President praises Athlone composer Emma after Grammy nomination

President Catherine Connolly led the congratulations to composer and Athlone native Emma O'Halloran on her nomination for one of the most prestigious accolades in international music, a Grammy Award, in the 'Best Opera Recording' category.

The 2026 Grammys, which took place on Sunday in Los Angeles, saw Emma nominated for her opera double bill 'Trade/Mary Motorhead', which was one of five works shortlisted in the category.

The operas, which explore the complex modern lives of three characters, are based on original plays by Emma's uncle, Mark O’Halloran. The Irish National Opera recording of 'Trade/Mary Motorhead' was released on Signum Records last August.

In a letter congratulating Emma, President Connolly described this as "a landmark moment for Irish music and contemporary opera, marking the first Grammy nomination for an Irish opera recording, and the first time an Irish female composer has been nominated in the classical field."

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent about the nomination on Friday, before jetting off for the awards ceremony in the US, Emma said she was both surprised and delighted by the recognition.

"I was really shocked, and delighted. I think it's really only sinking in," she said. "It's a lot of work to write an opera, and then to produce an album.

"I started writing it in 2018, and it took several years to write. Then to create the album, and now for it to be nominated for a Grammy, is just wonderful."

Emma described the nomination as a shared achievement among the creative team involved in the project.

"There's six of us nominated, it did feel like a family affair, so it was nice to celebrate that together," she said.

She also recalled the special moment of sharing the news with one of the performers involved in the production.

"I actually got to tell one of the singers about the nomination, and that was a really special moment to see her reaction, and her excitement."

The Athlone composer was nominated alongside conductor Elaine Kelly and principal soloists Naomi Louisa O’Connell, John Molloy, and Oisín Ó Dálaigh.

Emma's husband Alex Dowling also served as a producer on the operatic recording, which featured a libretto by her uncle Mark O’Halloran, the renowned Clare-based scriptwriter, playwright and actor.

Reflecting on her career to date, Emma - who is from the Retreat area of Athlone and is now based in Dublin after a number of years in the US - said she tries not to place too much expectation on awards.

"I've been writing music for over 20 years now so I try not to attach expectations to nominations, because a career in music is very non-linear," she said.

What had been particularly meaningful for her, she added, was the opportunity to mentor emerging talent through her work on a project called 'Composers in the Classroom'.

"I'm working with two very talented young composers. When you're younger, it is valuable to get the chance to be mentored by a Grammy-nominated artist, and you attach meaning to that. I know when I was early in my career, it would have meant a lot to get that opportunity, to be told that it [was] okay to experiment and to learn."

Perparing for Sunday's awards ceremony was in itself memorable experience. Emma and her fellow Irish nominees were working with Irish designers Natalie B Coleman, Oran Aurelio, and Paul Galvin to dress them for one of Hollywood's most glamourous nights.

"It’s been like planning a wedding! We’ve been meeting Irish designers to try on gowns, and trying to organise our outfits," Emma said.

"I think it is really important to represent Irish designers on a stage like this. We have so many talented designers."

When asked about Irish influences in her music, Emma said her work was shaped by her own lived experiences and upbringing.

"My work is informed by my life growing up in Ireland. When you're writing, it can be hard to see those connections, but people have often said to me they could hear the folk influences," she said.

Emma also noted that time spent studying in the United States had a significant impact on her artistic development.

"I lived in the US for eight years for my studies, and of course I got to experience a lot of different composers. That had an influence as well."

Having moved back to Ireland in 2020, during the pandemic, Emma said it has been nice to put down roots at home.

Her husband Alex and her uncle Mark travelled to the awards alongside her, as fellow nominees, and she was supported at home by her loving family.

"My family [were] supporting me on the night by watching the awards on TV. My sister just had a baby, so they wouldn't have been able to make the journey over," Emma said.

This year's Grammy for Best Opera Recording went to Jake Heggie's American Civil War-themed opera 'Intelligence'.

Other winners at this year's awards included Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga.