Biography

Music has always been an important part of my life. As a very small child, I was enthralled by my aunt practising the violin. From early on, I knew that this was what I wanted to play too – when I was five my grandparents gifted me my first violin, and I started lessons soon after.

Although music played a huge role in my childhood (almost every afternoon was taken up with orchestra, choir, or another ensemble!), I considered it only a hobby until I became a teenager. Joining the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, as well as participating in Concorda Summer School for Strings (run largely by members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra), were both incredibly inspiring for me and made me realise I loved music enough to pursue it as a career. This led me to audition for Cork
School of Music in 2012, where I spent four really fulfilling years. My focus was on performance, but I also had the opportunity to take modules in conducting, orchestration, and pedagogy, among other things, so it was quite a well-rounded education.

I graduated in 2016, but still felt like I had a lot to learn and wanted to continue studying. I applied for an MA in Classical String Performance at the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick, my hometown. Here I was able to study with, and play alongside, members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, who are my favourite ensemble. The course was small and we all got to know each other really well, so it felt a bit like a family.

Once I was finished in Limerick, I knew it was time to spread my wings and leave Ireland for a bit, so I moved to Paris for further study with my wonderful teacher Sharon Roffman. When Covid hit, violin took a back seat and I ended up working largely in early years music education. I love teaching but it felt like something was missing until I was able to perform again. In 2023 I moved back to Ireland to grab all performance opportunities with both hands! Since then I’ve freelanced with groups such as the Irish Chamber Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and Musici Ireland. I’ve also stayed passionate about music education, and have been a Benedetti Foundation ambassador since 2023.

My aim is to have a career that is as varied as I can make it and to connect with people through music, and I feel so lucky to be able to keep exploring this.