George Ireland

George Ireland graduated with distinction from the Royal College of Music where he studied under Simon Lepper and Roger Vignoles. He began to play the piano from scratch, self taught, at the age of 14. Now 26, he enjoys a thriving career, in demand as a collaborator with some of the finest singers of his generation. As an undergraduate at the University of Birmingham he won the Concerto Competition, performing Grieg’s Concerto with the University of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to great acclaim. There he also became a sought-after accompanist, working with the University Chorus for two years, and the Summer Festival Opera for three. In his final year he was selected for a masterclass with Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton, with whom he subsequently studied. A Leeds Lieder Young Artist, in 2019 George took part in Masterclasses with Ann Murray and Amanda Roocroft, and was due to return in 2020. At the RCM and elsewhere he has participated in masterclasses with Helmut Deutsch, Dame Sarah Connolly, Roderick Williams, Dame Felicity Palmer and Danielle de Niese. George also works extensively in Opera as a repetiteur and music director. Holding three positions with companies in London, he has recently enjoyed work with Glyndebourne Youth Opera and British Youth Opera, and as an undergraduate worked frequently with Birmingham Opera Company. His recital career has presented performance opportunities at venues including among others, the German Embassy in London, St George’s Bristol, and the Akademie Der Künste in Berlin; at the Universities of Oxford and Buckingham; and at the Bledington, Bloomsbury and Leicester International Festivals. In Bielefeld in 2019 he gave his first performance of Winterreise, accompanying Daniela Bechley and reviewed in Neue Westfälische: “Those present experienced how the singer and pianist explored this dark and powerful cycle, and that two people had captured a timelessly significant masterpiece entirely in its essence. And that they had not only the musical class, but also the inner relationship to interpret the “Winterreise” movingly”. In competitions he has appeared at the Wigmore Hall, Henry Wood Hall and the Holywell Music Room. In 2020 George accompanied Jessica Cale’s winning performance at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, and subsequently they have been engaged together in recitals across the country.