Irish tenor Seán Tester, a graduate with a Masters in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, entered the 2025/26 season with a series of major engagements marking significant career advancement. A recipient of the Danone Young Outstanding Artist Award at Wexford Festival Opera, where he joined the Wexford Factory to debut as Conte di Libenskof in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, he will also appear in the world premiere of Urban Legends by Andrew Synnott and Colm Tóibín.
Alongside his performance schedule, he holds the distinction of inaugural RIAM Emerging Artist Fellow and serves as Series Ambassador for Drogheda Classical Music Series 25/26.Recent seasons have seen Seán’s profile rise steadily across Ireland and internationally. In 2025 he returned to Blackwater Valley Opera Festival as Snout in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His work with Irish National Opera includes Guillaume Tell, La Bohème, La Traviata, Faust, Der fliegende Holländer, and Rigoletto, where he covered the role of Il Duca di Mantova (The Duke of Mantua). Other notable appearances include Argento's Postcard from Morocco and Mopsa in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen in Croatia and Ireland. A committed advocate for accessibility, he regularly brings opera to new audiences through festivals and community initiatives.
Originally from Drogheda, Seán’s musical journey began at the Drogheda School of Performing Arts (The Little Duke Theatre) and was shaped by formative years with St. Peter’s Male Voice Choir, where his passion for ensemble singing first flourished. He went on to complete both the Recital Artist Diploma and Master’s in Music Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, graduating with distinction. He continues to build an international career rooted in craft, curiosity, and expressive storytelling in opera, concert, and community performance
Speaking about his selection as Artist in Association with Droichead Arts Centre, Seán says: "I am absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to be selected as an Artist in Association with Droichead Arts Centre. As a young singer, Droichead was one of the first professional stages where I performed, and its support in my early years played a vital role in shaping my artistic path. To now be formally associated with such an important local arts organisation in my hometown means a great deal to me."
