biography
Soprano Esther Shea is studying for her Master of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music where she studies under the tutelage of Elizabeth Ritchie. She has been awarded the Dame Eva Turner Award, the Sybil Tutton Opera Award and her studies are generously supported by the LHR Foundation. In 2024, she completed her undergraduate studies at the RNCM with Jane Irwin where she graduated with a First Class Honours Degree.
Most recently she has performed the role of Mrs Coyle in Britten’s Owen Wingrave (RNCM Opera), Youka in Chabrier’s L’étoile (RNCM Opera) and Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Bedfordshire Youth Opera) both of which received high praise. She is looking forward to singing the roles of Ilia in Mozart's Idomeneo (RNCM Spotlight) and Ninette in Prokofiev's L'amour des trois oranges (RNCM Opera) this Autumn. Additionally, she has brought to life a range of operatic characters in opera scene performances including La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Sandrina (La finta giardiniera), Mariane (Tartuffe) and Don Ettore (La canterina). Esther has also performed as part of the opera chorus in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Weill’s Down in the valley.
Esther performs regularly as a concert soloist. Her repertoire includes Mozart’s C Minor Mass, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Bach’s B Minor Mass and most recently, Handel's Solomon.
Esther is both the 2025 winner of The Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award for the Singing of Strauss and The Williams Howard Award. She has also competed twice as a finalist in The Frederic Cox Award. During her time at the RNCM she has received high commendations in the Elsie Thurston Competition, the James Oncken Song Prize and the Alexander Young Prize. In autumn 2023, she was selected to join the prestigious RNCM Songsters, an ensemble of the most accomplished singers and collaborative pianists at the conservatoire. Through this platform, she has had the opportunity to perform in a variety of engagements, refining her interpretation of art song. Following her competition success earlier this year, Esther was invited be perform a recital at the Buxton International Festival, showcasing a program of music by composers of African descent.
Esther grew up in Jersey in the Channel Islands where she began vocal lessons with Jane Highfield, who remains a valued mentor and coach, before studying voice and piano at Chetham’s School of Music for sixth form with Diana Palmerston. Performance highlights during her time there include Mahler’s Eighth Symphony at The Bridgewater Hall and Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion with English Touring Opera. Upon completing her studies, she was awarded The Drane Prize for Vocal Music.
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