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The English choral conductor, Blánaid Murphy, began her career in London studying piano with Beatrice Franklova and organ with Ian Curror. She studied at Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith, London (Class of 1983). In 1984 she was awarded an organ scholarship to Selwyn College, Cambridge, graduating in music in 1987. She was Organ Scholar at Cambridge University. For four years, she furthered her studies with Professor Konrad Richter at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart (Class of 1993 · KA Certificate). She participated in the master-class at Beyruth Susan Wenckus at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Hartmut Holl and founded and directed the Murphy Singers in Stuttgart.
Blánaid Murphy has wide experience as a pianist and conductor in Germany and throughout Europe. Since 1993 she has been based in Dublin, has wide experience and is in great demand as a conductor, choral director, adjudicator, choral consultant, vocal coach and pianist. One of Ireland’s most active conductors, she has been Choral Director of the RTÉ Children’s Choir Cór na nÓg (September 1995 to December 2003) and the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Carlow Choral Society (November 1993 to 2013) and the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) Chorale (since October 2003). She was also Choral Director of Draiocht and Celtic Ayres, and Choral Director of the Irish Philharmonic Chorus on the record-breaking "Faith of Our Fathers" recording. In 1998 formed the Canzona Chamber Choir, with whom she performed in 1999-2000 J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232), St John Passion (BWV 245) and St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) in Dublin and Wexford and with whom she recorded the CD, "Scenes of an Irish Christmas". In March 1999 she conducted Carlow Choral Society's performance of George Frideric Handel's Messiah in St David's Cathedral. She has been Musical Director of Dublin Bach Singers since its foundation in 2002. She conducted various choirs in many performance of Orchestra of St Cecilia: Bach Cantata Series (2001-2010). In May 2009, she was instrumental in the formation of the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir. In January 2013 at the invitation of the Sistine Chapel Choir, she directed The Palestrina Choir singing at Papal Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. Since 2013 she has been Director of Cavan’s County Choir, as part of Culture Cavan.
Another project was the recording of the CD, "Irelands voices for peace", which features many of the above choirs together with children's choirs from Northern Ireland and the proceeds of which will go towards funding a children's cross-border Choir Trust. Ireland's voices for peace has toured Wexford, National Concert Hall in Dublin and Carlow Cathedral during Eigse.
Blánaid Murphy's many recordings have included the record-breaking "Faith of Our Fathers" CD and Cór, arrangements of Irish Melodies on the ARSIS label. She has released five CD's with The Palestrina Choir; the most recent of these, "O Sacrament Most Holy", has just been released and forms part of the lead up to the International Eucharistic Congress which was cheld in Dublin in June 2012. |
