Anthony Kearns is a true lyric tenor. He has incredible agility and flexibility of voice and the ability to color notes gracefully and beautifully. Kearns has a deep love of opera and a devotion to the genre.
Whether in the realm of the classics or the traditional music of his homeland, the power and clarity in The Voice expresses great truth and rich conviction. Anthony Kearns is truly the consummate performer, with unlimited potential and universal appeal. He clearly shows "promise of his imminent recognition among the next generation of the world's greatest tenors."* "If he can maintain the high musical standards and impassioned singing, he may well become the Tenor of our Times."**
Early Days
Anthony Joseph Kearns was born on August 17, 1971, in a small Irish village in County Wexford called Kiltealy. It is the highest little village in Wexford situated at the foot of the picturesque Blackstair Mountains, population 1,600. Kearns is fond of saying that his upbringing there provided "good grounding." His parents are Betty and Aidan (Mogue) Kearns; his father is deceased. He has one brother, John, and four sisters: Margaret, twins - Caithriona and Caroline, and Joanne; all of Anthony's siblings are musically talented. Anthony now lives in Dublin, but is a Wexford man at heart.
His interest in music began at about the age of four, eventually perfecting traditional Irish instruments such as the double row black dot (accordion), mouth organ, and spoons. He is a self-taught, fairly accomplished musician, placing in an All-Ireland competition in Black Dot as a youth.
Kearns began singing at a very early age possessing the natural lilt necessary to sing traditional Sean Nós music. Sean Nós is referred to as 'shut eye songs' in Ireland, due to the intimate way it is performed. Traditionally, it is performed a cappella. After entering the F.C.J. Bunclody Secondary School, he joined the orchestra playing trombone, and eventually became the resident singer, singing at all the Masses and in school shows.
After finishing secondary school, Anthony studied catering and hotel management which led to employment at the Grand Hotel, Wicklow. He worked at the Grand for four years, singing at weddings and other functions at the hotel, around the area, and with the Wicklow Musical Society.
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Competitions and Awards
As a youth, Kearns sang in various All-Ireland singing festivals (Ceol an Geimhridh, Feis Ceoils, Readoiri, Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann), winning on a regular basis.
As an adult, Mr. Kearns continued entering and winning singing competitions all over Ireland, including Ireland's Search for a Tenor in 1993, the prestigious Dermot Troy Trophy for oratorio in 1995 and 1996, the Best Male Singer at the 1995 Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, and he reached the top at the ESB Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in 1999.
Anthony was recognized in 2010 by the Irish Music Association as the Best Irish Tenor in the US, UK, and European Union. He is also a voting member of The Grammy's.
Turning Point
The turning point in Anthony's career came in 1993 in Ireland's Search for a Tenor, a contest held in conjunction with The Bank of Ireland's release of a new 10-pound note (a tenner). He sang "Danny Boy" down the phone, was invited to Dublin for the finals, and won the competition singing "The Impossible Dream" and "Danny Boy" as an encore. Kearns was the only untrained singer competing!
After winning the competition, Anthony studied for three years with Ireland's renowned voice teacher, Veronica Dunne, at the Leinster School of Music. Ronnie had been a judge for the 1993 competition and knew instantly that this young man had The Voice. According to Dunne, "I insisted he get the prize and began training him." "I ended up spending three years working with her, and she really brought me on a lot," Anthony said. "She's a powerful woman who instilled a lot of drive and initiative in me." While at the Leinster School, Anthony met Patrick Healy, a well-known repetiteur.*** He worked with Patrick as his voice coach for several years, and Mr. Healy is currently Anthony's piano accompanist on his solo tours. Upon leaving the Leinster School of Music, Anthony attended The College of Music in Cardiff [Wales] where he was studying when he received the call from The Irish Tenors. Kearns has been with this Irish phenomenon since its very beginning in 1998. The Irish Tenors is one of Ireland's most celebrated, longest-running touring groups.
Many Facets to the Kearns Career
Anthony Kearns has a busy solo career touring several times each year in both Ireland and America, and tours at least twice annually with The Irish Tenors. Along with The Irish Tenors, Kearns has performed in many of the most prestigious venues in America, among them: Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, Boston's Fleet Pavilion, The Hollywood Bowl, on the grounds of the Capitol on the Fourth of July, and again at the Capitol for the funeral of President Reagan. Kearns has recorded 10 best selling CDs with The Irish Tenors, many of which went Gold, Platinum, and double Platinum.
At home, Kearns has frequently sung at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, and often performs with the National Symphony Orchestra. He is regularly invited to sing at the National Concert Halls in Dublin and Limerick. Anthony has performed with some of the finest orchestras in the world, including The Czech National Orchestra, and as guest soloist for both the Boston Pops and the Chicagoland Pops.
Footnotes:
*Dr. Dennis Crabb, Director of Music
**Reviewer, Peter Landsdowne
***A Repetiteur ("rehearser") supervises rehearsals for opera productions, liaising with orchestras
in preparation for both their rehearsals, and actual performances with, the opera company.
Repetiteurs are highly skilled and have extensive experience in the field.
Career Highlights
Over the past decade, Anthony Kearns and The Irish Tenors have produced ten highly successful CDs to date which have sold millions of copies, the three of which, The Irish Tenors, Belfast, and Ellis Island, quickly went gold, platinum, and double platinum. Their second Christmas CD, We Three Kings, is one of the most beloved and best selling Christmas albums of all times. The Irish Tenors have completed several successful tours of the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In his early days, Kearns performed in several opera productions in Ireland as a chorus member which lead to roles as: Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth and Alfredo in Verdi's LaTraviata. Anthony has repeatedly sung lead tenor in The Irish Ring, a production encompassing three Irish operas, and brought it to the U.S. in September 2002. That same year, he sang the role of Fenton in an Italian production of Verdi's Falstaff in Tuscany.
EXTENSIVE OPERA WORK
2005 - 2007 Becoming a popular presence in Ireland's music scene, spring 2005 found him singing Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, about which Hugh Canning [Irish Times] wrote "Anthony Kearns suggested huge promise." In April, 2006 Kearns sang the lead in Faust, which was nominated for best production in The Irish Times Theatre Awards. Both of these appearances were for Opera Ireland. Of Anthony's appearance in Faust the Irish Times wrote: "Kearns’ subtle tonal shading and judicious use of well-supported head voice complements an exciting top register." In June of 2007, the Royal Dublin Society invited Anthony to sing lead tenor in the first complete performance since the early 20th century of The Lily of Killarney (part of "The Irish Ring" trilogy).
2010 - 2012 The Dun Laoghaire/Rathburn Glasthule Opera Company's 2010 production of Carmen, starred Anthony as Don José. The Irish Times is quoted: "Anthony Kearns proved a top-notch Don José, rising to each decisive moment with quality to spare." Kearns sings Don Ottavio in a Lismore Opera production of Don Giovanni in June of 2011, also in Ireland. The British magazine, Opera Now, is quoted: "Anthony Kearns' beautifully spun Il mio tesoro was a moment of still beauty..."
Anthony performed with Opera Naples [Florida] in February of 2010 singing Romeo (and Tony) in their production of Romeo & Juliet: Then and Now (apartially staged complilation of Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story.) In January 2011 Anthony returned to Naples in his official U.S. full-scale opera debut singing Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. Opera Naples General and Artistic Director, Steffanie Pearce, is quoted: "Anthony has incredible vocal technique. His high notes are thrilling and virile. .....Voices like this don’t come along very often. It’s a voice-of-the-century voice."
During the summer of 2011, Anthony was invited to perform Alfred in Die Fledermaus by the Emerald City Opera (Steamboat Springs, CO). Their post opera release stated: "Kearns, who is gaining a reputation for delivering the most challenging roles in opera, captured the “life is a party” sentiment perfectly. Kearns’ excellent comedic timing and on-stage charm and passion filled the opera house with laughter, creating a post-performance buzz. Following a lovely waltz overture – the most famous one Strauss composed – the operetta began with a stunning grand entrance by Kearns, his voice first to be heard offstage, as he serenaded his lover with famous arias including “Dove that has escaped,” the joyous Champagne Song, and others."
Anthony reprised his leading role in Faust for Opera Naples in February 2012. He was praised by Cello Bennett Artists: "Kearns sang with melting lyricism in the aria and love duets, adding dramatic intensity as required by the story and the score, topping his impressive performance off with endless high notes of ravishing beauty." The Naples News is quoted: "Kearns continues to prove he can sing anything lyrically -- and in French, too. As the younger Faust he is a vocal and visual maiden magnet."
Considered Ireland's foremost tenor, in 2006 Anthony was invited to record and perform with the most celebrated talent in Ireland at the Dublin National Concert Hall's Silver Jubilee, where the finest entertainers in Ireland shared the stage for over two hours. The following year, Anthony sang along-side Cara O'Sullivan in the first concert of the National Concert Hall summer outdoor series to nearly 3,000 in attendance. In December of 2009, Michael Collins, Irish Ambassador to the U.S. proclaimed "Anthony Kearns is Ireland's foremost tenor and a great ambassador for Ireland."
Special Moments Anthony interviewed and performed with Andrew Lloyd Webber during the summer of 2006 for The Irish Tenors and Friends TV series in Ireland. In September of that same year, Kearns participated in John McCormack tribute concerts at the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the University Concert Hall in Limerick. He was honored to read the great Tenor's letters on the wonderful DVD: John McCormack, The People's Tenor. When Anthony was invited to sing The Lord's Prayer on the Fox Network's Huckabee show, Fox announced that "Mr. Kearns generated the most positive response of any musical guest on the show to date."
Hallelujah Broadway Mind the Gap Films taped a PBS Special in Prague in February of 2010, called Hallelujah Broadway. Kearns performed with three other brilliant singers - Rodrick Dixon, Alfreda Burke, and Linda Eder - singing from the Musical Theatre Songbook. Hallelujah Broadway aired across the U.S. on PBS stations to wide acclaim.
Redlands Bowl June 25, 2010, Kearns opened the prestigious Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival in California, singing with the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Frank Paul Fetta, to an audience numbering nearly 6,000 strong. Said The Press Enterprise of his performance: "Kearns sang every piece with a pitch-perfect, pure tenor voice. Technically precise, with impeccable and easy octave leaps, he sensitively interpreted each piece, shaping lines and phrases carefully." (Back to top)
Dedicated to the Greater Good
Increasingly in demand internationally, Anthony assists many good cause on every tour. Those projects include such things as performing at the prestigious Capitol Hill Club in Washington D.C. in December of 2009, at which The Honorable Michael Collins, Ireland's Ambassador to the United States, introduced Anthony saying: "Anthony Kearns, Ireland's foremost tenor, is a great ambassador for Ireland." This benefited the Schools of the Consortium of Catholic Charities.
Anthony was invited to sing at the inauguration of Virginia's Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell in January of 2010, which benefited the Salvation Army. He was honored to sing Amazing Grace at The National Moment of Remembrance in Washington D.C. for their Memorial Day celebration and at The Kennedy Center on May 31, 2010.
Fall 2010 signaled the beginning of a collaboration between Anthony and The Wexford Institute to raise Autism and Childhood Trauma awareness internationally. The Wexford Tour began in California and will travel coast to coast in America, to Ireland, and points beyond in the next few years.
Anthony also performed in December of 2010 for an inspiring event at The New Zealand Embassy which jointly benefited the USO Wounded Warriors and Thanks USA, a non-profit organization whose goal is to assist the families of our troops; and in March for MooreMart and the newly formed benevolent orgnaization Since You Went Away. (Read More)
Prestigious Functions and Noteable Events
Anthony is often invited to perform at prestigious functions and noteable events all over the world, accepting as many as possible. (Read More)
LINKS TO BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES SUITABLE FOR PROGRAM USE:
Anthony Kearns was once asked, "What do you do when you aren't singing?" He replied without hesitation, "When I'm not singin'..... I sing. It's what I do!"
Kearns Repertoire Notes
It is obvious to anyone who listens to Anthony Kearns sing: here is a man who is passionate about his music. Kearns's considerable singing talent defies categorization. His satin-smooth voice, coupled with his tremendous vocal range and techinque, lends itself equally well to opera, light classical, the standards, show tunes and, of course, his beloved Irish music.
The solo performances of Anthony Kearns contain incredible arias and classics, what he fondly calls the Evergreens, and a generous dose of the Irish. These solo performances are a delight, and are widely attended.
For all his devotion to the opera, Anthony Kearns has a deep, abiding love for the music of his beloved homeland. He has perhaps the largest repertoire of Irish music of anyone living, and delights in presenting it to the world. "I take great pride delivering these songs of our people all over the world," says Mr. Kearns. From Irish opera to character songs, from haunting songs of emigration to the stirring music of the troubles, Anthony Kearns sings Irish music like no one else. He is the true Irish Tenor, cut from the same piece of linen as John McCormack, whose personal letters Anthony was asked to read on the DVD "John McCormack: The People's Tenor." Kearns is carrying on the tradition of the finest Irish Tenors of all time, even to the honor of being asked to sing at the funeral of the great Josef Locke a few years ago.
One of Anthony's most moving Irish songs is "Boolavogue" which brought thousands of people to their feet when Kearns was asked to sing it at the National Games in 1996 when County Wexford took the day! It resounds of patriotism and great respect for the lads who fought during the troubles, and is special to Anthony for another reason, as well. This song takes place during the 1798 Rebellion, a time of great courage amongst the Irish when they tried to throw off the chains of bondage. The boys of Wexford were led during the uprising by the priest Father John Murphy, who counted among his fellow leaders a young Father Mogue Kearns, one of Anthony's ancestors. In fact, Anthony was the last Kearns born in the farmhouse in which Father Mogue Kearns was reared. Another song near to his heart also takes place during the struggle of 1798, "The Croppy Boy," which tells the tale of one patriot who was denied and betrayed by his family for participating in the insurrection.
At the top of Anthony's list of Irish comtemporary pieces is "Grace," a moving tribute to Joseph Mary Plunkett and Grace Gifford which takes place during the Easter Rising of 1916. It is a lovely piece of music composed by brothers, Frank and Sean O'Meara, and is sung beautifully and passionately by Mr. Kearns; it is truly one of his audience's favorite pieces.
On the 2010 release of a new Irish Tenors's CD call Ireland, Kearns recorded a new Irish piece written by Brendan Graham and Neil Martin called Knocknashee. A song written in the Sean Nós tradition, this haunting song of love and loss is brilliantly written and interpreted by Kearns, whose recording was the world's introduction to it.
Patrick Healy, Anthony's accompanist and longtime friend, wrote a stunning song for Anthony in the spring of 2002, which is rapidly becoming his signature song. "Hills of Home" is sweetly sentimental and filled with longing. It is the perfect vehicle for The Voice, and Kearns fans love it! In the summer of 2005, Healy once again wrote a piece especially for Anthony, "A Father's Prayer," a lovely lullaby sure to become a classic. Both of these lovely pieces were recorded by the Kearns/Healy duo and released in 2006 on the 2-song CD "Fond Memories." Healy has also written two comic duets which he performs on stage with Kearns on his solo tours. (Back to top)
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Comprehensive and Official Biography
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