The Solas Quartet has been touring for NSQF since 2020 and has built a reputation for exciting and innovative programming as well as brilliant performances!

Our second Lombardini quartet of the series (see Lumiere Quartet 7 February) opens this lovely programme performed by the Solas Quartet. An elegant and conversational first movement gives way to a playful and virtuosic finale.

Milo McCarthy’s new string quartet, written for the Solas Quartet, is inspired by imagined sights and sounds from ancient Ireland and brings together elements of traditional Irish and contemporary classical music.

Purcell’s F major Fantasia from 1680 was written for four viols but also works beautifully for string quartet and will set you up perfectly for Mendelssohn’s magnificent E flat major quartet. Written by the 20-year-old composer during an extended stay in Britain which he often referred to as one of the happiest experiences of his life, the quartet conveys a sense of serenity and well-being. Beethoven had died just a couple of years previously and there is also a feeling of homage to the great master, particularly to his Harp quartet, in the same key.

Solas Quartet
Katherine Hunka, violin
Marja Gaynor, violin
Cian Ó Dúill, viola
Aoife Nic Athlaoich, cello

About the Quartet

Katherine Hunka, violin

Violinist Katherine Hunka enjoys a diverse and colourful career as a violinist, chamber musician, composer and mentor. For twenty-six years Katherine led and directed the Irish Chamber Orchestra. She directed tours in Germany, China and Singapore as well as in festivals closer to home including the West Cork Chamber Music Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival. In 2002 she released a solo album with the ICO of Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and Schubert that received glowing reviews including five stars in BBC music magazine.

Katherine was Artistic Director of the Killaloe Music Festival for many years and is a regular guest as soloist and chamber musician at festivals throughout Ireland and the UK. Highlights of Katherine’s solo career have been performing a Mozart Concerto with the City of London Sinfonia, premiering Benjamin Britten’s concerto for violin and viola at the Aldeburgh festival and most recently premiering David Fennessey’s concerto “Blood” with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in Berlin. Her group the Far Flung Trio presents wildly eclectic programmes that delight audiences.Their new album “Umbrellas” was released in August on the Orchid Classics label.

Katherine is currently dedicating much time to composing. In 2025 she received a bursary from the Irish Arts Council to allow her time to explore composition further. Amongst her output is “Pass the Hat” written for the Solas string quartet, of which she is a founder member, which was toured in 2023. “The Bassist” for the bass and cellos of the Irish Chamber Orchestra was toured in 2024 and pieces for violin and loop pedal have been premiered at the Killaloe Festival and Kaleidoscope Night. She has invitations to festivals throughout Ireland to perform shows of her violin and loop pedal pieces.

Mentoring young musicians is an important part of Katherine’s musical life. She has been a guest prof at Indiana University, is currently lecturer at MTU Cork School of Music and is Artistic Director of ConCorda chamber music course. In June she directed the inaugural concert of the National Youth Chamber Orchestra of Ireland.

Marja Gaynor, violin

Originally from Finland, Marja Gaynor is a Cork-based violinist and viola player. She specialises in Baroque music and is a member of Irish Baroque Orchestra and Camerata Kilkenny, recording and touring with both groups regularly. She has also performed with Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Marsyas, Dunedin Consort, London Handel Players and Helsinki Baroque Orchestra. Marja is known as a versatile musician at home in many different styles, a fluent improviser, as well as arranger and curator. Upcoming projects include chamber music tours with Solas Quartet and The Vanbrugh and performing and arranging as a trio with uilleann piper David Power and flamenco guitarist John Walsh. She teaches violin and chamber music in MTU Cork School of Music.

Cian Ó Dúill, viola

Cork born viola player Cian Ó Dúill has performed with the Vanbrugh, Carducci and Calino String Quartets, the Fidelio Trio, the Avalon Ensemble, Chroma and the Crash Ensemble. He has played in chamber music recitals with Anthony Marwood, Finghin Collins, Jorg Widmann, Hugh Tinney, Natalie Clein, Howard Shelley, Kirill Troussov, and Patricia Rozario as well as appearing at West Cork, Killaloe, Ortús, Sligo Spring, Kilkenny Arts, Cheltenham, Warwick Arts, Chichester, Aldeburgh, Wye Valley and Kings Lynn Chamber Music Festivals.

Cian was a founder member of both the Regent String Quartet and the Rothko String Trio, and played regularly with the Chamber Players as well as the London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble. Concerto appearances include performances of works by Bach, Telemann, Mozart, Bruch and Hindemith in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Greece.

Cian was a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra for 22 years, was co-principal viola of the London Mozart Players and has worked regularly with the London Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Britten Sinfonia. Cian is Head of Orchestral Studies at MTU Cork School of Music.

Aoife Nic Athlaoich, cello

Dublin born Aoife Nic Athlaoich enjoys a verstaile career performing on both modern and baroque cello. As well as her position as principal cello with the ICO, Aoife is sub principal cellist with the Irish Baroque Orchestra and a co-founder of tbe Solas String Quartet. Aoife has performed at Ireland’s leading chamber music festivals and is the former artistic director of the East Cork Early Music Festival.

Aoife studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin before continuing her 3rd level education at the Royal Academy of Music in London and winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music for her post graduate studies. Aoife lives in Cork City where she is a lecturer of cello at the MTU Cork School of Music. Aoife also teaches at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin and on the MA in Classical String Performance at the University of Limerick.

Outside of performing and teaching, Aoife enjoys spending free time with her family and dog Marty, she is also an avid all weather sea swimmer.

Programme
Maddalena Lombardini – String Quartet No.2 in B flat [c.1765]
Milo McCarthy – String Quartet Sí an Bhrú [2025] †
Purcell – Fantasia No.4 in F major [1680]
Mendelssohn – String Quartet in E flat major Op.12 [1829]
† first performances