Breandáin O'Shea

Jeffrey Tate was a British conductor known for his distinguished career leading orchestras around the world. Born on April 28, 1943, in Salisbury, England, Tate overcame physical challenges due to spina bifida to become a prominent figure in the classical music world. He served as the principal conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra and held positions with major orchestras such as the Royal Op...

Grover Crisp is a highly respected figure in the film industry, known for his expertise in film restoration and preservation. He has had a distinguished career at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he served as Executive Vice President of Asset Management, Film Restoration, and Digital Mastering. Crisp has played a pivotal role in restoring and preserving numerous classic films, ensuring their lon...

Gregor Zubicky is an accomplished musician who has transitioned from being an oboist to an artistic manager. He currently holds the position of Artistic Manager at the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Prior to this role, Zubicky served as a former oboist at the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, showcasing his talent and dedication to music. He studied oboe at the Norges Musikkhøgskole, demonstrating his co...

Georg Kreisler was an Austrian-American composer, satirist, and singer-songwriter, known for his biting wit and dark humor. Born in 1922 in Vienna, Kreisler fled Nazi-occupied Austria during World War II and eventually settled in the United States. He gained renown for his cabaret performances, which often skewered social and political issues with incisive commentary. Kreisler's songs, characteriz...

Hugh Wood was a distinguished British composer known for his contributions to contemporary classical music. Born in 1932, in Parbold, Lancashire, Wood studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His works, which encompass orchestral, chamber, vocal, and choral music, are characterised by their lyrical expressiveness, meticulous craftsmanship, and harmonic richness. Wood's composit...

Gioconda Barbuto is a highly esteemed Italian-Canadian dancer and choreographer, renowned for her captivating performances and innovative choreography. Trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Banff Centre, and under Gladys Forrester in Toronto, Barbuto quickly gained recognition as a versatile soloist during her tenure with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Nederlands Dans Theater III. Her...

Lynn Harrell was a celebrated American cellist known for his virtuosic performances and profound musicality. Born on January 30, 1944, in New York City, Harrell began studying the cello at a young age and quickly gained recognition as a prodigious talent. He rose to prominence in the classical music world, performing with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide. Harrell was renowned for his ri...

Ilona Schmiel is a prominent figure in the classical music world, known particularly for her work as an arts administrator and festival director. Born in Germany, Schmiel has held significant positions in various cultural institutions, including serving as the director of the Beethovenfest Bonn from 2001 to 2013. She is widely respected for her innovative programming and commitment to fostering co...

Val McDermid is a Scottish author renowned for her crime fiction. McDermid began her writing career as a journalist before transitioning to full-time fiction writing. She gained widespread acclaim for her series featuring psychological profiler Dr. Tony Hill and detective Carol Jordan, which was adapted into the successful television series "Wire in the Blood." McDermid's works are characterised b...

Joachim Sartorius is a German poet, translator, diplomat, festival organiser, and lawyer. He has written five volumes of poetry, as well as numerous other books. In 2011 Sartorius was named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.

Ian Rankin is a Scottish crime writer. He is best known for his series of detective novels featuring Inspector John Rebus, set in Edinburgh. Rankin's novels are celebrated for their gritty realism, intricate plotting, and vivid portrayal of Scottish society. His debut novel, "Knots and Crosses," was published in 1987, marking the beginning of the Rebus series, which has since become a worldwide be...

Henning Kraggerud is a Norwegian violinist and composer. He is internationally renowned for his virtuosic violin playing, captivating audiences with his expressive interpretations and technical brilliance. Kraggerud has performed as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide and has collaborated with renowned conductors and chamber musicians. He is particularly acclaimed for his interpretations of...

Helmuth Rilling is a German conductor and choral conductor born on May 29, 1933, in Stuttgart, Germany. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of Johann Sebastian Bach's music and has played a pivotal role in popularising Bach's choral works worldwide. Rilling founded the Gächinger Kantorei and the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart in 1954, leading them to international acclaim through n...

Hélène Grimaud is a French pianist born on November 7, 1969, in Aix-en-Provence, France. She is widely acclaimed for her exceptional musical talent and unique artistic approach. Grimaud made her debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France at the age of 13 and has since performed with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors. Known for her profound interpretations and dynam...

Hélène Grimaud is a French pianist born on November 7, 1969, in Aix-en-Provence, France. She is widely acclaimed for her exceptional musical talent and unique artistic approach. Grimaud made her debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France at the age of 13 and has since performed with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors. Known for her profound interpretations and dynam...

Grete Pedersen is a Norwegian choral conductor and music educator born in 1957 in Norway. She is internationally renowned for her exceptional contributions to choral music. Pedersen is particularly acclaimed for her work as the conductor of the Norwegian Soloists' Choir, which she has led since 1990, transforming it into one of the world's leading vocal ensembles. Under her direction, the choir ha...

Gregor Seyffert is a German choreographer and dancer born in 1960, in East Berlin, Germany. He is recognised for his innovative choreography and dynamic performances, blending contemporary dance with elements of theatre and circus arts. Seyffert trained at the Palucca School in Dresden and later joined the prestigious Berlin State Ballet, where he danced leading roles in classical and modern reper...

Gail Jones is an Australian author. She is acclaimed for her evocative prose, intricate narratives, and exploration of themes such as identity, memory, and cultural history. Jones has published several novels, including "Black Mirror" (2002), "Sixty Lights" (2004), and "A Guide to Berlin" (2015), which have garnered critical praise and numerous awards, including the Prime Minister's Literary Award...

Gabriele Fontana debuted professionally in 1980 as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Oper Frankfurt. She later joined the Hamburg State Opera, performing roles in various operas and premiering works like Udo Zimmermann's Weisse Rose. Fontana has since appeared at esteemed opera houses worldwide, including in Hannover, Amsterdam, Berlin, and New York. She's a regular at renowned festivals like Salzbur...

Frank Peter Zimmermann is a German violinist. He was born in 1965, in Duisburg, Germany. He is widely regarded as one of the leading violinists of his generation, known for his virtuosic technique, rich tone, and deeply expressive interpretations. Zimmermann has performed with major orchestras and conductors worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and New York Philharmon...

Frank McCourt was an Irish-American writer born on August 19, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, and passed away on July 19, 2009. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Angela's Ashes" (1996), which recounts his impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland. McCourt's memoir vividly portrays the harsh realities of poverty, his family's struggles, and his own coming-of-age experiences. T...

Evgeny Kissin is a Russian-born pianist acclaimed for his prodigious talent and profound interpretations of classical repertoire. Born in 1971, in Moscow, Kissin displayed exceptional musical abilities from an early age, making his concert debut at the age of ten with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. He gained international recognition for his performances of works by composers such as Chopin, R...

Evelyn Glennie is a Scottish percussionist and composer. She is renowned worldwide for her virtuosity as a solo percussionist, overcoming profound deafness since childhood to achieve international acclaim. Glennie's career spans classical, contemporary, and experimental music, performing with major orchestras and collaborating with diverse artists across genres. She has received numerous awards, i...

Esther Freud is a British actor and writer. She is the great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud and the daughter of painter Lucian Freud. Although primarily known for her career as a novelist, Freud has also acted in both film and television productions. She gained critical acclaim for her debut novel "Hideous Kinky" (1992), which was later adapted into a film starring Kate Winslet. Freud's writing of...

Ernest Ashley Dingo AM is an Indigenous Australian actor, television presenter and comedian, originating from the Yamatji people of the Murchison region of Western Australia.