Scottish tenor to sing for Dalai Lama at Usher Hall

Scot invited to sing in Edinburgh at the sell-out event featuring His Holiness The Dalai Lama on 22 June 2012.

Martin Aelred, a Scots born tenor has been asked to sing to the Buddhist spiritual leader who is known to be an opera fan.

Aelred will perform ‘Nella Fantasia’ and ‘Nessun Dorma’; Puccini’s Nessun Dorma is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera.

The Dalai Lama event at The Usher Hall, organised by the Edinburgh Inter Faith Association in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council, will also be the 2012 series highlight of the 20th Anniversary of The Edinburgh Lectures.

Martin Aelred said:- ‘I’m deeply honoured to have been invited to perform at the Usher Hall event for His Holiness The Dalai Lama. I was told The Dalai Lama loves opera. I wasn’t quite sure about singing an aria that is a Chinese love story. I spoke with some of the Tibetans in Edinburgh and they reassured me that Puccini’s Nessun Dorma would be a great climax to the special event in the Usher Hall.’

Martin shot to fame when it was discovered that he was inspired to sing classical music in tribute to his late father who loved Puccini. Martin learned and practised the singing technique under the guidance of a highly regarded Edinburgh tutor while working in the building industry, and was soon the butt of many jokes from his work mates. His debut performance was at the Edinburgh Festival of Spirituality and Peace.

Martin Aelred has just started a recital tour across Scotland raising funds for Scottish charity Mary’s Meals who are currently feeding over 700,000 children in 15 countries. He has recently completed a series of fundraising and awareness raising concerts for a national Alzheimer’s charity were he accompanied an Alzheimer’s sufferers choir.

His other recent career highlights have included performances in the world famous Rosslyn Chapel where he performed with Classic FM Hall of Fame composer Stuart Mitchell, St Mary’s RC Cathedral in Edinburgh, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, The Little White Chapel Las Vegas, Lamone in Switzerland and to an adoring audience in New York City’s Central Park at a special United Nations International Day of Peace event.

Martin has also just been invited to perform with the Cairo Philharmonic Orchestra at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt at a special ‘planetary line-up’ concert on 12th December 2012.

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