The Celtic Tenors have established themselves as the most successful classical crossover artists ever to emerge from Ireland. In 2000, following an impromptu audition at EMI in London, the Celtic Tenors were signed on the spot to an international record deal, a highly unusual event that was the talk of the music industry.
While each of The Celtic Tenors have been influenced by the musical traditions from their own individual parts of Ireland, Daryl, James and Matthew show great flexibility in melding their voices to suit the appropriate classical, folk, Irish and pop genres. The “Echo Award” in Germany for “Classical without Boundaries” was presented to The Celtic Tenors in recognition of this fact.
MATTHEW GILSENAN. His classical training started in the Sisters of Mercy convent in Kells, Co.Meath, aged 10, and progressed to some of the great Irish and Scottish teachers. Although he ventured into opera and classical singing, Matthew never lost his love for the music of his youth, in particular the vibrant contemporary Irish music which is his great source of inspiration.
JAMES NELSON. James Nelson, from Sligo in the heart of "Yeats Country", is a BA.,B.Mus (Honours) graduate from University College Dublin, and a student of Edith Forrest (Dublin), David Harper (London) and Britta Sundberg (Stockholm).
DARYL SIMPSON. Daryl Simpson, from Omagh in Northern Ireland, studied singing with tenors Peter Alexander Wilson and Nicolai Gedda, and completed his Opera Masters Degree at the Alexander Gibson Opera School in Glasgow.
COLM HENRY (MUSICAL DIRECTOR). Colm Henry, from Manor Kilbride in picturesque County Wicklow - the Garden of Ireland - was immersed in music from a young age, joining the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland as a trombonist at the age of 12. Colm went on to graduate from University College Dublin with a First Class Honours Bachelor of Music Degree (B.Mus Hons) in 2005. An article by Colm entitled "Canonic Devices and Techniques in Bach's Orgelbuchlein" was published in "The Musicology Review".
I was at the Celtic Tenors concert at The Avalon Theater in Easton, MD tonight (Friday March 6, 2009) and they were a huge hit with the packed house. They were funny, warm, friendly and enormously entertaining. Their range was remarkable and their harmonies tight and their delivery amazing. Very talented and will go far and last as long as they want to stay together. I'm sure you will like their music as much as I did and indeed as much as the entire house did!!
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