Anne-Marie O'Farrell

Dublin harpist and composer Anne-Marie O’Farrell is a graduate of U.C.D. and studied at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. She received a first class honours MA in Composition from the NUI, Maynooth and was awarded the 2006 O’Carolan award by the Vocal Heritage Society of Ireland. She has performed for radio, television and concert audiences worldwide and has recorded several solo albums which include Harping Bach to Carolan, The Jig’s Up and My Lagan Love. She lectures in stylistic composition at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and teaches the harp at Kylemore College in Dublin. In March 2007 she performed for President Mary MacAleese in Louvain/Leuven and in Brussels for the 400th anniversary commemoration of the Flight of the Earls in 1607. She has recently recorded with The Chieftains in Abbey Road Studios, London for the soundtrack to the movie, The Waterhorse, due to be released next year. In summer 2007 she toured with harpist Cormac De Barra with whom she has recorded their CD, Double Strung. Her new work for brass and percussion, In the Beginning was premiered at the NCH in May 2007. An ongoing interest is the extension of Irish harp repertoire and she has just written a new work entitled ‘Chorale Variations on Blessed are the Pure in Heart’. She publishes sheet music for harp which, along with her albums, is available through her website www.annemarieofarrell.com. She is currently training for non-stipendiary ordained ministry in the Church of Ireland.