An Award-winning Singing Actor

BIOGRAPHY

There is nothing quite like bringing a story to life on the stage. For me, it began with opera arias around a piano in a house called Lismorahaun in the west of Ireland.

Singing wove its way into every corner of my life: it brought me across the Atlantic to study at Juilliard, it gave me my first professional job on London’s West End, and has led me to explore places and stories I would not have encountered otherwise.

My career is guided by a primary focus on storytelling in whatever form it may take—theater, recital, cabaret, opera—and some of my favorite work has been that which blurs the boundaries between these different art forms: playing an opera singer in a straight play (Masterclass, West End), hopping between spoken monologue and sung text in an all-German cabaret (“FRAU”, Neue Galerie, NYC), or playing the role of Mélisande in first the Maeterlinck play and then the opera of Debussy in the Cincinnati Symphony Pelléas Project.

Witches, bitches & Women in Britches

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As first prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild competition, my Carnegie Hall debut recital with pianist Brent Funderburk (“Witches, Bitches and Women in Britches") was toured around the United States. Other recital performances include the Met Live Arts Series ("Bird in a Gilded Cage"), New York's Neue Galerie cabaret series ("FRAU", "The Cheater's Almanac"), and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival with the New York Festival of Song ("Lyrics by Shakespeare.")

"a natural in the recital format, winning over the audience with her rich, silvery voice and charming stage presence."

Performances on the theater stage include Terrence McNally's play Master Class with Tyne Daly on the West End, off-Broadway performances with the Irish Repertory Theatre, and the world premiere of a new translation of Beamarchais' Figaro Plays by Stephen Wadsworth at the McCarter Theater in Princeton.

Operatic work ranges from such lyric mezzo roles as Poppea (Oper Frankfurt) Cherubino (Atlanta Opera, Welsh National Opera), Mélisande (Cincinnati Symphony), and La Périchole (Garsington Opera), to new operas such as Figaro Gets A Divorce (Welsh National Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève) and Least Like The Other: Searching for Rosemary Kennedy (Irish National Opera).

Creating roles in new operas, premiering new song cycles, or being involved in the collaborative process of something altogether different like Ellen Reid’s musical playground installation (ONE Festival, Omaha) is another big part of my career. Artist residencies where I engage with a community in a wide range of performances and outreach activities are times when the direct impact of music on people is most visible to me.

The best thing about this profession is that I never stop learning—whether it’s expanding repertoire, diving into Shakespeare and physical theater for a summer, giving pre-schoolers their very first taste of opera singing, or running for a taxi to take me from the theater to a late night cabaret venue on a double performance day. I count myself lucky to encounter the most glorious stories along the way.

Upcoming...

Performances in the upcoming season include some exciting collaborations with Irish composers including the world premieres of virtual reality community opera As an nGnách created by Finola Merivale, Jody O'Neill, and Jo Mangan, presented by Irish National Opera and Emma O'Halloran's Mary Motorhead presented by New York's Prototype Festival and LA Opera.

Concert performances include performances of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire at the Hong Kong 'Intimate of Creativity' Festival, a concert of Emily Dickinson inspired compositions with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the Irish premiere of Wallace's opera Lurline with the National Symphony Orchestra.  

The critically-acclaimed performance of Lincoln Center Theater's production of Intimate Apparel will be aired on PBS Great Performances across the USA this fall.

Mary Motorhead

Emma O'Halloran's monodrama will premiere at New York's Prototype Festival and LA Opera in 2023

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“O’Connell’s performance was in every respect outstanding. Her acting was intelligently formed, emotionally honest and so finely detailed that she managed to capture even the smallest facial gesture, or movement which elevated her portrayal to the highest level"

Highlights

Theatre I Opera I Artist-in-Residence

Beaumarchais' Figaro Plays

mccarter theatre

Naomi joins Kentucky Opera in their first online season by producing and presenting a six-episode children's series about music.

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Pelléas & Mélisande

cincinnati symphony

Naomi reprises her critically-acclaimed performance with Irish National Opera in this fragmented retelling of the story of Rosemary Kennedy.
Performing at the O'Reilly Theatre, Dublin
Sep 25, 26, 27

Ticket waitlist

"RUN" by Ellen Reid

one festival, opera omaha

Naomi plays the role of Mrs Van Buren in the world premiere of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, directed by Bartlett Sher.

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Terrence McNally's Master Class

west end debut, london

Naomi will both host and perform in this online gala event, featuring exclusive content and special performances by Concert Artists Guild musicians from around the globe.

Tickets

Offenbach's Vert-Vert

Garsington opera

Naomi plays the role of Mrs Van Buren in the world premiere of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, directed by Bartlett Sher.

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Singing for Kids!

Pbs broadcast, PSO artist-in-residence

Naomi plays the role of Mrs Van Buren in the world premiere of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, directed by Bartlett Sher.

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Vivaldi's Farnace

Spoleto festival usa

Naomi plays the role of Mrs Van Buren in the world premiere of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, directed by Bartlett Sher.

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Les Enfants Terribles

opera omaha

Naomi plays the role of Mrs Van Buren in the world premiere of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, directed by Bartlett Sher.

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Figaro Gets A Divorce

welsh National Opera & Geneva opera

Naomi plays the role of Mrs Van Buren in the world premiere of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, directed by Bartlett Sher.

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For Booking Enquiries:

Concert/Recital
Ken Benson
Ken Benson Artists

Email

kenbensonartists@gmail.com

PHONE

Opera & Theatre
Ken Benson
Ken Benson Artists.

Email

kenbensonartists@gmail.com

phone

+(1) 212-280-2796