KIRSTEN MULCAHY
SOPRANO
Born in Falmouth, Cornwall, Kirsten has been singing from a young age. She started formal lessons at the age of 12 and performed regularly, taking lead roles in several school productions such as West Side Story (Maria) and Ocean World (the whale) at the Hall for Cornwall. Kirsten often performed around the county, appearing regularly as guest soloist with many Cornish Male Voice Choirs including City of Truro MC, Treverva MVC and Nankersey MVC. Kirsten also took part in the local music festivals, winning multiple awards including Most Promising Young Musician (Camborne Music Festival) and Best Young Singer (County Music Festival).
Before heading to university, Kirsten spent a year with Cornish Opera company Duchy Opera, under the guidance of Musical Director Paul Drayton, taking part in their production of Carmen and their touring show Baron Herzog's Box of Operatic Delights. Solo roles included 'Adina's Cavatina' from L'Elisir D'Amore and the ‘Merry Widow’s Waltz’ from Lehar’s The Merry Widow.
Whilst at university, Kirsten took every opportunity to perform. She sang in the university operas, taking the roles of Diana (Orpheus in the Underworld, Offenbach) and Galatea (Acis and Galatea, Handel) and was regularly invited to perform solos with the university Georgian Band, including the Vivaldi Gloria, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and A Shakespeare Ode by Thomas Linley Junior. She was a member of the Bath Spa University Choir and Chamber Choir where solos included Adolphe Adam’s ‘O Holy Night’, performed during the University Carol Service in Bath Abbey and ‘Pie Jesu’ from Durufle’s Requiem. Choral works included Belshazzer’s Feast (Walton) performed in The Forum with Bath Philharmonia and South West Festival Chorus, Carmina Buran (Carl Orff) a performed in Bath Assembly Rooms and the Sunrise Mass (Ola Gjeilo) performed in Bath Abbey. The final highlight at university was a solo performance at the Gala Concert in Bath Assembly Rooms, performing Handel's 'Tornami a Vagheggiar' from Alcina.
After graduating with a BA Music degree (First Class Honours) in 2016, Kirsten was awarded the Graduate Performance Award. Since university, solo work has included Schubert’s Mass in G, Bach’s Cantata no. 8 and Rutter’s Requiem with Lucis Choir, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse with Cantamus Chamber Choir, and the roles of Belinda and Second Woman in two separate performances of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Lucis Choir and Calne Choral Society. Venues included Wiltshire Music Centre, Bath Abbey and Prior Park Chapel, Bath. Kirsten has also sung in Evensongs at St Paul’s Cathedral, Bath Abbey and Great Chalfield Manor. Kirsten has been a member of award winning chamber choir, Noctis, since 2016.
From a young age, Kirsten has sung regularly at weddings throughout the South West, one of the most notable engagements being the wedding of Olympic rower Helen Glover and naturalist Steve Backshall, held in Cornwall.
Kirsten has now twice been invited to sing at the iconic Draper’s Hall in London for a Charity Auction and Dinner to raise funds for the military sailing charity, Turn to Starboard. The first event raised a phenomenal £60,000 for the charity, with the second event raising a matching figure.
In March 2020, Kirsten travelled with Noctis and Lucis Chamber Choirs to Armagh, Northern Ireland, to film a St Patrick’s Day broadcast with composer Jon Anderson. She performed the soprano solo for Ēriks Ešenvalds’ beautiful 'Only In Sleep' at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Since the pandemic, Kirsten has continued to perform with Lucis and Noctis and has built on her arts management career, now working as Creative Director at Wiltshire Rural Music. She is also working as a workshop and choir leader and Project and Events Coordinator for Voices for Life, a new music and wellbeing charity based in Bath.