Bernadette Greevy (above), the Irish contralto, was born in Clontarf, a coastal suburb of Dublin. She studied voice with Jean Nolan and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, in London, with Helene Isepp. Her operatic debut was at Dublin, as Siebel in Gounod's FAUST; she was 18 years old. At the Wexford Festival in 1962, she debuted as Beppe in Mascagni's L'AMICO FRITZ, returning often to Wexford in the ensuing seasons to sing operas by Verdi, Massenet, Haydn, and Handel.
Ms. Greevy appeared with Scottish Opera and at Covent Garden, as well as in Buenos Aires, Oslo, and Ottawa, and made concert tours of China (in 1985), the USA, and throughout Europe. She became best-known for her recital and concert work. Her performances of Elgar's Sea Pictures and the great Mahler vocal works - Songs of a Wayfarer, the Rückert Lieder, the Kindertotenlieder, and Das Lied von der Erde - were highly acclaimed.
Bernadette Greevy passed away in 2008 at the age of 68, leaving us with some very fine recordings of her Elgar and Mahler specialties as well as music of Bach, Handel, Berlioz, Brahms, and Duparc. Below are some samplings of the Greevy voice; it takes a few seconds for the Handel to start.
Bernadette Greevy - Lascia ch`io pianga ~ Handel's RINALDO
Bernadette Greevy - Mahler ~ Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen