Anne-Marie O'Farrell

About Anne-Marie O'Farrell

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Leading harpist of her generation, Dr Anne-Marie O’Farrell from Dublin performs all over the world, and is frequently invited to perform and teach at international conferences and festivals, including several World Harp Congresses. She is particularly recognized for her expansion of repertoire, and for her innovations on lever harp, as a result of which the world’s leading harpmakers Salvi Harps redesigned their lever harps to become concert instruments.  She has given multiple premieres of many works for pedal and lever harp, some commissioned especially for her. 

Numerous orchestral and ensemble performances include those with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland with whom she was concerto soloist for her lever harp concerto, In Light Anew. Her groundbreaking developments in composition, arrangement and transcription for the harp are documented in her substantial output of publications, including critical editions of works by J.S. Bach. A prolific recording artist, she has released several solo CDs, including Just So Bach, Harping Bach to Carolan, The Jig’s Up, My Lagan Love and Embrace. New Directions for Irish Harp; Double Strung and Duopoly with Cormac De Barra; and Harp to Harp with harmonica player Brendan Power.

In recent years she has been commissioned to compose several large-scale works featuring the harp, including a lever harp concerto commissioned by RTÉ Lyric FM, a five-movement work for large harp ensemble commissioned by Harp Ireland, and several chamber pedal harp pieces. Her works have been performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestral of Wales, the BBC Singers, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and numerous other international performers.

As Head of Harp at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, she runs a thriving harp department, and also teaches on their junior conservatoire programme. She is frequently invited as examiner and jury member in conservatoires and international competitions. Currently she is also training to become a teacher of the Alexander Technique (ITM). www.annemarieofarrell.com

Programme

J.S. Bach Prelude from Cello Suite no. 1 BWV 1007

Anne-Marie O’Farrell Chorale Variations on ‘Take My Life and Let it Be’

J.S. Bach Andante from Italian Concerto BWV 971

Eibhlis Farrell An Chruit Dhraíochta

Elias Parish Alvars La Mandoline

Caroline Lizotte Suite Galactique, movements II and III

- Interval -

Daniel McNulty Fantasia

Joan Trimble Introduction and Air

Arr. Anne-Marie O’Farrell Slán la Máigh

Seóirse Bodley Love Song

Marcel Tournier Au Matin

Francisco Tarrega Recuerdos de la Alhambra

Isaac Albeniz Asturias

Anne-Marie O’Farrell AirDance