Christine Byrne is a mezzo-soprano from New York, based in both New York and the United Kingdom as a citizen of the USA and Italy. She graduated with Distinction from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, earning her MA in Opera and PGDip in Advanced Professional Opera Practice. Her studies were fully and generously supported by The Clive Richards Foundation. She currently studies with acclaimed mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop.

Her operatic roles include Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Garsington Opera 2024), Ninette (Les vêpres siciliennes, Welsh National Opera 2020), Florence Pike (Albert Herring, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 2019), Second Lady (The Magic Flute, RWCMD 2018), Cenerentola/Angelina (La Cenerentola, RWCMD 2018), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi, RWCMD 2017), Mrs. Emma Jones (Street Scene, RWCMD 2017), Der Trommler (Der Kaiser von Atlantis, RWCMD 2017), Ino (Semele, RWCMD 2016), and Li Jingji (Mother) (Kommilitonen!, Welsh National Opera Youth Opera 2016). She has also appeared as Young Jo in Little Women (Opera Holland Park 2022) covering the roles of Jo and Cecilia, Háta in The Bartered Bride (Garsington Opera 2023, Alvarez Young Artist), and Flora in La Traviata (Oxford Opera 2023).

Christine is also an accomplished concert artist and will perform as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Wycliffe Choral Society’s Verdi Requiem in 2026. Her competition successes include: Second Round, 62 Concurs Tenor Viñas (2024–2025); Encouragement Award, The Gerda Lissner Foundation Lieder/Song Vocal Competition (2023); Finalist, Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition (2022); District Competitor, Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2022). She was also sponsored by The Clive Richards Foundation (2018–2019), and awarded the Jenkins Phillips Scholarship (2015–2018).

Before her operatic career, Christine’s stage artistry was recognized at the national level. She was nominated for acting at The Kennedy Center College Theater Festival (2014–2015) and received The Helen Hayes High School Theater Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role (2011–2015). She is also a recipient of The Angelo Rancatti Music Scholarship.

Critical Acclaim

“Christine Byrne’s Florence Pike was as elegant as she was nasty, a formidable presence who clearly enjoyed her position in Lady Billows’s household.” – Seen and Heard International (Albert Herring, RWCMD, 2019)

“Cameo roles succeed well from Nicholas Crawley’s pugnacious Theseus and Christine Byrne’s expressive Hippolyta.” – Opera Today (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Garsington Opera, 2024)

“British mezzo-soprano Christine Byrne limned the character of Isabella in ‘Cruda sorte!’ from Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri by means of a richly textured instrument, which she also did as the doomed but peaceful Fenena in the lesser known aria ‘Oh! dischiuso è il firmamento’ from Verdi’s Nabucco.” – VOCE DI MECHE (Competition Review, 2022)