Dr Fiana Ní Chonaill
Dr Fiana Ní Chonaill is a performer, teacher and composer who hails from Castleconnell, Co Limerick. She comes from a family which has been involved in Irish music for over three generations. Fiana started her harp journey under the guidance of Dr Janet Harbison at the Irish Harp Centre and went on to study music at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. She also studied at Newcastle University, UK and was awarded an MMus in 2013. In 2023 she was awarded a PhD from the University of Limerick specialising in the areas of traditional Irish music festivals and cultural tourism. In 2016 Fiana released her debut CD ‘Dathanna an Cheoil‘, which showcases the wide repertoire of the Irish harp today. Fiana’s current roles include Artistic Director of Tuamgraney Harp Festival, Director of Cuisle Harp Ensemble and the Music Generation Clare Harp Ensemble as well as Resource Worker with Music Generation Galway City.
While Fiana balances a career of teaching and performing, she is very much focused on continually developing her own musical creativity through composition. She is inspired by the rich history and culture of her locality as well as life events and the people she encounters. One of Fiana’s more recent projects included conducting research on the historical connection of Limerick City and County to the harp (funded by the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ashling Murphy Scholarship,2023). This resulted in a new composition titled ‘Charles Massy, Dean of Limerick’ to sit alongside the research paper as a way of showcasing that composition is part of a time-honoured process that is still very relevant today. This will feature on her second album which is currently in production and is due for release early next year. Fiana’s current project includes the creation of new music that will be showcased at the Friar’s Gate Theatre in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick later this year. This project is part of an initiative to bring together professional and amateur harp players from across Ireland and is kindly supported by Limerick City and County Council’s Dolores O’Riordan Music Bursary (2025). Along with producing her second album she is also working on compiling a tune book of original music for the harp.
