Edel Shannon is originally from the west of Ireland, and she began her vocal studies in Dublin with the late Irene Sandford and Dr Veronica Dunne before completing the Opera Masters programme at the RSAMD, Glasgow under the tuition of Pat Hay. Whilst at the RSAMD she performed many roles including Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Galatea (Acis and Galatea), Oberto (Alcina), Eternita (La Calisto), and La chauve-souris (L’Enfant et les Sortileges) working with conductors Tim Dean and Christian Curnyn. Oratorio performances include Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah, Gounod’s Messe Solenelle and Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has performed many concerts at home and abroad including The Magic of Vienna at the National Concert Hall, Dublin with Lyric Opera. Edel has gratefully received awards including the Irelands Fund Award from the West Belfast Bursary, the Ye Cronies Award for Opera, RSAMD and the JTH Award, RSAMD Trust. Since leaving college she has done much work singing in Glyndebourne Chorus and has understudied many roles for Glyndebourne including Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) and Papagena (Die Zauberflote). Edel has toured the Scottish Highlands as the soprano soloist with Essential Scottish Opera. In 2007 Edel performed Edna in Jonathan Dove’s Tobias and the angel with New Sussex Opera. She worked with Garsington Opera understudying the roles of Naiad (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Elisa (Il re pastore) and performed Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with Surrey Opera with director Ashley Dean. In 2008 Edel played Despina in Cosi fan tutte with Opera By Definition directed by Francesca Gilpin. She also performed the role of Frasquita in David McVicar’s production of Carmen with Glyndebourne On Tour in their 2008 season. In 2009 Edel will sing the title role in Lehar's The Merry Widow with Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus in Savannah, Georgia, US.
