Biography

Darragh O'Neill is one of the leading Irish guitarists of his generation. His international career as a solo concert guitarist/composer has taken him to many of the great concert venues around the world. Highlights include Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, The Manggha Theatre in Krakow, and numerous sell out performances back home in his native Dublin's National Concert Hall.

His highly acclaimed performances are always noted for their stylistic awareness, with equal measures of delicacy and virtuosity, fireing the imagination and touching the heart.
His original compositions for solo guitar have been described by The Irish Times as

'Descriptive, openly charming, and so based on traditional guitar techniques that they seem to spring from inside the instrument...'

His musical training began at age of seven, studying violin with David Lillis at the Royal Irish Academy of Music Dublin. Later, changing over to the guitar Darragh went on to study a variety of different styles of music and approaches on the instrument before attending the Royal College of Music London for advanced studies with Carlos Bonell. During his time in London Darragh earned both his Bachelor and Masters degrees in music performance, and upon graduation took both the British Reserve String Prize, and The Louis Krasner Award for most outstanding string recitalist.

His debut CD 'Fountain' is a collection of his own arrangements of some of the best loved baroque classics from the guitar repertoire including music by J.S.Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Gaspar Sanz, and Turlough Carolan. The CD also features six of Darragh's own original compositions for solo guitar. Recording has already begun for the next album of his new works.

Along side his solo guitar pursuits he has also been invited to to share the stage as featured soloist with Enrique Iglesias on his hit 'I can be your hero' (for the MTV awards) both West-end's Michael Ball, and Russel 'The Voice' Watson, (For RTE's Late Late Show) and for Vanessa Amorosi's televised appearance at the O2 Dublin.

Currently based in Dublin, Darragh, in addition to teaching his beloved students at Blackrock College and Willow Park, is currently working on compositions for his forthcoming CD...