Soprano Ailish Tynan to step in for Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha in Dvořák’s Stabat Mater on Friday 3 April

Good Friday Dvořák Stabat Mater presented by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland 

Soprano Ailish Tynan to step in for Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha 

Friday 3 April 2026, 3.30pm, National Concert Hall 

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland wishes to announce that the acclaimed Irish soprano Ailish Tynan will step in as soprano soloist in its presentation of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater on Friday 3 April afternoon at the National Concert Hall. She is replacing Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha who is indisposed. 

See Notes to Editors for full concert and performer details and for a biography for Ailish Tynan.

Media Queries 

Assumpta Lawless, Marketing & Communications Manager, National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. 
Email: assumpta.lawless@nch.ie 
Mobile: 087 290 4168  
 
NOTES TO EDITORS 

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland 
Music for Good Friday 

Friday 3 April 2026, 3:30pm 

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland 
Jiří Rožeň conductor  

Ailish Tynan soprano (replacing Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha) 
Niamh O’Sullivan mezzo-soprano  
Valentyn Dytiuk tenor 
Ashley Riches bass 

National Symphony Chorus Ireland 
David Young chorus director 

Dvořák Stabat Mater  

A profoundly moving choral masterpiece for Good Friday with Czech music specialist Jiří Rožeň conducting National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, National Symphony Chorus Ireland and four highly regarded soloists. 

Moving from despair to hope, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater imagines the Virgin Mary’s suffering at the Crucifixion with immense depth and feeling. 

Composed in the aftermath of the death of three of Dvořák’s children, it is a searing personal statement, grief and faith reconciling in the transcendent consolation of its end. 

The soloists are the acclaimed Irish soprano Ailish Tynan, ‘tour de force’ (The i Paper),who steps in to replace Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha who is indisposed. She is joined by mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, ‘dark and luminous’ (Classique News) tenor Valentyn Dytiuk, and the ‘luxurious’ (Telegraph) baritone Ashley Riches. 

Tickets: €15, €27.50, €35, €42.50, €49 

Biography 

Ailish Tynan soprano 

Irish soprano Ailish Tynan came to prominence when she won the 2003 Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. She was part of the Vilar Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and a BBC New Generation Artist, where she actively recorded and performed with BBC orchestras and in recital. 

In the current season, Ailish’s appearances include the Governess in Isabella Bywater’s new production of The Turn of the Screw for English National Opera, a role she will reprise at the Music in PyeongChang Festival, South Korea; and Berta in a revival of Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Glyndebourne Festival. She also creates the role of Christine in the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Festen for the Royal Opera directed by Richard Jones.  

Her concert engagements include Handel’s Messiah at the National Concert Hall, Dublin and Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Ailish has performed a wide range of operatic roles, including Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) with Royal Ballet & Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera; Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Madame Cortese (Il viaggio a Reims), Madame Podtotshina’s Daughter (The Nose) with the Royal Opera; Mimì (La bohème), Zemfira (Aleko), Vixen (The Cunning Little Vixen) at Grange Park Opera; Tigrane (Radamisto) with ENO; Papagena (Die Zauberflöte at Teatro alla Scala; Despina (Così fan tutte), Garsington Opera and Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse; Héro (Béatrice et Bénédict, Houston Grand Opera, Opéra Comique, Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg; Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Nannetta (Falstaff), Atalanta (Xerxes) for Royal Swedish Opera; and Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring) with Opéra Comique, Opéra de Rouen. 

Her concert performances have included Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 (Gergiev/LSO), Albrecht/Netherlands Philharmonic, P. Järvi/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Maazel/Philharmonia, Pappano/Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (van Steen/Prague Symphony Orchestra, Elder/The Hallé); Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Chung/Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Bihlmaier/National Symphony Orchestra Ireland), Verdi’s Requiem (Hofstetter/Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele); Haydn’s The Creation (Nelsons/City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Handel’s Messiah (Egarr/Academy of Ancient Music); and Handel’s Semele and Clori, Tirsi e Fileno, Bicket/The English Concert). She has appeared at both the First and Last Nights of the BBC Proms, with performances including A Midsummer Marriage (Davis/BBC Symphony Orchestra) and Glière’s Concerto for Coloratura Soprano (Karabits/Bournemouth Symphony). 

About the National Concert Hall 

The National Concert Hall (NCH) is Ireland’s national cultural institution for music, proudly serving the Irish public since it opened in 1981 through live music performances and significant educational and cultural programmes. Based in the heart of Dublin’s city centre, next door to the picturesque Iveagh Gardens, the NCH is proud home to National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, National Symphony Chorus Ireland, Cór Linn and Cór na nÓg, and provides a creative base for a range of other music organisations including Chamber Choir Ireland, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Music Network, Crash Ensemble and Music Generation. It is currently planning for a major redevelopment of all its facilities as part of the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. 

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