This season, Paula makes her role and company debut as Prince Charmant Cendrillon at the Opéra de Paris. Elsewhere in the operatic stage, she returns to Santa Fe Opera as Octavian Der Rosenkavalier and reprises the role of Dejanira in Barrie Kosky’s Hercules at the Komische Oper Berlin, following her highly praised performance in the production premiere at Oper Frankfurt last season. In concert, Paula can be heard singing Mozart Requiem in Chicago with Music of the Baroque conducted by Dame Jane Glover, and her role debut of Marguérite in a concert performance of Le Damnation de Faust with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karina Cannelakis. She also performs solo recitals, both at Oper Frankfurt alongside pianist and long-time collaborator Tanya Blaich, and with Malcolm Martineau at the Wigmore Hall, London.
Last season, Paula returned to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to sing the role of Donna Elvira Don Giovanni directed by Kasper Holten, followed by the title role Carmen for her company debut at the Det Kongelige Teater Copenhagen. Her recent notable debuts include singing Komponist in Katie Mitchell’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, the title role Ariodante in a livestreamed concert performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Christian Curnyn and for her house debut at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, her debut as Orfeo in a concert performance of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Opera North conducted by Laurence Cummings and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and her company debut at the Metropolitan Opera, as Stéphano Roméo et Juliette.
Further operatic highlights include Idamante in Peter Sellars’ production of Idomeneo for the Salzburg Festival, Ruggiero Alcina and Orlofsky Die Fledermaus for Santa Fe Opera, Nicklausse Les Contes d’Hoffmann conducted by Marc Minkowski and Dorabella Cosi fan tutte both at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, the title role in Fauré’s Pénélope for Frankfurt Opera, Sesto La Clemenza di Tito and Octavian Der Rosenkavalier for Dutch National Opera, Concepcion L’heure Espagnole and Cherubino Le Nozze di Figaro for the Opernhaus Zürich, Countess of Essex in Britten’s Gloriana for Teatro Real Madrid and for English National Opera, Dido Dido and Aeneas for Los Angeles Opera, Octavian Der Rosenkavalier at Staatsoper Stuttgart and appearances in her native Ireland as Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle, title role Carmen and Octavian Der Rosenkavalier with Irish National Opera.
Paula has toured extensively on the concert platform, more recently performing as Didon for a European tour of Berlioz’ Les Troyens alongside the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, conducted by Dinis Sousa, closing with a performance at the BBC Proms. She joined a European tour of St John Passion with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; joined Harry Bicket and The English Concert Orchestra as Micah in a performance of Handel’s Samson in London, Ruggiero Alcina in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and as Arsamene Serse for a tour of Spain and the US, with venues including Carnegie Hall, New York. She has also has worked frequently alongside MusicAeterna and Teodor Currentzis, with performances including Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, Purcell’s Indian Queen, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, Hindemith’s Die Junge Magd and Das Knaben Wunderhorn.
Additional concert highlights include Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro with the Handel & Haydn Society in Boston, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Haydn’s Paukenmesse at the BBC Proms, works by Tommaso Traetta with La Nuova Musica and David Bates at the Wigmore Hall, the role of Sara in Mysliveček's oratorio Abramo ed Isacco alongside Collegium 1704 at the Salzburg Festival and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Sir Mark Elder and the Britten Sinfonia.
An accomplished recitalist, Paula has given performances at the Wigmore Hall with both Malcolm Martineau and Sholto Kynoch, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Oxford Lieder Festival, in Frankfurt and at the Diaghilev Festival in Perm. She released her debut solo album with American pianist Tanya Blaich on Orchid Classics. Titled I will walk with my love, the disc explores folk inspired songs and myths and features works by Brahms, Mahler, Debussy and Grieg, as well as traditional Irish folksong.
