Meet the Education Team

Elizabeth Drwal

Elizabeth is an experienced theatre practitioner working as a mixed media community artist in film, dance, and voice. She is an experienced vocal coach, writer, and director with a portfolio of work built up over the last thirty-five years.

Together with the composer Andrew Synott, she has written and directed Ireland’s first climate change opera ‘Seedlings’ which premiered at the National Opera House.

Elizabeth runs regular singing for health classes in Wexford and the wider community, including a singing for health Parkinson’s choir. She is the musical director of the Wexford choir Chordiality, who regularly performs for charity events and Children’s performance coach for the Wexford Festival Opera.

Her teaching and workshops are influenced by emerging research into the neuroscience of creativity, the benefits of developing neuro-linguistic strategies when training children for performance and research-based classes for singing for health and well-being. Her research papers have been presented at conferences in Dublin and Glasgow, the Parkinson’s UK conference 2020 and the British Voice Association conference 2021. She has won a commission to make a thirty-minute video demonstration for the Singing for Health Network.co.uk, focusing on singing for improved posture and breathing.

Elizabeth’s film work includes being short listed as a finalist for BBC Short Film Maker.

Dee Grant

Dee is an independent contemporary dance artist/choreographer and creator of ‘Prompts for the Mover’ – a visual guidebook around dance performance practice & recovery. She is a former Dance Artist in Residence at Garter Lane Arts Centre Waterford (2017-2022). Originally a Wexford native, Dee Grant graduated from Middlesex University, London with a BA (Hons)Dance degree in 1993. In 2008, Dee retrained in Somatic Dance Education with Joan Davis, Maya Lila, Wicklow, a practice that was to have profound effect on both her theatrical works.

Dee is no stranger to bringing professional dance to the fore. In 1999 she co-founded, Myriad Dance which between 1999-2013 produced numerous choreographic dance works that were shown nationwide, including Dublin Fringe Festival and Dublin Dance Festival and well as being responsible for creating a new Festival - Sonraigh Youth Dance Festival at Wexford Opera House. Throughout her tenure as Artistic Director, she worked on an ambitious large scale 10 year programme in Youth Dance, in collaboration with the  Arts Department at Wexford County Council, who in 2011, commissioned a celebrational dance resource document from her, entitled -  “Are We Dancing, Yet?”.

Dee is well known as a passionate instigator, educator and dance advocate for the development of contemporary dance practice in Ireland. In her freelance capacity, she has worked (and continues to work) extensively with Arts Officers in Co Mayo, Carlow, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Leitrim Local Authorities, developing & devising several large-scale contemporary dance performance projects & events for professional dancers, health & learning disability sectors. Dee also is an Associate Lecturer at SETU Waterford (formally WIT), working with Department of Arts , Theatre Studies & Department of Early Childhood Studies.  

You can view her latest work here.

Anita Vedres (violin)

Anita Vedres was born into a musical family. She studied violin at the Royal Academy in London and following that at the Musik Conservatorium in Utrecht. Also following studies with Maya Homburger on baroque violin she completed a masters degree with first class honours through Cork school of Music. She is a founder member of the Irish Baroque Orchestra and a former member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra with which she still performs from time to time. She enjoys a widely varied and eclectic freelance career as a violinist exploring repertoire from the early 17th century to freshly composed works in chamber ensembles such Camerata Kilkenny, Robinson panoramic quartet, Crash ensemble and larger orchestras such as the RTE concert Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra. She also loves to play opera and is enjoying working with Irish National Opera in its collaborations with many of the aforementioned groups and has enjoyed many years of involvement in Wexford Opera Festival .

She is also committed to working with young musicians both on a one to one in her teaching practice and in groups such as the Dublin Youth Orchestras, Ceol na Mara and in outreach work for Music Generation and now for the National Opera House Education & Community Programme.

Malachy Robinson

Malachy Robinson is a dedicated chamber musician, passionate about communication. He plays the viola da gamba with the Gregory Walkers, a group performing Early Music from Ireland and beyond, and is director of the Robinson Panoramic Quartet, a revelatory alternative to the standard string quartet. With the Far Flung Trio he explores extended roles for the double-bass in multiple genres: their vivid album, Live at the Large Room, is as joyous as it is eclectic. He also sings and plays guitar and banjo, having written countless songs including many for children.

After graduating from London’s Guildhall School of Music a prizewinner at the top of his year, he became principal double-bass with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in 1995, then a founder member of both the cutting-edge Crash Ensemble and of the Irish Baroque Orchestra.

He is involved in music education, teaching 3rd level students at the University of Limerick and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He coaches string players for the Dublin Youth Orchestras, the National Youth Orchestra, the IAYO orchestra, ICO’s sing out programme, ConCorda chamber music school, Ceol na Mara summer school and others. He has also delivered music workshops for all sorts of organisations including the National Concert Hall, Music Network, Music Generation and now the National Opera House Education & Community Programme.

www.malachyrobinson.com

Aileen Donohoe (singer)

Based in County Wexford, Aileen is a singer, vocal coach and also a lecturer in voice and acting at the American College, Dublin. She is no stranger to the National Opera House and County Wexford, having facilitated workshops for Music Generation and  assisted Elizabeth Drwal in the children’s workshops for their highly successful High Street Opera Shop project. Aileen is a very experienced stage performer, singing for many years in some of London’s most famous West End productions, including Wicked, Mamma Mia and Phantom of the Opera.
 
Aileen is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, London. Together with Peter McCamley she has already led a number of Pre-school workshops and the Singing for Health (Adults) workshops as part of the National Opera House Education & Community Programme.

Peter McCamley (actor & musician)

Peter is a graduate of the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in the UK and the American College, Dublin. Peter recently played the part of Mr Dugdale in the Wexford based Film ‘Turning Thirteen’ written and directed by Nick Furlong. Peter played the lead part of Bob in the mini feature film 'Grey Matter'. He was The Soldier in Oscar Wilde's 'The Ballad of Reading Jail' for a Channel 4 TV minI series. He was known over the globe between 2009-2011 acting as part of the Heineken UEFA Champions League worldwide TV, Film, Online and Billboard advertising campaign for both those seasons.

He has extensive voice over work, voicing documentaries like 'Did we land on the Moon' 'Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle', 'Manchester United: The Munich Air Crash', 'Hitler's secret plot to Bomb America', 'Bomb Patrol' season 1 & 2 and ' The Real Inglorious Bastards'. Other work includes: Stan James betting ad campaign for 2012 Euros, infomercials for RISO Printing and Everybody Engage, training videos for Amazon Fresh delivery drivers, he also narrated the series 'Beast Legends' for Sky H2. Peter is the Co-founder of Menapia Theatre. A Wexford based non-commercial production company and also the co-founder of West End Stars Theatre Company with his wife Aileen Donohoe and Musical Director Robert Scott).

As a musician Peter plays with Billy Roche as the drummer/Backing Vocalist on: The Billy Roche - Red Guitar Tour. Peter also plays drums in the ‘Aileen Donohoe Cabaret of Female artists from A-Z’. He teaches the Guitar, Drums and Percussion, Flute and Bass Guitar and has played at least one of these instruments in most of his theatre work. With Aileen Donohoe, he co-created and teaches the Mini Maestros music class for 0-5 year olds at Wexford Arts Centre.

He is part of the WWETB Music Generation Music Educators team and works with various primary schools in Wexford as a freelance in-class music teacher teaching: early years music, drum kit and percussion, recorder, glockenspiel and Ukulele.
Peter has been an Acting and Voice tutor since graduating from Drama School, he lectures for The Irish American University at The American college Dublin and The Irish College of Music Theatre at the National Opera House, as well as private tuition.

Deirdre O’Leary (clarinet)

Deirdre O’Leary is a freelance clarinet and bass clarinet player.  After studying at the RNCM, Manchester, Deirdre began playing regularly with the NSO of Ireland, the RTECO, Wexford Opera Festival, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. From 2000-2010, Deirdre performed all over Ireland and in Norway with Prey Trio. They devised and arranged music from disparate genres, and staged their exuberant interactive performances. Since joining Crash Ensemble in 2003, Deirdre has toured Europe, Australia and the US and recorded for the Nonesuch label.  She has played Carnegie Hall, NY, the Barbican, London, Edinburgh International Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

In 2010, Deirdre co-founded Cassiopeia Wind Quintet with principals of the RTE Concert Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Cassiopeia Winds has appeared at the Galway Midwinter Festival, New Ross Piano Festival, Sligo Chamber Music Festival, and recorded for RTE. They have toured Ireland twice with assistance from the Arts Council of Ireland and performed with Con Tempo Quartet, Rolf Hind, Lore Lixenberg, Finghin Collins, Melvyn Tan, Lise de la Salle and others.

In 2019 Deirdre created a short film with composer/conductor Andrea Molino, theatre & lighting designer/photographer, Christopher Ash, and arts manager, Karina Lundstrom, for a project called HOME, focusing on the experiences of people in Dublin living through homelessness.Deirdre has toured and recorded with the Berlin-based contemporary group, s t a r g a z e and Lisa Hannigan. She has also performed and recorded with Richard Reed Parry. She recorded and toured with Branwen Kavanagh and Nicholas Cooper for Branwen’s beautiful Hunted & Haunted album.

Deirdre collaborates regularly with her sister, Caitriona O’Leary and is a member of Caitríona’s band, Anakronos with Nick Roth and others, including Francesco Turrisi, Barry O’Halpin, Greg Felton and Andrea Piccioni.  The first album of Anakronos received international critical acclaim and a five star rating from the Irish Times. The second album and the film will be released later in 2022. Deirdre lives in Cloughjordan ecovillage where she and her family have built a cob house by hand.

Sile Daly (oboe)

Síle Daly trained at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin, Trinity College, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Welsh College Dublin's College of Music and Drama. Síle also holds Masters and Batchelor of Science degrees from UCD, going back to college as a mature student of geology. As a performer Síle has worked with many symphonic and operatic orchestras in Spain, Norway, Italy and with the Halle Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, the NSOI, RTÉCO, OTC and the ICO.

She has also played shawms, keyboards and percussion with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In addition to orchestral playing Síle is an experienced chamber music and solo performer, working with the Prey Trio (which she founded together with Deirdre O’Leary and Susan Doyle), the contemporary group Vox 21, Sligo Festival Baroque Ensemble and the Vanbrugh String Quartet. Equally at home in the field of education, Síle has participated and led many workshops for the National Concert Hall, Music Network, the Ark and Music Generation, as well as undertaking lectures at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.  For the National Opera House Education & Community Programme Síle has already given two Arts Appreciation Classes and a number of Pre-School workshops with her colleague Deirdre O’Leary.  Síle is a valued and entertaining member of the team!

Susan Doyle (flute)

Susan Doyle is a flautist and a founder member of the cutting-edge contemporary music group, Crash Ensemble. She is also a valued member of the Wind and Brass Faculty at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. She plays with Irish National Opera and the Orchestra of the National Concert Hall and works on a freelance basis with the National Symphony Orchestra and RTE Concert Orchestra. She has also played for many years with the Wexford Opera Orchestra, Irish Film Orchestra, Irish Ballet Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, and Opera Theatre Company. Susan’s musical journey started, at the age of 6, in a piano class in the Cork School of Music, on a keyboard that made no sound. While Susan loved playing the piano, it was the flute that gave her the chance to really experience what it was like to perform with other musicians. She was Principal Flute with the Irish Youth Orchestra and the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and was fortunate enough to win a place in the prestigious European Community Youth Orchestra.

Susan went on to complete her performance degree, receiving her BMusPerf from Trinity College, Dublin. Following a masterclass, the opportunity arose for Susan to study further in Italy, under Marzio Conti. Italy was a wonderful experience and gave Susan the opportunity to indulge in one of her other great loves - food. Susan is a passionate chamber musician and, while studying in college, formed a duo with guitarist and composer Benjamin Dwyer. She considers herself privileged to have worked closely with so many of her contemporary composer friends. Experimenting with new sounds and ideas sparked an interest and enthusiasm for New Music that has remained such an integral part of her musical life. It was after a performance of his composition, ’Swerve’ at the Mostly Modern Series in The Bank of Ireland, College Green, that Donnacha Dennehy asked Susan to join Crash Ensemble. With this exciting new group Susan has travelled the world playing in Carnegie Hall, The Barbican, The JFK Centre for the Performing Arts, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, GAIDA Festival and working with artists such as Dawn Upshaw, Gavin Friday, Iarla O Lionaird, Julie Feeney and Sam Amidon.

Another important collaboration between Susan, clarinettist, Deirdre O Leary and oboist Sile Daly lead to the formation of Prey Trio. This trio set out to explore further the importance of the interaction between the performer and the audience. They introduced audience participation, improvisation and inventive and novel staging into the performances to bring them alive and engage with the listeners. For ten years Prey Trio toured Ireland with Music Network, delighting audiences with their eclectic mix of singing, drama, drumming and improvisation. Susan is also a keen educator and has been involved for many years in the Education and Outreach Programme in the National Concert Hall and more recently in the National Opera House.

Ross Scanlon (singer)

Tenor Ross Scanlon trained at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama where he was awarded the Michael McNamara Gold Medal of excellence in performance and at the Royal Academy of Music, London. At the Royal Academy of Music Opera School his roles included Lurcanio Ariodante, Masino La vera Costanza, Monostatos Die Zauberflöte and Scaramuccio Ariadne auf Naxos.Elsewhere, his roles have included Le Thérière L'Enfant et les sortlièges with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Barbican, London, Hot Biscuit Paul Bunyan for Welsh National Opera, Irus The Return of Ulysses for Opera Collective Ireland, Male Chorus The Rape of Lucretia for Opera Collective Ireland, Ed A Belfast Opera for NI Opera, Bookkeeper The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny for OTC, Dublin, Remendado Carmen for Lyric Opera, Dublin and Tamino Die Zauberflöte for Glasthule Opera.

Ross sings widely in concert, his engagements including Alexander's Feast, Messiah and The Creation with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Messiah at the Halle Festival, Germany, at the Handel Music Festival, Dublin, and with the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra. Other oratorio’s include Britten Saint Nicolas, Dvořák Stabat Mater, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, Haydn Die Jahreszeiten and Missa in Tempore Belli, Mendelssohn Elijah and St Paul, Stainer Crucifixion, Mozart’s Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore and Coronation Mass, Schubert’s Mass in B flat, Jenkins ‘The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace’ and Goodall Eternal Light – A Requiem (Irish Premiere).

Recent and future engagements include performing for HRH, Prince of Wales, with The Ulster Orchestra, Belfast,  Irish Premiere of Howard Goodall’s Invictus: A Passion with Bray and Wicklow Choral Societies, Bach Magnificat and Respighi Lauda per la Nativtà del Signore with Ancόr Choir, Limerick. Ross is a member of the Vocal Faculty at The Lir Academy, Trinity College and also at American College, Dublin where he lectures on the Musical Theatre Course. Alongside teaching he is an Examiner for the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Aura Stone (Double Bass)

A scholarship student with Thomas Martin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Aura relocated to Dublin to join the RTE National Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently appointed sub-principal double bass, a position she held until 2016. A sought after freelance performer, she now enjoys a varied and diverse career, touring and performing with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, RTE Concert Orchestra, Irish National Opera and Wexford Festival Opera. Equally at home in symphony or chamber orchestra, as principal bass of the Orchestra of St Cecilia, she performed the entire series of Bach church cantatas, over a period of 10 years. An experienced recording artist, Aura has participated in hundreds of live broadcasts, film sessions, CD and TV recordings.

With a keen interest in chamber music, Aura has performed all of the best known chamber works that include the double bass. Constantly seeking to expand the repertoire, a recent research project focused on discovering lesser known 18th and early 20th century pieces including the double bass. An enthusiastic teacher and educator, Aura was appointed to the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2021. In 2013 Aura co-founded classicalkids, a chamber music concert series for babies and adults. Beginning in Dublin, it rapidly expanded to include venues throughout the country. Partnering with such institutions as the National Concert Hall, Music Generation DLR and Castletown House, classicalkids' mission is to make chamber music accessible to young children and adults.

As an examiner, Aura has worked for the Cork School of Music and RIAM. She has tutored the DYO and NYOI bass sections and is involved in the National Concert Hall's Learning and Participation programme; recently delivering a third level masterclass for students from Cork and Dublin. She is a tutor in the Presto Project, Cherry Orchard, ensuring access to high quality musical learning for all. Aura plays a double bass made for her by Thomas Martin.