Chamber Music Series: Gealán Quartet

Gina Maria McGuinness, violin
Eoin Ducrot, violin
Fiachra de hOra, viola
​​​​​​​Paul Grennan, cello

Mozart - String Quartet in B flat major K.589 [1790]
Michael Doherty - Troubadours [2025] † - 
Schubert - Quartetsatz in C minor D.703 [1820]
Grieg - String Quartet in G minor [1878]
† First performance

GEALÁN QUARTET

“A bright spell”, formed in the Spring of 2021, the Gealán Quartet began their musical journey together. Composed of four of Ireland’s most gifted young musicians hailing from Cork, Dublin and Wicklow. After completing their second successful Irish tour through the National String Quartet Foundation, with a residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris in Spring of 2022, the Gealán display that they are a tour de force and will be a regular upon our stages. 

They have performed works by Fanny Mendelssohn, Mozart, Dvorak, Schumann, Shostakovich, Sam Perkin and the Derry born composer, Michael Doherty, who, commissioned by the Gealán Quartet, composed his remarkable and well received No. 3 String Quartet as part of their Autumn 2023 tour. Prior to that tour the quartet also performed at Westival at the invitation of Westport Festival of Chamber Music.

A reputation for showing their more intimate and personal side, contrasting at times with more fiery and heartfelt performances, the Gealán prove with every performance that they are a continued audience favourite.

Gina Maria McGuinness, violin

Born in Dublin, Gina Maria McGuinness began her musical path at the age of four with Maria Kelemen and later followed her studies with Prof. Ronald Masin, winning the title “Young Musician of Tallinn”, Estonia in 1998. In 2006, she was invited back by the Estonian Symphony Orchestra on an Estonian tour of Brahms Double Concerto, and later gave her debut solo recital at the NCH Dublin alongside renowned pianist Alasdair Beatson in June of 2007.

Over countless years of leading the YES Chamber Orchestra (YESCO) and regular participation of the West Cork Chamber music festival, Gina developed her never ending love of chamber music. Her love flourished when she continued her studies with Prof. Shmuel Ashkenasi in Lübeck, Germany and later in Chicago, where she received her performance diploma with the highest of honor. It was here, home to the Chicago Symphony orchestra, that her passion for orchestral playing began. Gina later continued her studies in Lausanne “HEMU Site De Sion” in the class of Prof. Pavel Vernikov where she again received with high honor her Masters degree.

Once calling Switzerland her home for more than 10 years, Gina now lives in the West of Ireland with her family enjoying a freelance career, a proud member of the European Philharmonic of Switzerland (EPOS), frequently invited to the GAIA Chamber music festival, as guest co-principal player of the Brussels Philharmonic, the Berner Kammerorchester (BKO), City Lights Symphony Orchestra, the Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO), our National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Irish National Opera (INO). Gina fondly plays an Andre Amati violin, School of Cremona, Ivano Conti.

Eoin Ducrot, violin

Eoin Ducrot is a prizewinner at numerous international and national competitions both as a soloist and chamber musician, and has become an all rounded experienced performer, of solo, chamber music and contemporary repertoire. Eoin has premiered many contemporary works for violin and chamber music, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Sinfonieorchester Basel, CSM Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra du Cnr de Nantes. Eoin is the founder of the Opalio Quintet and a member of Quartetto Zart with whom he has performed all over Europe. He is working as the assistant of Raphael Oleg at the Hochschule fur Musik in Basel as well as being a guest player at Tonhalle Orchester Zurich. Eoin completed both his Performance Masters, and his Specialised Soloist Masters with unanimous maximum marks. He is currently doing post graduate studies in the class of Guy Braunstein as well as being a member of the masterclass series with Leonidas Kavakos at HSM Basel.

Fiachra de hOra, viola

Dublin born Fiachra de hOra studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Nobuko Imai and Marjolein Dispa. He has given recitals in the National Concert Hall in Dublin and in the Westport Festival of Chamber Music, and has performed as soloist with orchestras such as the Ulster Orchestra and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra. He plays with a bow by Ivano Conti donated through the inaugural International Master Course held in the National Concert Hall Dublin, and plays on a Bertrand Galen viola supported by Music Network’s Music Capital Scheme.

Paul Grennan, cello

Irish cellist Paul Grennan spent his childhood roaming the fields and beaches of County Wicklow. After studying at the RIAM he was accepted to the RNCM following masterclasses and a personal recommendation from the renowned cellist MstislavRostropovich. Whilst at the RNCM, Paul won the John Baribirolli Cello Prize, received second place in the Premio Francesco Geminiani in Verona while also receiving scholarships and a Music Education Award from the MBF. 

He has given chamber music recitals throughout Europe and worked on a personal basis with composers such as Kurt Schwertsik, Alexander Goehr, James MacMillan and Colin Matthews. Paul has performed chamber and solo works by James MacMillan and quartets and works for Cello and Piano by Goehr at the Wigmore Hall in London. 

As well as being a member of the wonderful Hallé cello section, Paul freelances with orchestras throughout the UK and Ireland including the The BBC Philharmonic, RLPO, Irish Chamber Orchestra, RSNO, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and more. He is currently on trial for principal cello with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin. Paul has toured Asia, USA, Australia and Europe with various classical and pop groups as well completing a residency in the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts with the contemporary ensemble Psappha. 

As a soloist, Paul has performed at the Stockhausen Festival and Minimalist Festival at the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens as well as performing at the Barbican Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in a production of Max Richter's Memoryhouse.

Presented by NCH in association with the National String Quartet Foundation