Both my sisters play the violin, but I was very stubborn and said I am not playing the violin!” exclaims Sinéad O’Halloran
Instead, she followed in her mum’s footsteps and took up the cello at age six. Luckily, she stuck to her instinct, because she is now establishing herself as one of Ireland’s most exciting professional young classical musicians.
Starting out at Cork School of Music, her musical talents secured her a scholarship to do a performer’s diploma at the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, after her leaving certificate. She recently completed a master’s specialising in chamber music, which was ?split between Dusseldorf and Manchester, ?and loved every minute of studying in Germany.
“Classical music is an integral part of their culture,” she explains. “Every city has an opera house, a concert hall, a symphony orchestra and a music college.”
Sinéad is now back in Dallas, but this time teaching with her colleagues as part of the Marmen String Quartet.
While home in Cork recently, Sinéad spoke to Irish Country Living about her work as a cellist and the upcoming Ortús chamber music festival. She also gave us an introductory guide to the world of classical music.
What does Ortús mean?
“Ortús is a combination of origin and the Irish for beginning; tús. The idea is that we wanted to come back to where our musical journeys began.”
“So many musicians are going abroad and not getting the opportunity to come back and show off what they had learned,” explains Sinéad of the vision she and Mairéad Hickey, co-founder and violinist, had for the festival.
Founded in 2016, over 40 musicians have been invited to play in venues across the city and county of Cork. These include: St Brendan’s Church, Bantry; Ballycotton Sea Church; UCC Aula Maxima; My Place, Midleton; St Peter’s Cork, North Main Street; and MTU (formerly CIT) Curtis Auditorium.
What exactly is chamber music?
“Chamber music is a small group of people playing music together. It comes from the chamber part – usually in a small room – an intimate setting. It is a form of classical music?.”
You work in Dallas with a string quartet. Forgive us, but what is a string quartet?
“Basically, a quartet is a band. It comprises four people playing two violins, a viola and a cello.”
In layman’s term, what is the Marmen String Quartet?
“It is a string quartet that was formed in 2013 at the Royal College of Music, London. I joined in 2021. My colleagues are a Swedish violinist, a Swiss second violinist and a viola player from New Zealand. Basically, it’s our job. We have a jam-packed schedule bringing string quartet music to audiences around the world. This year we are playing in Vancouver, Canada, we’ll be in Australia and lots of concert halls in the UK and European cities.”
What is it about a quartet that is so captivating to people?
“Good question. I suppose one of the reasons is that so much incredible music has been written for the quartet and that goes back hundreds of years to the likes of Haydn, Beethoven and basically all those great classical composers who were somehow drawn to this ensemble. Joseph Haydn was one of the first people to write for the string quartet. He is known as ‘Papa Haydn’ because he is basically the father of the string quartet. He was born in 1732 in Austria so he is the one who really launched this epoch of music.
“All of the composers who came after him had experienced this special sound that this combination of instruments could create. They then started experimenting more and more with how they could expand this art form. We are really lucky in that there are thousands of incredible works of music for this ensemble.”
How did you end up teaching in Dallas?
“The Marmen Quartet had a particularly successful year in 2019 where they won the grand prize at the Bordeaux International String Quartet competition, as well as at the Banff International String Quartet competition in Canada. They would be two of the biggest competitions in the world for string quartets and so, part of the prize at Banff was this teaching and performing residency in Dallas. Because of COVID-19, we only started the residency a year ago.
“It is a coincidence for me that we are working in the same institution I studied in. What we do is work with students there; coaching them, collaborating with them. Basically, we try to share as much love and passion for what we do as well as tips and skills, giving them advice on what they could do in their careers and also performing, recording and doing some outreach work with the other faculties at the University as well.”
You will be teaching at Ortús and at ConCorda. What is ConCorda?
“ConCorda is the place where I realised I wanted to be a musician full-time. I think I was 14 when I went there. It’s a summer course that is supported by the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. It is usually about a week long and takes place in Waterford. Young musicians come together and they are put in different chamber music groups from all over Ireland.
“There are lessons and it was my first experience of the string quartet. It was at ConCorda that I realised how much amazing music there is and that I could actually do this as a job. So, it is brilliant to go back and teach there.”
Now there’s something you might be able to explain. What is the difference between a chamber orchestra and say, a symphony orchestra or the national concert orchestra?
“Firstly, a chamber orchestra is smaller – so less musicians – and, as a result, a different sound. When it comes to the other two orchestras, it has a lot ?to do with the type of music they play. A symphonic orchestra plays a lot more symphonic work, specifically written for an orchestra of this size and includes mostly classical music. A concert orchestra, while they also play classical music, would be more likely to collaborate with pop stars, musical theatre or play on the Late Late Show.”
Sinead O'Halloran, the Cork musician is bringing chamber music to Cork at the end of February
Is it true you will be performing with the National Symphony Orchestra soon?
“Yes! I will be premiering a new cello concerto by Shaun Davey on St Patrick’s Day with the NSO in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. The five-movement concerto is called Refuge and was written during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. It is a beautiful, reflective piece with a lot of trad in there. I am excited and honoured to be premiering this.”
Wait! What is a cello concerto?
“A concerto is a piece of music that is written for a solo instrument with an orchestra backing you, so this piece is for the cello but you could have a piano concerto, a clarinet concerto etc.”
And a five-movement concerto?
“A movement is like a single track of an album, like chapters in a book. So, a five-movement piece is basically five songs.”
The 8th Ortús Chamber Music Festival will run from 26 February to 5 March in venues around Cork City and County, featuring eight of the world’s most celebrated classical musicians. For further information please visit www.ortusfestival.ie
Read more
In concert: Finbar Wright on returning to the stage, lockdown life in Cork
'Belief and encouragement are the matches which light the candle of achievement'
Both my sisters play the violin, but I was very stubborn and said I am not playing the violin!” exclaims Sinéad O’Halloran
Instead, she followed in her mum’s footsteps and took up the cello at age six. Luckily, she stuck to her instinct, because she is now establishing herself as one of Ireland’s most exciting professional young classical musicians.
Starting out at Cork School of Music, her musical talents secured her a scholarship to do a performer’s diploma at the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, after her leaving certificate. She recently completed a master’s specialising in chamber music, which was ?split between Dusseldorf and Manchester, ?and loved every minute of studying in Germany.
“Classical music is an integral part of their culture,” she explains. “Every city has an opera house, a concert hall, a symphony orchestra and a music college.”
Sinéad is now back in Dallas, but this time teaching with her colleagues as part of the Marmen String Quartet.
While home in Cork recently, Sinéad spoke to Irish Country Living about her work as a cellist and the upcoming Ortús chamber music festival. She also gave us an introductory guide to the world of classical music.
What does Ortús mean?
“Ortús is a combination of origin and the Irish for beginning; tús. The idea is that we wanted to come back to where our musical journeys began.”
“So many musicians are going abroad and not getting the opportunity to come back and show off what they had learned,” explains Sinéad of the vision she and Mairéad Hickey, co-founder and violinist, had for the festival.
Founded in 2016, over 40 musicians have been invited to play in venues across the city and county of Cork. These include: St Brendan’s Church, Bantry; Ballycotton Sea Church; UCC Aula Maxima; My Place, Midleton; St Peter’s Cork, North Main Street; and MTU (formerly CIT) Curtis Auditorium.
What exactly is chamber music?
“Chamber music is a small group of people playing music together. It comes from the chamber part – usually in a small room – an intimate setting. It is a form of classical music?.”
You work in Dallas with a string quartet. Forgive us, but what is a string quartet?
“Basically, a quartet is a band. It comprises four people playing two violins, a viola and a cello.”
In layman’s term, what is the Marmen String Quartet?
“It is a string quartet that was formed in 2013 at the Royal College of Music, London. I joined in 2021. My colleagues are a Swedish violinist, a Swiss second violinist and a viola player from New Zealand. Basically, it’s our job. We have a jam-packed schedule bringing string quartet music to audiences around the world. This year we are playing in Vancouver, Canada, we’ll be in Australia and lots of concert halls in the UK and European cities.”
What is it about a quartet that is so captivating to people?
“Good question. I suppose one of the reasons is that so much incredible music has been written for the quartet and that goes back hundreds of years to the likes of Haydn, Beethoven and basically all those great classical composers who were somehow drawn to this ensemble. Joseph Haydn was one of the first people to write for the string quartet. He is known as ‘Papa Haydn’ because he is basically the father of the string quartet. He was born in 1732 in Austria so he is the one who really launched this epoch of music.
“All of the composers who came after him had experienced this special sound that this combination of instruments could create. They then started experimenting more and more with how they could expand this art form. We are really lucky in that there are thousands of incredible works of music for this ensemble.”
How did you end up teaching in Dallas?
“The Marmen Quartet had a particularly successful year in 2019 where they won the grand prize at the Bordeaux International String Quartet competition, as well as at the Banff International String Quartet competition in Canada. They would be two of the biggest competitions in the world for string quartets and so, part of the prize at Banff was this teaching and performing residency in Dallas. Because of COVID-19, we only started the residency a year ago.
“It is a coincidence for me that we are working in the same institution I studied in. What we do is work with students there; coaching them, collaborating with them. Basically, we try to share as much love and passion for what we do as well as tips and skills, giving them advice on what they could do in their careers and also performing, recording and doing some outreach work with the other faculties at the University as well.”
You will be teaching at Ortús and at ConCorda. What is ConCorda?
“ConCorda is the place where I realised I wanted to be a musician full-time. I think I was 14 when I went there. It’s a summer course that is supported by the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. It is usually about a week long and takes place in Waterford. Young musicians come together and they are put in different chamber music groups from all over Ireland.
“There are lessons and it was my first experience of the string quartet. It was at ConCorda that I realised how much amazing music there is and that I could actually do this as a job. So, it is brilliant to go back and teach there.”
Now there’s something you might be able to explain. What is the difference between a chamber orchestra and say, a symphony orchestra or the national concert orchestra?
“Firstly, a chamber orchestra is smaller – so less musicians – and, as a result, a different sound. When it comes to the other two orchestras, it has a lot ?to do with the type of music they play. A symphonic orchestra plays a lot more symphonic work, specifically written for an orchestra of this size and includes mostly classical music. A concert orchestra, while they also play classical music, would be more likely to collaborate with pop stars, musical theatre or play on the Late Late Show.”
Sinead O'Halloran, the Cork musician is bringing chamber music to Cork at the end of February
Is it true you will be performing with the National Symphony Orchestra soon?
“Yes! I will be premiering a new cello concerto by Shaun Davey on St Patrick’s Day with the NSO in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. The five-movement concerto is called Refuge and was written during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. It is a beautiful, reflective piece with a lot of trad in there. I am excited and honoured to be premiering this.”
Wait! What is a cello concerto?
“A concerto is a piece of music that is written for a solo instrument with an orchestra backing you, so this piece is for the cello but you could have a piano concerto, a clarinet concerto etc.”
And a five-movement concerto?
“A movement is like a single track of an album, like chapters in a book. So, a five-movement piece is basically five songs.”
The 8th Ortús Chamber Music Festival will run from 26 February to 5 March in venues around Cork City and County, featuring eight of the world’s most celebrated classical musicians. For further information please visit www.ortusfestival.ie
Read more
In concert: Finbar Wright on returning to the stage, lockdown life in Cork
'Belief and encouragement are the matches which light the candle of achievement'
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