Irish soprano Hannah O’Brien is an alumna of both the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Irish Academy of Music, and was a Wexford Festival Factory Artist for the 2022/2023 seasons, where she received the 2023 Danone Young Outstanding Female Artist Award. This season, Hannah returns to Wexford to sing the role of Dhia (Geisha) in Mascagni's Iris.

Previously, Hannah debuted the role of Armgard in the UK’s first fully staged production of Offenbach’s Die Rheinnixen with Gothic Opera, sang the titular role in a concert performance of Suor Angelica in aid of Refuge, performed as Cousin in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at Grange Park Opera and returned to Wexford Festival Opera to sing the roles of Confidant and First Niece in Charles Villiers Stanford’s The Critic on the festival mainstage.

Other operatic roles include Female Chorus (Narrator) (The Rape of Lucretia/Britten) with British Youth Opera, Donna Elvira in Hurn Court Opera’s Don Giovanni; described as “powerful, nuanced and persuasive” and “the performance of a seasoned pro”, the roles of Tatiana (L’Aube Rouge/Camille Erlanger), Elvira (L'italiana in Algeri/Rossini), and Nella (Gianni Schicchi/Puccini) in Wexford Festival Opera’s 2023 season and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte/Mozart) with Clonter Opera. Hannah has also performed a number of contemporary roles, including Mary Crawford (Mansfield Park/Dove) with RNCM Opera, Griselda (Cinderella/Alma Deutscher) at Wexford Festival Opera, and Polly in a film adaptation of Kevin O’Connell’s Dreamcatcher with RIAM Opera.

In competition success, Hannah was recently awarded the Johann-Max-Böttcher Award (1st Prize) and Audience Award at the 25th Liedkunst im Schloss vor Husum, was a 2023 recipient of the Veronica Dunne Bursary for Young Irish Singers, was awarded the song prize at Northern Ireland Opera’s 2022 Glenarm Festival of Voice Competition, and was a recipient of the Gaiety Bursary. She returned to the 2023 Glenarm Festival of Voice to perform the prestigious Londonderry Arms Recital.

An alumna of the Royal Northern College of Music, Hannah obtained Distinction in her Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Vocal Studies, studying under Elizabeth Ritchie. She previously studied at The Royal Irish Academy of Music with Sylvia O'Regan and Dr. Dearbhla Collins, where she earned both her Bachelor and Masters of Music Performance.