John Doyle, Music Director

John Doyle is one of Ireland's most exciting and innovative conductors. 

After graduating from Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music with first class honours, John studied with figures such as George Hurst, (UK) Atso Almila (Finland), Rodolfo Saglimbeni (Venezuela), Benjamin Zander (USA) and Robert Houlihan (Ireland.) He now divides his time equally between choral and orchestral conducting, appearing in venues as varied as Dublin’s NCH, Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, the Scottish National Events Centre, Aberdeen's King's Hall, the Marketplace Armagh, Waterfront Belfast and the Guildhall Derry, across a wide range of repertoires and genres.  

John is a passionate advocate of new music. He has been Artistic Director of Co-Orch Dublin since 2011 where his work focuses on 20th century and contemporary repertoire. He has commissioned new works for the orchestra by award winning young composers such as Sam Perkin, Bryan Pepper, Ena Brennan, Elis Czerniak, Luke Duffy, Amy Rooney and Tom Lane as well as giving the Irish premieres of works by internationally recognised composers such as Max Richter. He appears regularly with groups such as the Dublin Symphony Orchestra, Dublin Baroque Players (City of Dublin Chamber Orchestra) and the Orchestra of St. Luke. Recent collaborations with nationally and internationally acclaimed soloists include Patrick Rafter (Prokofiev Violin Concerto no. 1), Alexander Bernstein (Gershwin Piano Concerto), Ailbhe McDonagh (Elgar and Shostakovich Cello Concertos), Roisin Walters (Bach A minor and Sibelius Violin Concertos) and Colm O’ Braoin (Richter’s Four Seasons recomposed.) Notable recent projects include ‘A Midsummer Rights Theme’ and and Concert for Paris. ‘A Midsummer Rights Theme', performed on International Music Day, was a groundbreaking re-imagining of Beethoven 9 which saw this seminal piece performed alongside four world premieres representing Ireland’s most exciting young composers’ responses to Beethoven’s epic Choral Symphony. Concert for Paris, a performance of Faure's Requiem by musicians from all parts of the island of Ireland, was recorded and broadcast by RTE. 

John is Music Director of Mount Anville Choral Society and conducts the multi award winning Dublin Concert Band. Recent DCB Projects have included HARP, A River Cantata, as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival in collaboration with Ulysses Opera Theater and a residency at the prestigious La Croix Valmer festival in the South of France. He was named as Music Director of Caintairi Avondale in September 2017.  

John is immensely proud to have been chosen as the sixth Music Director of Dun Laoghaire Choral Society with effect from October 2017, and is looking forward to furthering the rich tradition of choral singing upon which the choir is built. 

Fergal Caulfield, Accompanist

Fergal Caulfield obtained his academic credentials from Trinity College Dublin, graduating with BA and PhD degrees in music. His doctoral thesis explored compositional procedures in Stravinsky's late serial music based on examination of archival material now housed at the Paul Sacher Stiftung, Basel, Switzerland. As a performer, Fergal studied piano with Peter Dains at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and the organ privately with Professor Gerard Gillen at the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, and holds performance and teaching diplomas in both instruments. He additionally attended various scholarship masterclasses in the UK and Belgium. 

As well as many performances abroad he has given solo organ recitals at most of the major venues in Ireland including the National Concert Hall, the Wexford and Galway Arts Festivals, St Michael's Church, Dun Laoghaire, the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, and Trinity College Chapel. He has additionally appeared as soloist in concert performances with a number of ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra (with which he has performed the organ symphonies of Camille Saint-Saëns, Marcel Dupré and Aaron Copland) and is a former prize-winner at the Dublin International Organ Festival. He is also widely in demand as a vocal and instrumental accompanist. 

As a chamber musician, Fergal plays particularly as a member of the Clarion Trio (consisting of piano, violin and clarinet). He works regularly with the National Symphony and Concert Orchestras, Chamber Choir Ireland, the National Symphony Chorus and is repetiteur for the RTE Philharmonic Choir, in addition to his long-standing association with Dún Laoghaire Choral Society.

Sopranos

Roisín Adams

Mary Belton

Deirdre Carroll

Judy Casey

Una Corr

Aisling Davies

Grainne Doyle

Jacqui Enright

Marisa Fernandez

Ursula Fowler

Gail Gilliland

Marion Gaskin

Una Geaney

Annemarie Grace

Linda Hackett

Irene Hickey

Mary Holland

Maureen Junker Kenny

Eithne Lalor

Margaret Maquire

Carolina Maldona Solis

Patricia McCarthy

Mary Pat McClarey

Fionnuala Monks

Davida Nolan

Elaine Noonan

Eva O’Callaghan

Aileen O'Reilly

Margo O'Sullivan

Jean Rice

Louise Sabella

Elizabeth Shanley

Julie O'Brien

Lucia Shelly 

Catherine Watters

Altos

Siobhan Ahearn

Sandra Bedlow

Helen Breathnach

Anne Sophie Brulé

Miriam Byrne

Rhoda Mary Bowell

Eithne Bowen

Trish Caren

Evelyn Cockburn

Helen Coughlan

Denise Cooney

Muireann Dowling

Denise Flavin

Hazel Graves

Orla Halpenny

Anne-Marie Healy

Joan Hick

Carmel Keogh

Naomi Leacy

Sophie Lewis

Angela O Broin

Jill Malcolm

Margaret McCormack

Ruth McCullagh

Sue Maguire

Sinead Marley

Sharon Meylor

Maire Mulcahy

Joyce Mulligan

Beibhinn Murphy

Julie Nyhan

Christine O’Rourke

Cliona O’Rourke

Anna Piekarz

Kelly Price

Elaine Smyth

Joan Staunton

Margaret Woods

Tenors

Kieran Clancy

Pat Connolly

Harry Croxon

Paddy Crosbie

Martin Cuppage

David Diggins

Stephen Dowling

Katherina Fay

Patrick Farren

Fintan Lalor

Cormac Leonard

Frank Lonergan

Denis Meehan

Louis Mooney

Michael McAuliffe

Michael O'Brien

Brian O’Brien

Paraic O'Lochlainn

Richard Parfrey

Ian Robertson

Piaras Sweeney

Catherine Tempany

Damon Waitkus

Basses

Mel Boyd

Noel Cassidy

Richard Cappin

Andrew Doody

Nick Dunning

Tatenda Dumba

Tony Fahy

Jim Flavin

Ian Hunter

Andrew O'Kelly

Tim Leary

Hugh Quigley

Jamie Matthews

Brian McMahon

Peadar O’Sullivan

Eamonn O’Mahony

Adam Ralph

Henry Rice

Ken Reid

Chris Stillman

Joe Swan

William Troy

Hans Vogel