Aindrias Hirt

Aindrias Hirt

Aindrias Hirt is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music and Irish & Scottish Studies at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand through a full international scholarship. His topic is investigating heroic narrative song (the origin of recitative) still found in marginalized cultures in Europe, particularly the songs of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. He is analyzing song recordings made from the 1950s which have survived in a living tradition; they date from the Late Middle Ages.

He has a B.S. in Physics from Hobart College, a M.M. in Vocal Performance in Opera from Binghamton University, and a B.A. (First Class Honours) and M.A. in Celtic Studies from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Aindrias has performed leading opera and musical theatre roles in productions such as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Herbie in Gypsy, Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Julian Marsh in 42nd Street, etc. In New Zealand, he performed leading roles as The Maestro in Salieri's First the Music and then the Words (Prima la musica, e poi le parole) and as Uberto in Pergolesi's The Maid Who Would be Mistress (La serva padrona).

Recently, he was the musical editor for a complete musical re-setting of the book The Celtic Lyre published by Sìol Cultural Enterprises. He is active in his community, this summer directing the Gaelic choir and performing as a lead for the production of The Ships of 1801, which chronicle the ocean voyage of an emigrant ship from Scotland. He is also often asked to sing as a Precentor of Presbyterian Church Gaelic Psalms.

He currently resides in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada with his wife, Margaret Ann.