Celine Byrne: ‘I believe opera really is accessible to everybody’

With a starring role in Puccini’s La Bohème coming up, life couldn’t be better for acclaimed Kildare soprano Celine Byrne

Celine Byrne Pic: Frances Marshall

Ask Celine Byrne how it feels to sing with José Carreras and expect a nonplussed answer. “Oh, well, it’s fine,” she says. “We’ve sung together almost 30 times, so we’re good friends at this stage. It’s nice to hear the news about his kids and grandkids.”

Byrne is more than comfortable sharing both personal and professional exchanges with the world’s greatest vocal talents. The Kildare woman is, of course, a bona fide member ...