Gina Maria McGuinness, violin
Eoin Ducrot, violin
Fiachra de hOra, viola
Paul Grennan, cello
† Commissioned by the Gealán Quartet
The Gealán Quartet returns for their second tour for the Foundation with a fascinating programme featuring a new quartet by Derry composer Michael Doherty. Schumann wrote his gorgeous A minor quartet just seventeen years after Beethoven’s last quartets and the spirit of the master is clearly still present, but there is also some of the lightness of touch of the quartet’s dedicatee Mendelssohn as well as glimpses of the future richness and density of Brahms’ great chamber works. Bartók’s musical language is utterly distinctive and his second quartet is built around the stunning, frenetic virtuosity of its second movement. Written in the war-torn Europe of 1917, the quartet is pervaded by an expressive intensity and sense of tragedy.
GEALÁN QUARTET
Gina Maria McGuinness
Born in Dublin, Gina Maria began her musical path at the age of four with Maria Kelemen and later followed her studies with Prof. Ronald Masin, winning the title “Young Musician of Tallinn”, Estonia in 1998. In 2006, she was invited back by the Estonian Symphony Orchestra on an Estonian tour of Brahms Double Concerto, and later gave her debut solo recital at the NCH Dublin alongside renowned pianist Alasdair Beatson in June of 2007.
Over countless years of leading the YES Chamber Orchestra (YESCO) and regular participation of the West Cork Chamber music festival, Gina developed her never ending love of chamber music. Her love flourished when she continued her studies with Prof. Shmuel Ashkenasi in Lübeck, Germany and later in Chicago, where she received her performance diploma with the highest of honor. It was here, home to the Chicago Symphony orchestra, that her passion for orchestral playing began. Gina later continued her studies in Lausanne “HEMU Site De Sion” in the class of Prof. Pavel Vernikov where she again received with high honor her Masters degree.
Calling Zurich her home for more then 10 years, Gina enjoys a flourishing career as a soloist, chamber and symphonic musician. A frequent guest of the GAIA Chamber Music Festival, Gina performs with countless orchestras throughout Switzerland, and is a proud member of the European Philharmonic of Switzerland ( EPOS), the City Lights Orchestra Lucerne and is regularly invited as guest co principal of the Brussels Philharmonic. Gina fondly plays an Andre Amati violin, School of Cremona, Ivano Conti.
Eoin Ducrot
Eoin is a prizewinner at numerous international and national competitions both as a soloist and chamber musician, and has become an all rounded experienced performer, of solo, chamber music and contemporary repertoire. Eoin has premiered many contemporary works for violin and chamber music, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Sinfonieorchester Basel, CSM Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra du Cnr de Nantes. Eoin is the founder of the Opalio Quintet and a member of Quartetto Zart with whom he has performed all over Europe. He is working as the assistant of Raphael Oleg at the Hochschule fur Musik in Basel as well as being a guest player at Tonhalle Orchester Zurich. Eoin completed both his Performance Masters, and his Specialised Soloist Masters with unanimous maximum marks. He is currently doing post graduate studies in the class of Guy Braunstein as well as being a member of the masterclass series with Leonidas Kavakos at HSM Basel.
Fiachra de hOra
Dublin born Fiachra de hOra (1999) is currently in his bachelor studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, studying with Nobuko Imai and Marjolein Dispa. He has given recitals in the National Concert Hall in Dublin and in the Westport Festival of Chamber Music, and has performed as soloist with orchestras such as the Ulster Orchestra and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra.
He plays with a bow by Ivano Conti donated through the inaugural International Master Course held in the National Concert Hall Dublin in Augus, and plays on a Bertrand Galen viola supported by Music Network’s Music Capital Scheme.
Paul Grennan
Irish cellist Paul Grennan spent his childhood roaming the fields and beaches of County Wicklow. After studying at the RIAM he was accepted to the RNCM following masterclasses and a personal recommendation from the renowned cellist MstislavRostropovich. Whilst at the RNCM, Paul won the John Baribirolli Cello Prize, received second place in the Premio Francesco Geminiani in Verona while also receiving scholarships and a Music Education Award from the MBF.
He has given chamber music recitals throughout Europe and worked on a personal basis with composers such as Kurt Schwertsik, Alexander Goehr, James MacMillan and Colin Matthews. Paul has performed chamber and solo works by James MacMillan and quartets and works for Cello and Piano by Goehr at the Wigmore Hall in London.
As well as being a member of the wonderful Hallé cello section, Paul freelances with orchestras throughout the UK and Ireland including the The BBC Philharmonic, RLPO, Irish Chamber Orchestra, RSNO, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and more. He is currently on trial for principal cello with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin. Paul has toured Asia, USA, Australia and Europe with various classical and pop groups as well completing a residency in the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts with the contemporary ensemble Psappha.
As a soloist, Paul has performed at the Stockhausen Festival and Minimalist Festival at the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens as well as performing at the Barbican Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a production of Max Richter's Memoryhouse.
