Blackwater Valley Opera Festival has announced Dublin tenor Cathal McCabe as the 2026 recipient of the Bríd Phelan Emerging Talent Award.

The accolade was revealed at a live performance event at Kildare Village, the festival’s official fashion retail sponsor and longest-standing partner.

Established in 2025, the annual bursary awards €6,000 to one emerging Irish opera singer each year through 2029, supporting further study and early professional development. The announcement coincides with the tenth anniversary of the festival’s partnership with Kildare Village, which marks its own 20th anniversary in Ireland this year.

Currently studying at the Dutch National Opera Academy, McCabe’s recent credits include Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus” with Westminster Opera Company, Ferrando in “Così fan tutte,” Acis in “Acis and Galatea” with Opera in the Open, and Shouter in “Lady Gregory in America” at Wexford Festival Opera. The award announcement featured a live performance by McCabe alongside soprano Bláthnaid Nicholson and pianist Conor Wilcox.

“This award will have such a positive impact on my studies here at the Dutch National Opera Academy and beyond,” said McCabe, per an official press release. “I am honored to be the second recipient of this new award, which will undoubtedly open the gates for numerous emerging talents in the years to come.”

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival runs May 26 through June 1, 2026, presenting 24 performances across 13 venues throughout the Blackwater Valley.