Deirdre Higgins

Soprano Deirdre Higgins has worked with Ireland’s leading opera companies. She was an Irish National Opera Studio artist from 2023-2025. During that time, she covered Mimì (Puccini’s La Bohème), Margeurite (Gounod’s Faust) and Rosalinde (Strauss’s Die Fledermaus). She made her debut with INO in Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore where she performed a “sumptuous[…]never less than captivating” Giannetta (The Arts Review). In 2024 she debuted as Eileen O’Doherty in the premier of Alberto Caruso’s Lady Gregory in America at Wexford Festival Opera.

One of Deirdre’s most exciting recent projects was when she was selected by the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition to record with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Her rendition of Dvořák’s ‘Song to the Moon’ can often be heard on Ireland’s leading classical music radio station, RTÉ Lyric FM.

A keen recitalist and concert performer, Deirdre has given recitals as part of the Stanford Festival 2024 and Boyle Arts Festival 2023. Following her success in the 2023 Feis Ceoil, where she took home five Cups including the Gervase Elwes Memorial Cup, she was invited to perform a series of recitals at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris. Amongst Deirdre’s career highlights so far was when she made her concert debut with the National Symphony Orchestra as a part of their 2024 Summer Lunchtime Concert Series in the National Concert Hall, Dublin with repertoire by Mozart, Puccini, and Gounod. She returned again in February 2025 for the Valentine’s Opera Gala as part of Celebrating the Voice, where she performed solos and duets with the acclaimed Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught. She was awarded the 2024 Bernadette Greevy Bursary for her exemplary display of works by Strauss, Handel, and Irish composer Ailbhe McDonagh. Upon receipt of this award, in October 2025 she performed a recital in the National Concert Hall, where she premiered Nocturnes by Irish composer Harry O’Connor.

Alongside her operatic and song repertoire, Deirdre is also making strides within oratorio. Recently performed works include Soprano Solo in Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël and Gabriel/Eve in Haydn’s The Creation.

Deirdre looks forward to joining Wexford Factory at WFO, along with other role debuts to come this year. These include Martha in INO’s world premiere of Testament by Tarik O’Regan, Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Loughcrew Opera.