Irish singing sensation Celtic Thunder have introduced a new member following the tragic, sudden death of George Donaldson in March.

Irish-American Emmett O’Hanlon, 23 years old and a recent graduate of the prestigious Julliard School, will be joining the lads on the Celtic Thunder Cruise 2014 and on their USA Fall Tour, which kicks off in November.

Born and raised in New York City by Irish parents, O’Hanlon has been playing guitar, piano and drums since the age of six and began training in vocal performance at eight years of age.

Classically trained, he is a past soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and has appeared in a number of opera productions at Julliard and at the Metropolitan Opera Workshop.

His mother, who hails from Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, and his father, from Co. Armagh, both had backgrounds in theater and music and raised a highly musical family. O’Hanlon’s older brother and younger sister have also studied music at the university level.

Following the Celtic Thunder Cruise, which sails from November 8 – 12, the group will begin their North American Symphony Tour at the Ruth Ekerd Hall in Clearwater, FL on November 14. They will be accompanied by a full symphony orchestra as they perform songs from the chart-topping 2013 album “Christmas Voices,” in addition to some new material.

The tour will remain on the road through December 10, touring the East Coast and Mid-West, playing major venues such as the Symphony Hall in Atlanta (11/21), The Chicago Theater, Chicago (11/30), MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods (12/5), Heinz Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh (12/9), The State Theater in Minneapolis (11/28), NYCB Theater at Westbury (12/7), Morristown PAC (12/6).

Get acquainted with O’Hanlon’s rich baritone voice in this clip of him performing in Joyce DiDonato’s master class at Julliard: