Download CONOR LINEHAN

CONOR LINEHAN
Piano Soloist -- The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Conor Linehan is one of Ireland's most remarkable musicians.
Displaying an astonishing versatility and wide ranging musicianship he is renowned as a
pianist in concerto, recital and chamber music, and as a composer of concert, film, theatre
and dance music.
Conor studied piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and gained his degree in Music
and English from Trinity College Dublin. During this time he was a multiple prizewinner in
many of Ireland's major music competitions. He subsequently continued his piano studies in
London with the renowned Professor Peter Feuchtwanger.
He has performed throughout Ireland, Britain, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, China, Lebanon
and the USA and is hailed as a creative musician whose repertoire aesthetic extends from the
core classical to new contemporary works. Conor has performed with all of Ireland's major
orchestras, including The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2006 he gave the world premiere of Ronan Guilfoyle's Piano Concerto with the National
Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, conducted by Colman Pearce in which "Linehan was quite
magnificent." Ian Fox, Sunday Tribune
He was immediately reengaged to perform the Stravinsky Concerto for Piano and Winds
with the NSO and conductor Alexander Annissimov.
"Conor Linehan was the impressive soloist, catching Stravinsky's jazzy 1920s rhythms with
remarkable elan." Sunday Tribune
Linehan recorded the world premiere of American composer Don Ray's Piano Concerto with
Derek Gleeson and the Philharmonia Bulgarica, and has subsequently returned to Bulgaria
to perform Brahms' D Minor Piano Concerto and Beethoven's C Minor Concerto with
Gleeson and the Vratza Philharmonic. He has also performed the concertos of Grieg,
Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Litov and others.
He has an extensive solo repertoire from baroque to the contemporary. Concerts include
performances at "The Southwark Festival," "The Covent Garden Festival," "Music for
Wexford" and the National Concert Hall's (Dublin) "Composer's Choice" series.
At Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery, Conor performed the 24 Chopin Preludes as part of
Ireland's celebrations of the Polish accession to the EU in 2004. He also performs a wide
variety of chamber music with various ensembles.
Conor has accompanied the renowned German singer Eva Meier worldwide, including
venues in London, New York, Berlin, Edinburgh, Madrid, Venice and Beirut. They have
regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 (with the Matrix Ensemble and Robert Ziegler) and
recorded three CDs of German cabaret songs. Of their most recent disc, Berlin Cabaret
Songs, Geerd Heinsen of Orpheus Magazine wrote:
"Conor Linehan accompanies with emotional and, when necessary, dramatic playing . . .
Morphiumwalzer, a solo piano piece, is just incredible."
He has additionally composed music for concert, theatre, dance and film, working regularly
with such renowned companies as The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre
(London) and The Abbey Theatre (Dublin). In 2006 he was commissioned by the Royal
Irish Academy of Music to compose a Concerto for Piano and Jazz Ensemble. This was
performed to great acclaim at the National Concert Hall in Dublin and, subsequently, at
Merkin Hall in Manhattan and The Brooklyn School of Music, with the RIAM Jazz
Ensemble and Therese Fahy. He was nominated for an Irish Theatre Award for his work at
the Abbey Theatre in 1999. In 2004 he performed his own score to the dance piece
"Mermaids" in Beijing and Shanghai as part of the Ireland China cultural exchange festival.
Recent concerts include an all Chopin recital at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. This
displayed "A pianism notable for much more than good clean virtuosity." Andrew
Johnstone, Irish Times
In duo partnership with the renowned violinist Oonagh Keogh, Conor has toured Ireland in a
programme of Ravel, Gershwin, Piazzola and DeFalla, as well as his own compositions.
With violinist Mia Coocper, leader of the RTE Concert Orchestra, and horn player David
Carmody he performed Brahms Horn Trio, of which the Irish Times again wrote: "In the
extremely demanding piano part, Linehan displayed characteristic sangfroid and
sensitivity."
In summing up the playing of Linehan, the Irish Times Chief Critic Michael Dervan wrote:
"The word that comes most to mind with respect to Linehan's choice of programme, line and
manner of delivery is musicianly."
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