Composers
Christopher Norby
(b. 1983)Christopher Norby is a composer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He has been working on a professional freelance basis since 2007 as a composer of concert music, theatre music and videogame music.
Fiontán Ó Cearbhaill
(1922 - 1981)Fiontán Ó Cearbhaill was born in Wexford and moved to Waterford as a child. He was employed as a railway clerk for 27 years, gaining his B.Mus from Trinity College Dublin through evening study.
Seán Ó Dálaigh
(b. 1987)Seán Ó Dálaigh is a composer/performer from and based in Kerry, Ireland. His music is concerned with things like space, silence and the physicality of sound production.
Proinnsías Ó Duinn
(b. 1941)Proinnsías Ó Duinn was born in Clontarf in Dublin. He studied cello, piano and conducting at the College of Music, Dublin and began composing at the age of nineteen.
Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair
(1900 - 1982)Ó Gallchobhair (anglicised O’Gallagher) studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (1927-1935) and was a prolific composer of easy listening songs, piano and chamber music with a very strong Irish
Seán Ó Riada
(1931 - 1971)Seán Ó Riada was born in Cork. He studied music at University College Cork with Aloys Fleischmann and received his BMus in 1952.
Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin
(1950 - 2018)Mícheal Ó Súilleabhain was Chair of Music and Founding Director of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.
Conor O’Boyle
(b. 1991)
Vincent O’Brien
(1871 - 1948)Vincent O’Brien remains best known as the first singing teacher of Irish celebrities John McCormack and Margaret Burke Sheridan; in fact, James Joyce was his pupil, too.
John O’Brien
(b. 1979)John O'Brien is a composer, conductor and director from Cork.
Breffni O’Byrne
(b. 1988)Breffni O’Byrne was born in Ireland in 1988.
Kevin O’Connell
(b. 1958)Since his first BBC commission at age 25 (Concertino for 12 Players) Kevin O’Connell has completed a continuous succession of commissions including four operas and numerous orchestral and
Pages
This section introduces the music of Irish composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It is intended as a good starting point for anyone not familiar with Irish contemporary music.
Each composer's page provides a photo, a biography, most recent works added to CMC's collection and other information. You can also purchase CDs and scores by each composer, access features about the composers, or view any upcoming events which include their music.
An Irish composer is defined as anyone who was born or is permanently resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
For any Irish composers interested in registering with CMC, please see our guidelines on how to apply.