Jessica McKean, Irish soprano. Opera, musicals and classical crossover.

From Donegal, Ireland

Irish Soprano · Opera · Musicals · Classical Crossover

She won her first singing competition the week she turned three. At ten she won Ireland's Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the youngest winner in its history, and sang for Ireland to a full house in Nice.

Jessica McKean singing on stage in a red gown, one arm raised

The story so far

Told in ages, because the ages are the point.

Jessica took her first singing lesson at two and a half. Everything below happened before most singers have finished school.

2½Years old

Her first singing lesson

Two and a half years old, and she has not stopped since.

3Years old

Her first competition, the week of her birthday

She entered the age six and under category and won it, beating children twice her age.

5Years old

Television debut on RTÉ

She sang Patsy Cline solo on Donncha's Two Talented. That was the moment she decided what she was going to do with her life.

10Years old

Winner, Junior Eurovision Song Contest Ireland

Weeks of live television on TG4, round after round, thousands of hopefuls. She won, and became the youngest winner in the contest's history.

Youngest winner ever
Jessica McKean holding the Junior Eurovision trophy with Irish tricolour ribbons
TG4 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Ireland

10Years old

Representing Ireland in Nice

She sang at the Palais Nikaïa to a full stadium and a television audience of millions, in a song written for her in Irish.

The song was released on every major platform, and she made her own music video for it.

NowAnd still climbing

Opera, musicals, and songs of her own

Jessica is working through her grades in piano and classical singing, performing with a cabaret team, and writing her own material.

She would like to sing on the biggest stages in the world. On current evidence, that is not an unreasonable plan.

Voice coaching by Benny Vocal Coach.

Portrait of Jessica McKean smiling
Jessica McKean, 2026
Jessica McKean performing on a large stage under coloured lights
I dream of performing on huge stages, worldwide, sharing my passion for music.
Jessica McKean

Hear her sing

Time to Say Goodbye

Con te partirò · Sartori / Quarantotto

Twenty five seconds, unedited. This is the instrument a promoter is booking.

0:00 0:25

Recognition

Won on stage, and in the exam room.

Jessica competes as comfortably in front of a television audience as she does in front of an examination panel. Both have said the same thing.

Junior Eurovision · TG4

Winner, and the youngest in the contest's history

Selected round by round across weeks of live television, ahead of thousands of entrants, at ten years old.

2025 · Royal Irish Academy of Music

Spotlight Award

Awarded for her performance of Nel cor più non mi sento, with the highest grade in her classical singing examination.

Nice, France

Represented Ireland at Palais Nikaïa

A full stadium and a broadcast audience of millions, singing a song written for her in Irish.

What she sings

Four disciplines, one voice.

Jessica moves between the opera house, the musical stage and the concert hall without changing singer. The training is classical. The reach is not.

  • 01 Opera
  • 02 Musical theatre
  • 03 Classical crossover
  • 04 Traditional Irish and original songs

Five languages

She sings in all of them.

EnglishMusicals, crossover
GaeilgeIrish
LatinaLatin, sacred
FrançaisFrench
ItalianoItalian, opera

Where she has sung, and with whom

Stages, and the people on them.

  • Palais Nikaïa Nice, France
  • The National Stadium Dublin
  • Grand Opera House Belfast
  • Dublin Castle Dublin
  • Glenarm Castle County Antrim
  • Harvey's Point County Donegal

Three years with a cabaret team at Harvey's Point and other hotels, alongside some of the best known names in Irish music. Hundreds of television, radio and magazine appearances, including singing while accompanying herself at the piano on TG4.

  • Phil Coulter
  • Dominic Kirwan
  • Kathy Durkin
  • George Hutton, The Celtic Tenors
  • Daryl Simpson, The Celtic Tenors
  • Patrick Feeney
  • Sinead Black
  • Brendan Shine
  • Emily Shine
  • Onoir

Away from the microphone

The list of things she is good at does not stop at singing.

Jessica writes her own songs, paints, draws, and plays badminton. She is a genuinely serious nail artist. The same eye that finds a phrase in a score finds it everywhere else too.

  • Songwriting
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Piano
  • Badminton
  • Nail art
Jessica McKean reviewing a take with the crew on a filming set
Reviewing a take on set

Bookings and press

Bring Jessica to your stage.

Concerts, galas, festivals, corporate events, television and radio. Jessica performs solo programmes and shared bills, with piano, backing track or full orchestra.

All enquiries are handled by Jessica's family management team.