INO Studio 2026/27 Announcement
Tuesday, 1 September, 2026
Irish National Opera (INO) is delighted to announce that three new artists are joining the company’s studio mentoring programme. The new arrivals for the 2026-27 INO Studio are soprano Niamh St John, mezzo-soprano Anna-Helena Maclachlan and bass-baritone Jakob Mahase. Soprano Laura Aherne (2025-26 studio) and répétiteur Ella Nagy (2024-25 studio) will both return for a second year.
Muireann Sheahan INO’s Head of Chorus, Orchestra & Studio says "We are delighted to welcome these five exceptional musicians to the 2026-27 INO Studio. This season's studio members have already begun to forge impressive early careers and we look forward to supporting them this year as they further develop their operatic artistry. “
INO Studio consultant Brenda Hurley, who is also the Professor of Opera Mentoring at the Royal Academy of Music in London and one of the leading vocal coaches of her generation adds "The INO Studio artists reflect the huge wealth of operatic talent in Ireland. It is an immense pleasure and privilege for me to be able to work closely with them and to help them unlock their potential and to shape their career paths."
The INO Studio is an annual programme dedicated to fostering the next generation of operatic talent in Ireland. Designed to provide emerging artists with intensive training, hands-on experience and personalised career support, the initiative plays a central role in the company’s mission to sustain and grow an opera ecology in Ireland. Many of former members have gone on to develop international profiles after graduating from the programme and have worked in a variety of prestigious institutions, including the Royal Ballet and Opera London, BayerischeStaatsoper Munich and Bregenzer Festspiele Austria.
During their time in the studio, the members will receive regular coaching with Brenda Hurley, alongside a range of additional masterclasses, coaching and career development workshops from visiting artists and industry experts. They will also participate in INO's main scale productions, undertaking covers, roles and chorus work in Carmen, Turandot and Eugene Onegin. Studio members will perform in various concerts during the year, and will participate in a transatlantic collaboration with the Opera on the Avalon Emerging Artists Programme in Canada.
The 2026-27 INO Studio intake brings together an exceptionally talented group of artists, both new and returning, who will be well positioned for future success both in Ireland and internationally.
