Dublin-born Anne-Marie O’Farrell began her musical education at the DIT College of Music where she studied with Nancy Calthorpe and Mercedes Garvey, at the RIAM with Helen Davies, and privately with Sheila Larchet Cuthbert. An honours graduate of UCD, she has received numerous awards, including a DAAD academic scholarship to study at Bonn University. She holds professional diplomas in four instruments along with many national awards for original composition. She has been awarded a first class honours MA in Composition from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. More recently she was presented with the 2006 O'Carolan award from the Vocal Heritage Society of Ireland for her achievements to date.

Her development of the Irish harp as a concert instrument and her commitment to the expansion of its repertoire have led to performances and recordings for TV and radio throughout Europe, the USA, Scandinavia and Japan. She has also made several albums, including Heads & Harps, Harping Bach to Carolan, The Jig’s Up, My Lagan Love on the CMR label, and Double Strung with Cormac De Barra. Her latest recording of music by Bach on solo Irish harp Just So Bach is released this year. In regular demand as a recording artist, she has recorded with the Chieftains in Abbey Road Studios.

In addition to her interpretation of Irish music, Anne-Marie is especially noted for her transcriptions of keyboard, lute and pedal harp repertoire for the Irish harp, and also for the unique levering techniques which she continues to develop on this instrument. As a result of her innovations in this area, she is consultant to Salvi harpmakers on the design of their new Irish harp, the Livia. As soloist and accompanist she has toured extensively in Europe and the United States, and has performed at three World Harp Congresses, the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, Celtic Fest in Chicago, in addition to appearances in Norway and at the Lyon & Healy Harpfest in Monterey, California. She was lecture-recitalist on wire-strung harp at the recent conference, Flight of the Earls at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama which commemorated the Flight of the Earls in 1607:

At home in Ireland, Anne-Marie is a regular performer with national orchestras and also with Cormac de Barra (harp) and Ellen Cranitch (flute) who are both featured on her albums. She lectures in stylistic composition at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and teaches harp at Kylemore College Music Centre (CDVEC) where she has founded a thriving harp ensemble and large harp ensemble. As harpist, composer and pedagogue she is regularly invited to give lecture recitals and workshops at international courses and seminars.

Further information on Anne-Marie’s work as a composer is available via the following link:

Contemporary Music Centre