Singer
Katy Kelly
Katy Kelly studied for her Graduate Performance Diploma in Opera at the Boston Conservatory, and for her MMus in Performance from the Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin under Anne Marie O'Sullivan. She qualified as a Regional Finalist at the Metropolitan Opera New England National Council Awards (USA), and has won many prizes for her singing in Europe, including the IAWS John McCormack Bursary. Katy has represented Ireland in many premier European competitions including Belvedere International Singing Competition (Vienna), the IVC (Holland), and the Stuart Burrows (Wales). She has performed in Carnegie Hall with the Thomas Moore Festival, and she is a regular performer at the National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Operatic performances include “Donna Anna” in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, “Countess” in Le Nozze di Figaro, Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, and Le Feu/Le Rossignol in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges, “Euridice” in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, “Musetta” in Puccini’s La Boheme, and “Sandman” in Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel. She performed the role of “Bobacina” in Heuser’s “A Brief History of Root Vegetables” for Opera America.
Oratorio includes Faure’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Poulenc's Gloria, Rutter's Magnificat, Bach's Matthew & St John Passion, Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio & St John's Passion, Beethoven's Fantasie & Mass in C, Dvořák's Stabat Mater, Mozart's Requiem, Mass in C & Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Haydn's The Creation, Paukenmesse, Theressienmesse, Missa Brevis & Nelson Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Dixit Dominus & Coronation Mass, Saint-Saens’ Oratorio de Noel, Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Elijah, M. Haydn's Sancti Leopoldi & Vespers, Gjeilo’s Tundra, Arnesen’s Magnificat and Jenkin's The Armed Man.
Her recordings include six songs on the first full catalogue of Moore's melodies in 2009, and she was the featured soloist on the AIB Choral Society CD, "Simply Christmas". She recorded the “Königin der Nacht” arias for the RTÉ television programme "The Symphony Sessions-the Sopranos. She was featured on the RTE1 TV programme “Abhainn”. She is featured as soprano soloist on Villagers upcoming album. Her CD, "A Few of My Favourite Sings" is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify & Apple Music.
Musical Director and Piano
Annalisa Monticelli
Annalisa Monticelli is an internationally recognised pianist, conductor and singer, performing widely as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborator with ensembles and orchestras. Trained in classical and jazz piano, voice, conducting, and composition across Italy, Argentina, and the USA, she brings versatility and depth to her artistry.
Since moving to Ireland, she has worked with the Royal Irish Academy of Music as a collaborative pianist, Italian coach, and vocal coach, and later as Lecturer-Repetiteur and Program Director at Dundalk Institute of Technology. In October 2025 she joined the Music staff of Maynooth University as a rock/pop and musical theatre tutor and accompanist.
She has performed in all major Irish venues, released several recordings, collaborated with Sing Ireland and INO, and led masterclasses in opera, diction, chamber music, and improvisation across Europe, the USA, and Asia.
With over 20 years of experience, she is an eclectic musician equally at home in opera, chamber music, tango, jazz, and Latin American repertoire.
Violin
Francesca De Nardi
Francesca De Nardi was born in 1991 in Trieste. Coming from a musical family - her dad was a pianist, organist and choir conductor and taught her during the first years - she graduated in 2012 with first class honours at the "Conservatorio G. Tartini" (Trieste, Italy) under the guidance of Paolo Bidoli, then continuing her studies with Federico Consoli and focusing on the chamber repertoire. As a child she also started playing the violin, graduating with honours in 2017 at the same
Conservatory, under the guidance of Sinead Nava. In June 2019 she attained her Masters in Violin with Karl Sweeney at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (Dublin, Ireland).
In 2013 and 2015 she also got a Bachelor’s then a Master’s Degree in Medical Biotechnology from the University of Trieste and Udine (Italy), with first class honours, before devoting herself entirely to the musical
career.
Francesca attended numerous masterclasses with international musicians, such as Daniel Rowland, Maria Milstein, Ivan Rabaglia and the Emerson Quartet. She has performed with various orchestras and chamber groups, such as the Orchestra of the Irish National Youth Ballet, Orchestra Giovanile San Giusto, Orchestra Filarmonica di Monfalcone and currently freelances with different ensembles.
Since 2016 she has been playing as a duo with the cellist Davide Forti. They performed in numerous concert venues (e.g. National Concert Hall, National Gallery of Ireland) and took part to various festivals (Kaleidoscope Night, Music for Wexford, Music in Calary, Dublin Jazz Co-Op concert series, Cividale International Mastercourses). Established in Dublin, they have been awarded many prizes, such as the 1st prize at the Feis Ceoil 2021 (Elsner Memorial Cup) and 1st prize at the IMKA International Music Competition 2019. They studied with internationally renowned musicians such as Daniel Rowland, Trio di Parma, Maja Bogdanovic, RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, William Butt and Lance Coburn "Sonas" is a tribute to the land that hosted them: it means “happiness" in Gaelic, but it also recalls the Latin verb "sonare", combining their love for music in a single concept.
During the academic year 2018-2019 she worked as a piano teacher at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She now teaches violin and piano at the Dundalk Institute of Technology and for Music Generation Louth, where she also carries on an orchestral programme for students aged 7-18, in cooperation with the cello tutor Davide Forti.
Chello
Davide Forte
Davide Forti was born in 1993 in Trieste, Italy, where he attended
the "Conservatorio G. Tartini", attaining the Master’s Degree in Cello in
2017 with full marks. In June 2019 he received the title of Recital Artist
(First Class Honours) from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, under the
guidance of William Butt. He has attended numerous masterclasses with
T. Carroll, J. Arp, M. Bogdanovic, E. Bronzi, G. Gnocchi, E. Dindo. In 2014
he attended the annual chamber music masterclass at the "International
Chamber Music Academy" in Duino (Trieste, Italy) with Trio di Parma.
He has been awarded prizes in numerous national and international competitions, winning among the others a First and a Second Prize at the Feis Ceoil 2021 in the solo categories (Clyde Twelvetrees Cup - Cello
Concerto Competition - and Senior Cello), the Second Prize at the Feis Ceoil 2019, the scholarship "Fano" at the Venice Music Master (2019), and the Third Prize at the "Lilian Caraian” competition (2013).
Since 2016 he has been playing as a duo with the violinist Francesca De Nardi. They performed in numerous concert venues (e.g. National Concert
Hall, National Gallery of Ireland) and took part to various festivals (Kaleidoscope Night, Music for Wexford, Music in Calary, Dublin Jazz Co-Op concert series, Cividale International Mastercourses). Established in Dublin, they have been awarded many prizes, such as the 1st prize at the Feis Ceoil 2021 (Elsner Memorial Cup) and 1st prize at the IMKA
International Music Competition 2019. They studied with internationally renowned musicians such as Daniel Rowland, Trio di Parma, Maja Bogdanovic, RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, William Butt and Lance Coburn
"Sonas" is a tribute to the land that hosted them: it means “happiness" in Gaelic, but it also recalls the Latin verb "sonare", combining their love for music in a single concept.
He currently teaches Cello for Music Generation Louth where he also carries on three orchestral programmes for students aged 7-18, in cooperation with the violin tutor Francesca De Nardi. He regularly plays
with many orchestras, e.g. Orchestra of the Irish National Opera, the Orchestra of the Irish National Youth Ballet, Luminosa String Orchestra,
Camerata Strumentale Italiana. He is now a casual part time musician in the cello section of the National Symphony Orchestra and teaches cello at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (Adult Division).
Viola
Anne Marie McGahon
COMING SOON
