there in 1988, the only person to hold this distinction. He successfully completed a Ph. D at the same college, a study of some of the works of English composer Havergal Brian in 2004. Since 1991 he has been lecturing at Maynooth University, where he became a full-time member of the staff in the Department of Music in 1993.
Martin has written over a hundred works for varied forces including ‘Psalmus Invitatorius' (2018-19), for 5 soloists, three choral groups, organ and orchestra, commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the Maynooth University Choral Society, a Piano Concerto (1987-90), vocal works including ‘Lúireach Phádraig’(2015) written for Maynooth Chamber Choir and performed in the U.S.A and China, and chamber works including ‘Avanti’ for piano trio, written for the Muzika Trio of Wisconsin (2013). As a pianist, Martin has championed music by his fellow Irish composers for over 25 years, and has played their music in Israel, Japan and the U.S.A, as well as throughout Ireland. He has premièred works by John Buckley, Paul Hayes, Kevin O’Connell, John McLachlan and Ryan Molloy.
He has been a director of the Irish Composition Summer School since 1992.