About

Pauline and Michael have been involved with music education for many years, and their aim is to provide the guidance and encouragement each student needs in order to realise his or her true potential. Their students have achieved notable success with music exams (both ABRSM and RIAM, including High Achiever Awards), Junior and Leaving Certificate music practical exams, in concert performances, competitions and auditions, but most of all in achieving their personal goals, and in gaining lifelong skills.

Pauline Graham

Pauline Graham graduated with a BMus degree in vocal performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, followed by advanced studies in early music performance at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague in The Netherlands, where she studied with Rita Dams, Jill Feldman and Marius van Altena. She then completed a Master’s degree in musicology at University College Dublin, and a PhD on the music of Renaissance composer William Byrd, under the supervision of Professor Harry White, supported by an Irish Research Council scholarship. She has presented conference papers at meetings of the Society for Musicology in Ireland and the Royal Musical Association, UK as well as at the International Medieval and Renaissance Music conference. She contributed articles to The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, published by UCD Press. She also presented a paper on the development of music curricula in Ireland at the International Society for Music Education conference in Glasgow.

Pauline has performed as soprano soloist throughout Europe, as well as in Scotland, Ireland and the US. She has also toured and recorded with the Amsterdam Baroque Choir and Orchestra, directed by Ton Koopman. Her career has led to appearances at early music festivals in Cremona, Italy, and Utrecht, The Netherlands, as well as in Galway, Sligo and Cork. She also enjoys performing sacred repertoire and song recitals, and has been broadcast on RTÉ radio and television.

Pauline studied the flute with Dr Julie Maisel and Vourneen Ryan in Dublin. She attended masterclasses given by the American flute pedagogue Patricia George in Dublin, and with Jana Hünneke, Abigail Burrows and Kate Grace in London. She also participated in a summer course with the distinguished flautist Wissam Boustany in France.

Her interest and involvement in traditional Irish music have taken Pauline to Gleann Columb Cille in Donegal and the Aran Islands, alongside classes with Maureen McGrattan in Áras Crónán, Dublin, and Tom Doorley in Kildare. She plays a feadóg mór by the noted Clare flute-maker Martin Doyle.

Pauline has led workshops and seminars and lectured at DIT Conservatory of Music & Drama, University College Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast, Froebel College of Education, and the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance - University of Limerick. She has also lectured in music education at Griffith College Dublin.

Michael Quinn

Michael Quinn studied piano (with Deirdre Doyle) and organ (with David Lee) at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, where he was awarded several organ scholarships. He won prizes for both instruments at the Feis Ceoil and Feis Maitiú in Dublin, and was the first organ finalist in the RTÉ Young Musician of the Future competition, in which he performed Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, Dublin. He was organ scholar of St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin for three years, working with the Cathedral organist Gerard Gillen and accompanying the Palestrina Choir for Masses, concerts and a Christmas CD.

He was subsequently appointed organ scholar of Trinity College Dublin, where he studied for a BA in Music. While at Trinity College he recorded a CD and toured to New York with the Chapel Choir, played for a special ceremony at which the late Nelson Mandela was awarded an honorary degree, and helped to found an ensemble for performing student compositions. He also took diplomas in both organ performance and piano teaching.

Michael then completed a Master’s degree in organ performance at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, The Netherlands, with Jos van der Kooy, with the assistance of a Dutch government scholarship, followed by a Master’s in musicology at King’s College London.

Michael was Organist of the Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook, for over twelve years, playing for Masses and other church ceremonies. He was organist for the state funeral of former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald and for the funeral of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney, which was broadcast internationally.

Michael also co-founded the new music group Dublin Sound Lab with Fergal Dowling in 2008. With Dublin Sound Lab he has performed in several concerts at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, the Music University in Bucharest ,and the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. Dublin Sound Lab has presented and commissioned many new works, and collaborated with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in the first Irish performance of Circle Map by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho.

Michael has taught piano for many years, working with all ages from primary school pupils to adults, and with all levels from beginners to advanced students. He has taught aural training and music theory, and given classes on Leaving Certificate harmony and melodic composition. He also teaches the organ, and was a tutor for the Dublin Diocesan organ tuition scheme, as well as being a member of the Dublin Diocesan Commission for Sacred Music.

He has given solo organ recitals in The Netherlands (including St Bavo’s Church, Haarlem and the Westerkerk, Amsterdam), Spain, the UK and Ireland (St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin; St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin; St Michael’s Church, Dún Laoghaire; Church of Ss Peter and Paul, Cork), and accompanied vocal soloists and choirs for numerous concerts and competitions.

As coach and accompanist, Michael has worked with students preparing for vocal and instrumental exams, Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate music practical exams, competitions (such as the Feis Ceoil, Dublin and Newpark Music Festival, Dublin) and third-level auditions at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and DIT Conservatory of Music. Michael also ran a music school in Dublin for several years, and has been involved with music education as an adjudicator and consultant. Michael currently teaches piano, keyboard harmony, and music theory at Louisburgh Music School, and accompanies vocal and instrumental students for exams and competitions.