Paul Ezergailis

Orchestra Leader

Born in Australia to musical parents from Latvia, erstwhile member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, currently alternating concert master with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and regular guest leader with RTÉ national Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ concert orchestra

Dr Bogdan Sofei

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Co-principal Violin

Co-founder of ConTempo Quartet, Bogdan Sofei was born in Bucharest, 1975 and is the leader of ConTempo String Quartet. ConTempo have been the Ensemble-in-Residence in Galway since January 2003 and appointed as the RTE Resident Quartet since May 2014. 

Áine Kelly

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First Violin

Over her 20 years as a teacher and performer Áine has created, developed and directed 2 children's orchestras, one of which received a National Award during the children's Orchestra Music Festival held annually in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Áine is now based in Galway and performs on a regular basis with her String Quartet “String Serenade” and she also works with a very established singer in Galway. Orchestrally Áine works as a deputy player with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Áine also performed on contract with the String Orchestra of Brooklyn while living in New York and since her return in 2008 she has completed a Masters in Performance at the University of Limerick. While there she played with the Irish Chamber Orchestra for the visit of his holiness, the Dalai Lama.

Katherine Mac Mághnuis

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First Violin

Katharine Mac Mághnuis is a violinist, viola player,  fiddler and pedagogue. She has a starred 1st class honours degree in Music from NUI Maynooth. While most of her time is spent in her unabashedly singular pursuit of promoting youth orchestras, Katharine also has been a member of the Irish Memory Orchestra since 2013, being appointed Deputy Leader in 2017. Katharine also plays with the Grey Lake String Quartet and with the Galway Cathedral Players.

Katharine’s teaching career spans 27 years. She founded Athenry Music School in 2007 which now hosts a faculty of 29 teachers and a student body of over 400. She is a three time recipient of the National Award for Youth Orchestra Development. She has taught on the National Suzuki Camps in Ireland and Scotland since 2000, the National Chamber music weekend since 2007 and has lectured in Europe, America and Australia.

Gergely Kuklis

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First Violin

Having studied at the State Music School 1977 – 1985; the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Music, Budapest 1986 – 1990 and the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest 1991 – 1996, Gergely went on to obtain a First-Class Degree in Music as a Professional Violinist and Violin Teacher in 1997. He has performed extensively over the last twenty years most notably as Concertmaster of the Hungarian National Filharmonic Orchestra for 16 years from 2000.- 2016; Concertmaster, Camerata Academica Salzburg; Second Violin Principal, Acadimia Chamber Orchestra; Concertmaster at the Ferenc Erkel Chamber Orchestra and for the Ulster Orchestra as Section Leader, 2nd violin.  He has taught violin since 1998 at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest and privately.  He has made many recordings both for film soundtracks and CDs and has performed regularly at recitals all over Europe and Ireland.

Dr Ingrid Nicola

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Principal Second Violin

Ingrid Nicola is the violinist/founding member of ConTempo quartet,a celebrated string quartet that has become RTE's quartet in residence (Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster) in 2014 and is Galway's Ensemble in Residence since 2003.

Ingrid is a chamber music visiting teacher at the Royal Academy of Music/Dublin, and has been holding lectures/workshops at the Royal Academy of Music in London (1999-2002) ,Gedai University of Music Tokyo/Japan , DIT and Cork School of Music.

On the 10th of June 2016, Ingrid was awarded a Degree of Doctor of Music (honoris causa) by the National University of Ireland (NUIG).

Nuala Ní Chanainn

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Second Violin

Originally from Cork, Nuala lived and played in Galway for 20 years and toured extensively as violinist and singer in theatre and in various ensembles both here and abroad. She now lives and works between Cork and Galway. 

David Clarke

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Second Violin

Dave Clarke studied music with Ruth Dalton in Manchester and later on with Penny Stirling at the Royal Northern College of Music where he obtained his Associated Board diploma working with the Junior Strings project there.

His chamber music career has spanned over 30 years and is a freelance violinist/violist both here in Ireland and in the UK. Since 2003 he has played with the Corrib String Quartet who have been playing together for twenty five years.  He is a dedicated music pedagogue and is currently teaching the Colourstrings method of violin tuition which has produced extraordinary results.

 Dr Andreea Banciu

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Principal Viola

Dr Andreea BANCIU is the violist/founder of the RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, Galway Ensemble in Residence since 2003 & 

RTE Quartet in Residence since 2012. 

She is a lecturer in viola at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin (2017) and a chamber music visiting teacher at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, (2014). 

Eilish Devine

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Viola

Originally from Dublin, Eilish was awarded a Bachelor in Music Degree from Trinity College Dublin and a PGCE in Music and Specialist Strings Teaching from the Royal Northern College of Music/Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. She returned to Ireland to complete a Masters in Classical String Performance in violin with Marianna Sirbu at the University of Limerick where she commenced studies of the viola with Bruno Giuranna. Eilish enjoys playing violin, viola and piano and has a keen interest in both chamber music and orchestral music. She has performed with the RTE Concert Orchestra, the City of Dublin Chamber Orchestra, Hibernian Orchestra and Co-Orch Dublin, and plays viola with String Serenade and Soundpost Quartets here in Galway. Eilish teaches violin, viola and piano in GTI School of Music, Galway.

Tom Murphy

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Viola

Tom graduated with a B. Mus. from University College Cork. He also holds Licentiate diplomas from The Associated Board, The Royal Irish Academy of Music and the London College of Music. He has studied with Una Kindlon of the NSO in Cork, Viola with Seamus O Grady also of the NSO. Tom really enjoys playing chamber music and regularly plays with the Corrib String Quartet and Yukatope String Quartet. He is a founding member of the Loughrea Music Club which presents free monthly concerts in Loughrea Library.