Ailbhe McDonagh from Malahide, Co. Dublin is one of Ireland's finest young musicians. Based now in Dublin, Ireland, she graduated from the esteemed Eastman School of Music, NY with a Master of Music Degree under the direction of Steven Doane. Ailbhe is currently part of the cello faculty at the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she actually began her undergraduate studies on the Royal Irish Academy of Music/Dublin City University Music Performance Degree Programme in 2001. An accomplished pianist, she studied piano with John O’Conor from the age of eight and won many first prizes at the Dublin Feis Ceoil, including solo piano competitions, repertoire cups and piano concerto competitions.
Her ‘cello studies at the Academy began with Nora Gileece and continued with renowned ‘cellists Aisling Drury-Byrne and William Butt. She graduated with a first class honours degree award in 2005.
Ailbhe's public ‘cello performances over the past years have been widely acknowledged. She has played with a number of orchestras and given solo recital performances at locations in Ireland, England, Germany, Italy and the United States. As winner of the 2004 RIAM Concerto Competition, Ailbhe has played Schumann’s ‘Cello Concerto at four venues throughout Ireland, including at the National Concert Hall, Dublin and the University Concert Hall, Limerick. She also performed ‘Cello Concerti by Dvorak, Haydn and Vivaldi with the RIAM Symphony and Chamber Orchestras.
Since graduating in 2005, Ailbhe performs throughout Ireland and internationally as a soloist and chamber musicican. Ailbhe gave her debut with Dr. John O’Conor in the National Concert Hall of Ireland. She has performed for President McAleese at Aras an Uachtarain, Dublin and on national television and radio.
In summer 2004, Ailbhe was awarded a scholarship to study with David Geringas and gave a performance at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany; while, in the same year, she was the recipient of the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe award. She also performed at the London Masterclasses Young Artist of the Future Recitals under the direction of Ralph Kirshbaum. In 2003, Ailbhe was awarded a Fellowship to study for a period of six weeks at the Yale Summer School of Music in Connecticut, USA under the tuition of the celebrated Tokyo String Quartet; while in 2002 she studied with Emilio Colon and performed with the Indiana University Festival Orchestra.
Having worked with several contemporary composers, Ailbhe has a keen interest in contemporary music. In Ireland, she has collaborated with and performed works by Kevin O'Connell, Robert Casey, Benedict Schlepper Connolly, Ciaran Farrell and Jane O'Leary. While in the USA, she played and recorded numerous works by the Mexican composer Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon and several other composers. In 2010, Ailbhe recorded a cd of Zohn-Muldoon's music for Bridge Records in New York. A composer and arranger in her own right, Ailbhe has had several piano compositions published for the Royal Irish Academy of Music Local Centre Examinations including Anastasia, Hang Gliding, Hopscotch, Blue and Green and Paper Boats.
Future projects include concerts with Zoe Conway (violin) and Brendan Walsh (guitar) in a newly formed trio. Trio Elatha is an exciting mix of classical, traditional irish and contemporary music. Ailbhe has recently formed a duo with her sister, Orla McDonagh called The McDonagh Sisters. The official launch of the duo should take place in early 2012
SHORT BIOGRAPHYIrish cellist, Ailbhe McDonagh, performs throughout Ireland and internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, Ireland, she studied with world-renowned cellist Steven Doane, Nora Gilleese, Aisling Drury-Byrne and William Butt. McDonagh gave her debut recital with celebrated Irish pianist John O’Conor at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. Over the last ten years, she has performed throughout Europe, Asia and the USA and has appeared as a concerto soloist numerous times all over Ireland. Performances include concerts for the Irish President at Aras an Uachtarain, the Yale Norfolk Festival, Schleswig Holstein Music Festival, Great Irish Houses Festival, Carnegie Hall and Irish national television and radio. McDonagh has worked in masterclasses with Bernard Greenhouse, David Geringas, Ralph Kirshbaum, Philippe Muller, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Julian Lloyd Webber, Maria Kliegel, Moray Welsh, Anna Shuttleworth, The Tokyo String Quartet, Altenberg Trio Wien and many others. She has recently formed a new duo, “The McDonagh Sisters” with pianist Orla McDonagh. Keenly interested in contemporary music, McDonagh collaborates with several composers and other artists worldwide, most recently recording a CD of contemporary music for Bridge Records in New York. A composer and arranger in her own right, she has had several piano compositions published for the RIAM Local Centre Examinations. McDonagh joined the cello faculty of the RIAM in 2010.
