Northern Irish mezzo-soprano and Samling Scholar, Carolyn began her career as a teacher of Art and Design before commencing the Opera course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Carolyn was Associate Artist at Welsh National Opera in 2011 and spent two years at Luzerner Theatre, Switzerland in 2012-2014.
Her 2024 performances will include Siegrune in Die Walküre for Longborough Festival Operas Ring Cycle, two CD recordings one with Roderick Williams on Delphian Records. She will play the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas with Akademy of Alte Musik Berlin Baroque Orchestra and Christian Curnyn in Germany, Mistress Quickly in Falstaff in the UK, Madam Larina in Eugene Onegin for Opera, the Dvorak Stabat Mater with the Ulster Orchestra conducted by Jac van Steen and in 2025, Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer for Irish National Opera.
In 2023 she performed Marquis of Berkenfield in La Fille du Regiment and the role of Lene in La Ciociara both at The Wexford International Festival Opera, broadcast live on RTETV, Opera Vision EU and ARTET. Also in 2023 she performed Siegrune in Die Walküre for LOC and Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Ulster Orchestra, she toured with Cornelia in Giulio Cesare for ETO, performed the Verdi Requiem in Sloane Square and in 2022 performed Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer with Sir Bryn Terfel at Grange Park.
She has performed extensively in opera, oratorio and in solo recitals, including appearances at the Royal Opera House Linbury Theatre, English National Opera, NI Opera, Irish National Opera, Grange Park Opera, Dorset Opera, Opera Holland Park, English Touring Opera, MWO, Edinburgh Festival, Buxton Festival, Ulster Touring Opera, Luzerner Theatre, Stadttheater Bern, Chelsea Opera Group ,the Barbican and the Royal Albert Hall.
Carolyn has performed with orchestras including London Mozart Players, Le Foyer des Artistes, RTE Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, City of London Symphonia, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Mozart Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, South Bank Symphonia, RTVE Symphony Orchestra Madrid, Lontana Ensemble, Northem Symphonia, Cantorum Basiliensis, Royal Ballet Symphony, WNO Orchestra.
She has performed the roles of Siegrune, Charlotte, Susuki, Orlofsky, Die Hexe, Annio, Penelope, Dido, Bradamante, Juno, Polina, Hannah, Irene, Meg Page, Mistress Quickly, Dritte Dame, Lucretia, Amastre, Octavia,Nicklausse, Magdalena, Dorabella, Tisbe, Teodata, Flora Bervoix, Annina, Concepcion, Emilia, Lisetta,Maddalena, The Page in Salome, Fatima, Carmen, Scipio, Idamante and Angelina, Cuniza
CDs include Loders rare opera ‘Raymond and Agnes’ conducted by Richard Bonynge, Ethel Smythes Fétè Gallant conducted by Odaline Martinez both for Retrospect Opera, Lynne Plowman’s Cries Like Silence with the London Mozart Players , conducted by Nicolae Moldoveanu on Avie CD, and a solo CD ‘Caleno’ with Delphian Records and Iain Burnside of songs by N Irish composers. She set up the Northern Irish Song Project which sees her collect and record forgotten songs and manuscripts. She has performed recitals and operas live on BBC radio 3 , Opera Vision, ARTETV, songs on BBCNI tv, BBC Ulster Radio, opera on RTE radio and TV, oratorio on RTVE Madrid and kinderoper on Swiss radio.