FOLKSONGS - Opening Concert of Festival BRIDGES 2

Born in Dublin, Helen Kearns has worked with Montserrat Caballé, José van Dam, Plácido Domingo, and Ruggero Raimondi. She represented Ireland at the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Her performances at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia include Gilda in Verdi’s *Rigoletto*, Susanna in Mozart’s *The Marriage of Figaro*, and Dido in Purcell’s *Dido and Aeneas*. She will soon appear as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire under the baton of Sacha Goetzel. François Dumont is a prize-winner at major international competitions, including the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. He performs at venues such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Vienna Musikverein, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and with ensembles including the Orchestre National de France and the Orchestre National de Lyon. His discography comprises over 40 recordings; the latest, dedicated to Debussy and recorded on the composer’s own Blüthner piano, received the *Choc Classica* award and the *Millésime Protected content distinction from *Crescendo Magazine*. François Dumont is a professor at the Geneva-Neuchâtel University of Music (Haute École de Musique).