Ailbhe McDonagh

Cellist & Composer

Cellist

Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh is a critically acclaimed and internationally recognised soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist.

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Composer

Published by Boosey & Hawkes, creating evocative and highly sought-after contemporary works for solo, chamber, and full orchestra.

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Educator

Professor of cello at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Ailbhe is a high-demand teacher and creator of the popular “It's a... Thing” book series.

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Featured Release

Dance Suite for Solo Cello

Now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, Dance Suite for Solo Cello is a six-movement work based on modern dances from across the world. Composed in 2020 with support from The Arts Council of Ireland, the suite was recorded earlier this year with engineer Ben Raw... Read more...

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Upcoming Concerts & Events

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Composition performance

Piano Nocturne No.1

Pianodrome Bruntsfield Community Hub, Edinburgh, Scotland

15 Oct 202613:00

World premiere

Fire & Sun (new choral work)

Church of the Assumption, Dalkey, Dublin, Ireland

15 Nov 202617:00

Composition performance

Irish Four Seasons

Lorne Watson Recital Hall, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

21 Nov 202619:30

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Recent Compositions

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2026Choir, Cello & Organ

Fire & Sun

Fire and Sun is a 15-minute work for chorus, organ, and cello composed by Ailbhe McDonagh to poems by Sara Teasdale (1884–1933). Commissioned by conductor John Doyle and Dun Laoghaire Choral Society, it was premiered in November 2026.

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2026Cello & Piano

Storm

Storm for cello and piano was composed by Ailbhe McDonagh in 2026.

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2026Cello

Dance Suite for Solo Cello

Dance Suite for solo cello was composed by Ailbhe McDonagh in 2020.

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