UCH will host the tenth edition of its Rising Stars concert series this Sunday April 12, presenting five exceptional young classical musicians in an afternoon performance beginning at 3.30pm.
Now in its tenth year, Rising Stars has established itself as one of the region’s most prestigious platforms for emerging classical talent, developed in collaboration with Ireland’s leading music institutions including the Royal Irish Academy of Music, MTU Cork School of Music, TU Dublin Conservatoire, Irish National Opera, and the UL MA Classical String Performance programme. This year’s event is sponsored by Ei Electronics and will be hosted by RTÉ lyric fm presenter Liz Nolan.
The five performers selected for Rising Stars 2026 are Laura Aherne (soprano), Paolo Alonso (viola), Sulamita Pyvovar (piano), Ciara Smith (soprano), and Kseniia Yershova (violin). In keeping with the series’ tradition, the programme has been curated entirely by the performers themselves, and this year’s selection spans works by Prokofiev, Bach, Mozart, and Puccini.
Sinéad Hope, Director of University Concert Hall, marked the milestone with pride. “Since 2016, this annual concert has introduced extraordinary talent to new audiences, and with the support of Ei Electronics, we look forward to nurturing the next generation of artists,” she said.
Peter Murphy of Ei Electronics echoed the sentiment, noting the company’s longstanding ties to the region. “As a company with a 35-year heritage and its roots in the Mid-West, it’s a privilege for us to play a part in enabling UCH to achieve its aim of promoting a vibrant arts sector in the region,” he said.
Rising Stars 2026 takes place at University Concert Hall, Limerick, on Sunday, 12 April at 3.30pm.