We are delighted to announce a short series of masterclasses open to Irish students this July. While the nation gradually emerges from restrictions, we are pleased to be able to offer these remote masterclasses with exceptional Irish musicians.

Each masterclass will be live streamed on the National Concert Hall’s Youtube, and there will be an opportunity for you to ask all your burning questions to each of the musicians at the end of each of the masterclasses.

Irish cellist, Ailbhe McDonagh, performs throughout Ireland and internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, USA (Steven Doane) and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, Ireland (Aisling Drury-Byrne, William Butt). Ailbhe teaches cello performance at both third and second level and coaches chamber music at the RIAM.

Ailbhe gave her debut recital with celebrated Irish pianist John O’Conor at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. She performs throughout Europe, Asia and North America and has appeared as a concerto soloist numerous times in Ireland and abroad. Performances include concerts at Carnegie Hall, the Yale Norfolk Festival, Schleswig Holstein Music Festival, Great Irish Houses Festival, for the Irish President at Aras an Uachtarain and on Irish national television and radio.

As a chamber musician, Ailbhe performs in a duo, The McDonagh Sisters, with pianist Orla McDonagh. She is also a member of the Ficino Ensemble, The Belisama Trio and the crossover traditional Irish music group Trio Elatha where she plays traditional Irish music on the cello.