Ryan Molly in conversation with Prof.Piers Hellawell. Watch again here https://www.youtube.com/embed/MH1ZWy6PtJw

Ryan Molloy is one of Ireland’s leading composers and musical thinkers. A graduate student at Queen’s, he went on to teach composition at Maynooth University, as well as consolidating his position as a major force in traditional Irish music. His new album Pianophony showcases his unique pianistic skill in treating old and new Irish melodic sources; it also combines his exquisite harmonic sense with the ballad singing of Donegal singer Shauna Mullin.

In this wide-ranging online chat, he reflects on his musical activities with QUB’s live music events coordinator, composer Piers Hellawell. The chat includes solo, session and ballad clips of Molloy’s unique contribution to music in Ireland; we look forward to welcoming him live to the Harty Room when circumstances allow.

Ryan Molloy’s compositional and performance work sits at the boundary of contemporary classical music and traditional Irish music and is internationally recognised for its cross- genre innovation, musicality, and deep-rooted exploration of place and time, as well as its breadth in working with a range of musicians from young amateurs to seasoned professionals. Ryan’s music has been performed to audiences on four continents for over fifteen years and has been broadcast internationally on BBC Radio 2, 3 & Radio Ulster, RTÉ Lyric

FM, Radio 1 and Ráidió na Gaeltachta as well as on BBC 2, UTV, TG4 and BBC World. Ryan’s has been commissioned by a range of renowned performers such as Darragh Morgan, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble & the Ulster Orchestra, and he has represented Ireland at ISCM New Music Days in Hong Kong, Vancouver and Auckland. 2019 saw the release of his critically acclaimed first solo recording ‘pianophony’, and 2020 also sees the release of a new CD of chamber works, featuring the 30-minute song cycle ‘Buaine na Gaoithe’ performed by its commissioners, the Damselfly Trio. 2020 additionally sees the première of works for the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Dublin International Piano Competition and the ‘In Tune for Life Orchestra’ (a ‘trad orchestra’). Ryan is Associate Professor of Composition at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

Ryan is represented by the Contemporary Music Centre (www.cmc.ie).

Visit www.ryanmolloy.ie for information on other works, performances and recordings.