Soprano Éadaoin Hassett has taken the crown at the Irené Sandford Award for Singers 2025.
The award for singers which commemorates the much-loved singer and former Head of Vocal Studies at the RIAM is a €2,500 bursary and is generously donated by her husband, Billy Reid, in addition to a number of other prizes supported by her family, friends and donors.
Éadaoin performed alongside fellow finalists Kamile Fokaité (soprano) who finished in second place, Aobha Corroon (mezzo-soprano) who took third place and Caitlin Minnock (soprano) who came in fourth place in a final chosen from a competitive preliminary round.
Other awards during the competition included:
Gráinne Dunne Memorial Prize
Rachel Reid (soprano)
Best Performance of a French Melodié
Caitlin Minnock (soprano)
The Patricia Eberhart Aria Prize
Jack Morrisey (baritone)
Most Promising Performer during the Semi-Final Round
Callum Jeacle (tenor)
Éadaoin Hassett - Biography
Éadaoin Hassett is a Soprano from Co. Kildare, currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. There, she studies with Prof Virginia Kerr and coaches Andrew Synnott, Dearbhla Collins and Brenda Hurley. She was recently the recipient of the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and named Northern Ireland Opera’s Young Opera Voice of the Year at the 2025 Glenarm Festival of Voice.
Éadaoin is currently preparing the role of ‘L’Enfant’ for the RIAM Opera production of Ravel’s ‘L’Enfant et les Sortilèges’, for January 2026. She has previously performed the role of ‘La Baronessa’ in Haydn’s ‘La Vera Costanza’, ‘Maguelonne’ in Viardot’s ‘Cendrillon’ and most recently ‘Adele’ in scenes from Strauss’ ‘Die Fledermaus’ at the RIAM.
Professional engagements include the role of Eileen O’Doherty in a concert performance of Alberto Caruso’s ‘Lady Gregory in America’ (September 2025), various roles in a production of Purcell's 'The Fairy Queen' with Sligo Baroque, the London Handel Players and Croatian Baroque Orchestra (August 2024), Chorus in Irish National Opera’s production of Wagner’s ‘The Flying Dutchman’ (March 2025).
Éadaoin also enjoys song repertoire and has cultivated a strong duo partnership with pianist Oana – Alexandra Lelutiu. The pair have recently been awarded the RIAM Chamber Fest Prize (May 2025) and the Milne Cup at the Feis Ceoil, Dublin (June 2025). Most recently, she participated in a Collaborative Song Project with Iain Burnside based on the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ at the RIAM, which will continue as a collaboration with the Juilliard School in 2026.