ÓRÁN HALLIGAN, a previous winner of the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year Competition, is now a lecturer and Doctor in Music Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
His debut album, Visions, features previously unrecorded works held in the National Library of Ireland’s archives.
This year’s competition will be held before an international jury at Freemasons’ Hall in Dublin on October 8 and 10.
More than €20,000 in prize money is on offer. Open to musicians nominated by participating colleges, the competition has helped previous winners secure concert, teaching and orchestral opportunities.
What are you up to?
I’m currently in the final year of a Doctorate in Music Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music — so my life consists of lots of practice, for a change! Each day has some combination of practice, teaching, research and rehearsing with chamber music partners for upcoming concerts.
As this is the final year, I’ve been spending a greater portion of my time in the National Library of Ireland on Kildare Street in Dublin, as this is where a lot of my research takes place. I’m looking into piano music in Dublin in the early nineteenth century, which involves studying sheet music and texts from that era.
Which piece of music always sends a shiver down your spine?
I remember the first time I ever heard Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time), which Messiaen composed and premiered while being held prisoner in a prisoner-of-war camp in 1941. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before.
Órán HalliganWhich musician, singer or band has most influenced you?
It’s difficult to say, as I try to listen as broadly as possible. In my teenage years, I was a huge fan of Radiohead, as there was a huge amount of variety and experimentation in their music.
What is your favourite place in Ireland?
Glendalough is just about my all-time favourite place in Ireland. I used to spend a lot of time hiking around the two lakes at weekends as a teenager.
If your friends were going to give you an award, what would it be for?
Probably most organised. There are a lot of moving parts in my schedule and each day is totally different, so I’ve become an expert at organising it, complete with a colour-coordinated calendar.
Have you a book that has been a major influence on you?
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a book that I find myself coming back to every few years. It’s a very powerful story about the relationship between a father and son and their efforts to survive a post-apocalyptic American wasteland.
Which living person do you most admire?
I admire Daniel Day-Lewis for his huge commitment to each role. He’s the type of actor who completely transforms into each character he portrays, so much so that I had seen several of his films without realising it was the same actor.
Which piece of music would make you get up and leave a party?
I don’t know if I could say there’s a specific piece of music that would make me leave a party. However, I prefer not to listen to classical music in most social situations, as it reminds me too much of work!
Which trait in others do you most admire?
When somebody says they will do something and they do! When working on projects with others, or just planning to meet up with friends, it makes things go much more smoothly.
Mozart or Martin Hayes?
I’m a big fan of Martin Hayes’ music. He’s done a huge amount to promote Irish music around the world, and I’ve always really loved his lyrical approach to fiddle playing.
What would be your motto?
In life, as in music, you must have discipline and perseverance.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Life is a marathon with sprints.
What’s the best thing about where you live?
Dublin is a brilliantly vibrant city to live in. You can go to a concert or show any single night of the week. The people here are all very friendly, and there’s such a mix of people living here.
. . . and the worst?
But it’s expensive to live here!
What’s the greatest lesson life has taught you?
Fundamentally, I believe that one of the most important things in life is to find your ‘discipline’ — the thing that you want to do above all, regardless of how impossible it might seem.
Who/what is the greatest love of your life?
I love the piano and music, but I equally love my bicycle. I’ve been riding around the streets of Dublin for a decade now — it’s great for clearing my head after a day of work. Sometimes I’ll just take a spin if I have an evening free and the weather is good (more doable in the summer than the winter, naturally!).
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