Biography
Anthony Kearns first gained widespread recognition as a member of the celebrated trio known as the Irish Tenors. Born August 17, 1971, in the small village of Kiltealy within County Wexford, he took up the accordion during childhood and began formal vocal training at the age of ten, earning multiple competition prizes throughout his adolescence. His breakthrough arrived in 1993 after he entered and claimed victory in the “Search for a Tenor” competition, an event that coincided with the Irish government’s release of a new ten-pound note. The ensuing national television exposure broadened his following, while private study with renowned vocal coach Veronica Dunne—who had also instructed the remaining future Irish Tenors—further refined his technique. Kearns captured the Dermot Troy Trophy for oratorio singing in both 1995 and 1996, and he received additional recognition for his portrayal in a production of The Pirates of Penzance. Appearances alongside various orchestras followed, and by late 1998 he had accepted an invitation to join the Irish Tenors, a step that launched him toward global prominence through the ensemble’s widely praised recordings, concert tours, and televised specials. He has since presented solo recitals across North America and Europe, and he made his operatic stage debut in a 2001 mounting of Macbeth in Dublin.