Dr Fionnuala Moynihan is widely acknowledged as one of Ireland’s leading concert pianists. She has a particular affinity with the works of baroque, classical and early romantic composers.
In 2010 Fionnuala performed the Complete Piano Sonatas of Mozart from memory in the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, in a series of five recitals. She is the first pianist to have undertaken the formidable challenge of performing this cycle in its entirety in Ireland.
Fionnuala has given solo recitals and concerto performances throughout the UK, France, Holland, Italy, Israel, U.S.A, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Russia, Poland, Japan, Holland and Hungary as well as extensively and regularly in Ireland.
In 2009 Dr Fionnuala Moynihan became the first person to be awarded a Doctorate in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Dublin City University. Prior to this, Fionnuala studied with scholarships at the Birmingham Conservatoire, The Paris Conservatoire and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest.
A prolific award winner, her awards include the John Field Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition, the prestigious Maura Tessier Bursary and the Rena Menasche Award at the Tel Hai Piano Festival, Israel.
Her debut CD The Ivory Lady was launched in January 2015. This CD is a classical-trad fusion CD and showcases Fionnuala’s love for both the classical and traditional music genres. In April 2016 she recorded a recital of sonatas by Muzio Clementi for The Lyric Concert on RTE Lyric FM Radio. Her latest CD, ‘Melodies of Nations’, with oboist Sanja Romic, was released on the Hedone Label in June 2017.
Fionnuala holds the position of University Pianist and Performance Coach at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
Mar cheoltóir, tá Fionnuala meallta le fada ag na foinn aoibhne atá le fáil sa cheol chlaisiceach agus sa cheol traidisiúnta Gaelach – iad ina bhfoinsí iontais agus gliondair di go brách.
Mar bharr ar ar sin, tá Fionnuala ag tnúth go mór le taispéantas a chur i láthair ar an bpianó álainn, atá lonnaithe i spás chomh speisialta leis an Ionad Cultúrtha.
Chuaigh na fáiltí geala a cuireadh roimpi, agus áilleacht an phiano, i bhfeidhm go mór uirthi nuair a sheinn sí san Ionad cheana, agus mairfidh na mothúcháin sin go buan ina croí.
Tá aithne go forleathan ar an Dr Fionnuala Moynihan mar dhuine de phríomhphianódóirí ceolchoirme na hÉireann. Tá luí ar leith aici le saothair na gcumadóirí Bharócacha, clasaiceacha agus rómánsúla luatha. Tá coirmeacha ceoil ar an bpianó agus ar an gconsairtín curtha i láthair ag Fionnuala ar fud an domhain agus ar ndóigh go rialta in Éirinn. D’eirigh le Fionnuala scoláireachtí a bhaint amach le staidéar a dhéanamh ag an Birmingham Conservatoire, The Paris Conservatoire agus ag Acadamh Ceoil Franz Liszt i mBúdaipeist. Tá illiomad gradam bainte amach aici, ina measc – Duais John Field don bPianó, Sparántacht Maura Tessier agus an Rena Menasche Award ag Féile Piano Tel Ha san Iosráil.
Seoladh a céad dlúthdhiosca The Ivory Lady i mí Eanáir 2015. Comhmheascadh do cheol chlaisiceach agus ceol thraidisiúnta atá ar an CD seo -rud a léiríonn an meas agus an ngrá atá ag Fionnuala don ndhá shaghas ceoil. San Aibreán i 2016 thaifead sí sonatas do chuid Muzio Clementi do cheolchoirm ar Lyric FM Radio. Melodies of Nations an tideal ar an CD is déanaí de chuid Fionnuala, agus í dteannta an oboist Sanja Romic.
Le linn mo thréimhse san Ionad beidh cíoradh agus comparáid á dheanamh agam ar stíl-línte fuaime agus ceoil trí cheoltóir chlaisiceach mór le rá: John Field, Chopin agus Schubert.
Beidh scagadh á dhéanamh agam ar shaothar na gcumadóidí seo – go bhfuil cáil ortha i dtaobh a mbuanna liriceachta, a dteicnící piano, agus a gcumais ármóineach – agus déanfhaidh mé iad a mheas i gcomhtheacs na sean fhoinn Ghaelacha le súil iad a chóiriú, agus a chur i láthair ag coirmceoil ag deire mo thréimse cónaitheach.
Níl dabhat ná gur chuaigh na sean fhoinn Ghaelacha i bhfeidmh ar John Field agus bhí tionchar nach beag aige siúd ar Chopin ina theannta san.
Aithníotar go bhfuil áilleacht diamhar éigin ag baint leis an foinn Ghaelacha. Agus mé ag fás aníos ag foghlaim foinn thraidisiúnta agus stíl amhránaíochta an tsean-nóis in éineacht le m’athair, bhraith mé i gcónaí go raibh gaol idir na sean fhoinn sin atá lárnach in ár gcroíthe, agus na sár oibreacha scópúla atá againn ós na ceoltóirí claisiceacha mór le rá.
Mairfidh an bua nádúrtha atá ag cumadóirí na hÉireann foinn dhraochtla a chruth go deo, dar liom.
During my residency I will be exploring and comparing the sound worlds and melodic lines of three celebrated classical composers: John Field, Chopin and Schubert.
Famed for their lyricism, innovative pianistic techniques and harmonies I will explore these composers alongside selected Irish melodies which I will arrange and perform in concert towards the end of my residency. Irish melodies undoubtedly inspired John Field who in turn inspired Chopin.
Irish melodies are celebrated for their haunting beauty. Having grown up learning Irish folk songs and the Sean Nós style of singing with my father I have always felt a strong and true relationship between the Irish melodies we know and love and the sweeping melodic lines of masterpieces from the classical music world.
This innate talent of Irish composers to create the most timeless melodies continues and I feel will forever more.
Last but not least I am looking forward very much to performing on such a beautiful piano in such a special cultural venue. Having performed in Ionad Cultúrtha once before the welcome from the community, the beauty of the piano and concert venue lives happily in my memory!