Carlow soprano Eva wins prestigious €6,000 opera prize
Soprano Eva Kavanagh performing at Kildare Village, with Conor Prendeville and Ella Nagy, to mark the presentation of the inaugural Bríd Phelan Emerging Talent Award Photo: Mark Reddy
CARLOW town’s Eva Kavanagh has been named as the first-ever recipient of the Bríd Phelan Emerging Talent Award, receiving a €6,000 bursary to support her blossoming opera career.
The award was presented at a special performance at Kildare Village to mark one month until the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, which runs from 27 May to 2 June.
The talented soprano, currently studying for a bachelor of music in vocal performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin, will now serve as a festival ambassador and perform three times during this year’s event.
“I’m thrilled to be the first recipient of this incredible new bursary,” said Eva. “This opportunity is a turning point in my development and will have a lasting impact on my future career.”
The award, to be presented annually from 2025 to 2029, forms part of the festival’s commitment to nurturing exceptional Irish operatic talent. It honours the legacy of Bríd Phelan and recognises promising young artists at the beginning of their professional careers.
Eva was selected by Dieter Kaegi, artistic director and co-founder of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, and the award is supported by Kildare Village, the festival’s fashion retail sponsor.
Victor Biffi Rosano, business director at Kildare Village, said: “Kildare Village is honoured to partner with Blackwater Valley Opera Festival over the past eight years and this is a true celebration of the arts and emerging talent which, over the years, has grown into the most wonderful partnership.”
Eva’s star has been rising rapidly in Ireland’s classical music scene. In 2024, she collected multiple awards at the Feis Ceoil, won the ‘Canto al Serchio’ prize at the Birr Festival of Music and received the John McCormack Bursary.
In January 2025, she performed the role of Rosina in Haydn’s , and in February participated in the Winterlied Academie programme in Leipzig, Germany.
The bursary will allow Eva to travel for auditions and professional training, attend summer schools and masterclasses and further develop her promising career.
The 2025 Blackwater Valley Opera Festival features over 100 performers across 23 events at 12 venues, including two opera productions: Benjamin Britten’s at Lismore Castle and Henry Purcell’s at St Carthage’s Cathedral.
