Áine O’Halloran Violin
Bio
Originating from Killeavy, Newry on the South Armagh border with County Louth, I began learning violin in school with the inimitable Sheila Cronin. Sheila’s virtuosic piano playing and red hot passion for music was hugely inspirational and I soon learned that what I wanted to do for the rest of my life was play violin. As a young violinist I just couldn’t believe that there really was the possibility to play the violin as a career.
My third level education was at Trinity College of Music, London, where I studied for five years with some of the most inspirational teachers and distinguished solo and string quartet performers from the Classical Music world.
In addition to achieving an LTCL Performers Diploma from Trinity and an Honours Masters Degree in Classical String Performance in both violin and viola from the Irish World Academy, University of Limerick, I was awarded the Student’s Union Chamber Music Prize on two occasions, The Louise Band Prize, The Sir John Barbirolli Prize and the Irish Chamber Orchestra/University of Limerick ‘Sing Out With Strings’ Scholarship.
As a professional violinist and viola player I have worked with The Sterling String Quartet, The Cork City Quartet, Silver Strings Duo, Cork Baroque Orchestra, Cork Opera House Orchestra, Irish Performing Arts Festival Orchestra, Cork Pops Orchestra, Cork Mozart Players, Academos Chamber Orchestra, Retorika Renaissance Ensemble, Tafel Consort, Celtic Lyre Orchestra, Belfast Baroque Orchestra, Trinity Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Limerick Choral Union Orchestra and local professional string quartets at concerts and functions across Cork City and County.
Music brings wonderful opportunities to travel and I have performed throughout Ireland, England, Europe and America playing at The Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Centre, St. Martin in the Field’s, St.John’s Smith Square, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, Lincoln Centre, University of Limerick Concert Hall, Cork Opera House, Everyman Palace Theatre, National Concert Hall, Christchurch Dublin, St. Barrahane’s, Grand Opera House Belfast, Festival at Queens and many more.