Orla McGarrity is an Irish violinist based in Manchester. She graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a First-Class Honours Degree, studying under the tutelage of James Clark. Orla is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the RNCM, where she studies under the guidance of Cecily Ward and Pavel Fisher. She has also participated in masterclasses led by acclaimed violinists such as Arabella Steinbacher, Peter Sheppard Skærved, and Vera Vaidman.
Orla’s recent musical highlights include performing works inspired by climate change at the Wigmore Hall with the RNCM Sinfonietta, as well as playing with Northern Ireland Opera in their Autumn production of Eugene Onegin. In the 2024/2025 season, Orla was a Young Artist with the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble and has since been invited to continue playing with them as a freelance member. Orla is a member of the Talland Quartet, which she co-founded in 2022. The ensemble performs regularly at concert societies across England and has been appointed as the Quartet in Residence at the South Downs Summer Music festival. The Talland Quartet was also selected to participate in the 2023/2024 Hans Keller Forum in Cambridge.
Orla’s passion for curating chamber music events led her to work as the Programming Assistant at the RNCM in 2022/2023 and to co-direct the Enys Chamber Music Festival in 2023. She has also gained experience as an intern at the Weesp Chamber Music Festival in the Netherlands and has worked as an ad hoc chamber music tutor at the RNCM’s Junior Department. Orla’s most recent achievement is the establishment of the Mourne Chamber Music Festival in Newcastle County Down, which has been recognized with the RNCM’s Creative Innovators Award and the Yamaha Entrepreneurship Award. Orla is grateful for the support of the William and Frances Dobie Charitable Foundation.
Orla plays on a Carlo Carletti violin on generous loan from the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation.
Websites: