The Irish Tenors to Play CAPA, 12/9

Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns, and Ronan Tynan have been touring together as The Irish Tenors since 1998, with sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, and major concert halls throughout the world. Their faces and voices are familiar to PBS audiences from several specials, including the "Ellis Island Recordings." Together, they produce a sound and concert experience which touches hearts and stirs emotions through happy songs of celebration and humor mixed with touching melodies and songs that warm the heart.

CAPA presents The Irish Tenors - Wright Kearns Tynan at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) on Monday, December 9, at 8 pm. Tickets are $23-$53 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Individuals aged 13-25 may purchase $5 PNC Arts Alive All Access tickets while available. For more information, visit www.GoFor5.com.

This performance is made possible through the generous support of 2013-14 CAPA season sponsor American Airlines.

Finbar Wright, tenor, songwriter, and poet, was born in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. Growing up on a farm, his musical education began at the age of six, and he later studied music theory at one of the oldest music schools in the world-The Cork School of Music. He went on to win many major singing awards, and released his first album, Because produced by Phil Coulter, on the Sony Records label.

Since then, Finbar has recorded six solo albums and six albums with the world famous Irish Tenors. With The Irish Tenors, Finbar has performed all over the world in many prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, and the group has appeared in many successful PBS TV specials. Finbar has performed at many historical world events, including the reading of the Gospel at Pope John Paul II's legendary first Papal Mass at the Phoenix Park, Dublin; the impressive State Dinner given in honor of U.S. President Bill Clinton at Dublin Castle; and he performed live on "Good Morning America" during its coverage of President Reagan's funeral on Capitol Hill. He has appeared in concert with such music legends as Monserrat Caballé, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis.

Anthony Kearns was born in a small Irish village in County Wexford. He studied at Leinster School of Music and The College of Music in Wales. In 1998, he joined The Irish Tenors, producing 10 ten albums to date, selling millions of copies, and touring the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Anthony is a true lyric tenor. He has toured solo in Germany, Italy, and the US, and is a popular presence in Ireland's music scene. He has incredible vocal agility, flexibility, and a sublime natural ability to color notes with grace and beauty. Whether in the realm of the classics or the traditional music of his homeland, the power and clarity in his voice expresses great truth and rich conviction. He has been featured in many challenging operatic roles, including Don Jose in Carmen and Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, and has had many distinguished and acclaimed solo performances in his relatively short time as a professional artist.

Ronan Tynan is a true, modern-day renaissance man. Faced with numerous challenges throughout his well-documented life, he has persevered with enormous passion and determination. Born with a lower limb disability that threatened to sideline him throughout his childhood, Ronan never let that deter his dreams. When he was 20, his legs were amputated below the knee, and within a year, he was winning gold medals in the Paralympics as a multi-talented athlete. He became the first disabled person ever admitted to the National College of Physical Education and became a full-fledged medical doctor, with a degree from prestigious the Trinity College, specializing in orthopedic sports injuries.

Though Ronan enjoyed singing as a boy, he did not seriously consider formal voice study until he was 33, when he was well into his residency as a physician. He won both the John McCormack Cup for Tenor Voice and the International Operatic Singing Competition in Maumarde, France. He made his operatic debut as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madame Butterfly. In 1998, he joined The Irish Tenors, becoming an instant worldwide sensation with whom he toured the world.

In 2005, Ronan released his self-titled debut album, which debuted #2 on Billboard's Classical Crossover Chart, and also reached #2 on the World Album Chart . His career has also been well-documented with appearances on "Primetime Live," "Good Morning America," "The Hour of Power," "700 Club," "Fox & Friends." and many other high-profile television shows.