Declan Kelly, from Gorey, County Wexford, has performed in theatre from an early age, acting and singing at school and for local musical groups. He first qualified as a primary school teacher and later went for singing lessons with Professor Paul Deegan at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. Declan was soon offered a place at the prestigious London Opera Studio and commenced a busy career in opera all over the UK, Ireland the across the opera houses of Europe. He particularly loves the roles of Mozart, Handel and Rossini and the ensemble roles of Bizet, Richard Strauss, Britten, Janacek and Turnage. Declan loves the operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan and was invited to sing Nanki-Poo in The Mikado for the world famous D’Oyly Carte Opera Company in their tour of the UK and Europe. He was also offered the role of Marius in Les Miserables.

Declan is just as much at home in the world of concerts. His debut recital at Dublin’s National Concert Hall of Schumann’s Dichterliebe was received with critical acclaim and he has sung most of the standard tenor oratorio repertoire under such conductors as Myung-Whun Chung, Vladimir Spivakov, Thierry Fischer and Daniele Callegari. For Deutsche Grammophon, Declan was invited to record the tenor solo in Charpentier’s TE DEUM with L’Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome to celebrate the New Millenium for the Vatican. At the world-famous Wexford Opera Festival, Declan recorded Flotow’s Alessandro Stradella with Fone and he also recorded the world premiere of Simon McEnery’s Resurrection, written especially for his voice.

Declan is delighted to have joined up with Ronan and Anthony, his friends for many years, and is looking forward to this exciting anniversary tour.