Violin
2025
Orla McGarrity is an Irish violinist based in Manchester where she graduated from the RNCM with First-Class Honours and Masters Degrees studying with James Clark, Cecily Ward and Pavel Fischer. During her studies she has performed in masterclasses for Arabella Steinbacher, Barbara Doll and Vera Vaidman. During 24/25 Orla was one of the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble’s Young Artists, receiving coaching on and performing contemporary repertoire. She has since gone on to freelance with the ensemble, as well as working with UK based orchestras such as Manchester Camerata and The Hallé.
Orla is the second violinist of the Talland Quartet who were String Quartet in Residence at South Downs Summer Music Festival this July. The Quartet has been chosen to attend the Danish String Quartet Academy in October and will be one of RNCM’s Studio Quartets for 25/26. They have been involved in various programmes through Chamber Studio UK such as the Hans Keller Forum and have been fortunate to study with esteemed musicians such as the Elias Quartet, Alice Neary, the Piatti Quartet and Pete Prause.
Orla’s love for curating chamber events led her to working as the Programming Assistant at the RNCM in 2022/23 and co-directing Enys Chamber Music Festival in Cornwall. She also enjoyed interning at Weesp Chamber Music Festival in the Netherlands and working as an ad hoc chamber music tutor at RNCM’s Junior Department. Orla recently set up the Mourne Chamber Music Festival in Newcastle County Down which she plans to continue for years to come.
She plays on a 1920 Carlo Carletti violin generously loaned to her by the Harrison Frank Family Foundation and is grateful to be supported by the William and Frances Dobie Charitable Foundation. When not playing violin, Orla can be found evicting slugs from her allotment or reading a good book.