Vocal Chords: Iarla Ó Lionáird and Veronica Dunne
Iarla’s guest in this edition of Vocal Chords is the singer and vocal coach Veronica Dunne who celebrated her 90th birthday in 2017. In this extended interview at her home she traces her life in song back to her childhood, when singing competed with horses for her attention. Following her debut as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème at Covent Garden in 1952, she went to Rome to study and train as a bel canto opera singer. During her time in Rome and in London at the Royal Opera, she met the stars of her age, including Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. From the early 1960s Dunne turned from singing and performance to teaching and across the last fifty-five years she has been the force behind a generation of vocal talent including Ann Murray, Celine Byrne and more recently Tara Erraught. Veronica Dunne also established the celebrated Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition.
Producer: Helen Shaw
Audio Editor: Pearse Ó Caoimh
An Athena Media production for RTÉ lyric fm made with the support of BAI Sound and Vision Scheme from the Television Licence Fee.
Producer for RTÉ lyric fm: Eoin O Kelly
(First broadcast 26th December 2017)
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 28th December, 6pm-7pm