The Beethoven Project: John O'Conor and Ailbh McDonaghe

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The Beethoven Project: John O'Conor and Ailbhe McDonagh

World renowned Beethoven specialist John O'Conor and Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh celebrated Beethoven's 250th anniversary year in 2021 by recording a double album of his complete sonatas for cello and piano. This nationwide tour showcases their astounding partnership.

John O'Conor

The Irish pianist John O'Conor has been gathering wonderful reviews for his masterly playing for over forty years. "A pianist of unbounding sensitivity" (Gramophone); "He represents a vanishing tradition that favors inner expression and atmosphere over showmanship and bravura" (Chicago Tribune); "Impeccable technique and musicality ... it would be hard to imagine better performances" (Sunday Times - London); "This artist has the kind of flawless touch that makes an audience gasp" (Washington Post); "Exquisite playing" (New York Times).

O'Conor studied in his native Dublin, in Vienna with Dieter Weber, and was tutored by the legendary Wilhelm Kempff. His unanimous 1st Prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna in 1973 opened the door to a career that has brought him all around the world.

Ailbhe McDonagh

Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh is an international soloist, chamber musician and composer who performs throughout Europe, Asia and the USA. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, she studied with world-renowned cellists Steven Doane, Nora Gilleese, Aisling Drury-Byrne and William Butt.

As a chamber musician, she performs in a duo, The McDonagh Sisters, with pianist Orla McDonagh. She is also a member of the Ficino Ensemble and the crossover traditional Irish music group Trio Elatha, where she plays traditional Irish music on the cello.

Supported by Lottery Project Funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland