Úna Palliser is an Irish born, London-based violinist, violist, singer and multi-instrumentalist who as well as being classically trained, is recognised for her proficiency in many musical genres, including rock, jazz,

Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

and Irish folk. She has collaborated as guest soloist with London Chamber Orchestra,

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI Classics, EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Rich ...

and many high profile artists including

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...

, A. R. Rahman,

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. Born and raised in Islington, Inner London, she later attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieve ...

, Terrafolk and Otis Taylor and as the Irish folk singer on several film and television soundtracks, including Mo Ghile Mear on the

Specsavers Specsavers Optical Group Limited is a Guernsey-based multinational optical retail chain, which operates mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Nordic countries. The chain offers optometry and optician services for ey ...

'Collie Wobble' advertisement.

Herself (film) ''Herself'' is a 2020 drama film directed by Phyllida Lloyd, from a screenplay by Malcolm Campbell and Clare Dunne. The film stars Dunne, Harriet Walter and Conleth Hill. ''Herself'' had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 ...

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV series) ''Obi-Wan Kenobi'' is an American space opera television miniseries produced by Lucasfilm for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Set ten years after the Jedi Order was purged during the events of the fi ...

My Mother and Other Strangers ''My Mother and Other Strangers'' is a 2016 British television drama series, written by Barry Devlin, made by BBC Northern Ireland with funding from Northern Ireland Screen. The story is set in a small village in Northern Ireland in 1943, during ...

and Kat and Alfie: Redwater. Palliser became a member of the

Balanescu Quartet Balanescu Quartet is an avant-garde String instrument, string ensemble formed in 1987. Current members are Alexander Bălănescu (violin), Yuri Kalnits (violin), Úna Palliser (viola) and Nick Holland (cello). Group history The quartet has ro ...

in 2023

Biography

Early life

Una was born in

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

, Ireland where she began learning the violin at 4 years old at the Cork School of Music. She also studied piano and

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

and later was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra under

Vladimir Ashkenazy Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is a Soviet-born Icelandic pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. Ashkenazy has collaborated with well-known orchestras and soloists. In addition, ...

. Palliser won a number of awards including Wolfson Trust Award, a Philharmonia Martin Musical Scholarship Award, and was a string finalist in the RTÉ Millennium Musician of the Future Competition. She won a scholarship to the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in London where she studied with Garfield Jackson of the Endellion Quartet for 4 years before graduating with a 1st Class Hons Degree in performance.

Career

Una has recorded and performed as a session musician with over 100 major artists including

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

, Michael Buble,

Little Mix Little Mix are an English girl group that formed on the eighth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor.'' They are the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The lineup consisted of Leigh-Anne Pin ...

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...

Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...

P Diddy Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...

Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club was a musical ensemble primarily made up of Cuban musicians, formed in 1996. The project was organized by World Circuit (record label), World Circuit executive Nick Gold, produced by American guitarist Ry Cooder and dire ...

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

Julian Lennon Julian Charles John Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon; 8 April 1963) is an English musician, photographer, author, and philanthropist. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia; Julian is named after his pate ...

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

, Gwilym Simcock,

Maxim Vengerov Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov (; born 20 August 1974) is a Soviet-born Israeli violinist, violist, and conductor. Classic FM has called him "one of the greatest violinists in the world". Vengerov was born in Novosibirsk, the only child of Al ...

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis and fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2010 to 2014, before starting a succes ...

The Noisettes Noisettes are an English indie rock band from London, currently composed of singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa and guitarist Dan Smith. The band first achieved commercial success and nationwide recognition with the second single of their seco ...

, and

Elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...

. She has performed on a number of television shows including

Later With Jools Holland ''Later... with Jools Holland'' (also known as ''Even Later... with Jools Holland'', and previously known as ''Later Live... with Jools Holland'' and ''...Later with Jools Holland'') is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jo ...

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

and

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme featured Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show ...

and appeared in music videos with

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...

Richard Ashcroft Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He formed the alternative rock band the Verve in 1990 and served as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime. Ashcroft was ...

and

. Palliser has also recorded on a number of film and television scores including '' The Lovely Bones'', '' The Princess'', ''

Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...

'', '' The Decameron (TV series) '', '' Endeavour'', ''

Emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

'', ''

Grace (TV series) ''Grace'' is a British television crime drama series based in the English city of Brighton and Hove, starring John Simm in the title role of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a dogged detective who, haunted by the disappearance of his wife so ...

'', '' Three Girls'', ''

The Cube A cube is any regular, six-sided, three-dimensional solid object. Cube may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Cube Interactive, an interactive media company in Wales, UK Comics * Cosmic Cube, a fictional object in Marvel Comics Films * ...

'', and ''

Hold the Sunset ''Hold the Sunset'' is a British television sitcom first broadcast on BBC One on 18 February 2018. When first announced, it had the working title ''Edith''. Premise The plot revolves around two retired neighbours, Phil (Cleese) and Edith (Steadm ...

''. Palliser was the featured lead singer and violinist/violist on the single 'Still Resist The Storm' on BBC World Music Award Winning ensemble Terrafolk's record Full Circle, which topped the radioplay charts in

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. This led to many years touring and performing internationally as a featured guest artist with Terrafolk and a performance as solo violinist and vocalist with the European Symbolic Orchestra. She toured Europe as part of

Cee-lo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway-Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green or simply Cee-Lo), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Green came to initial pr ...

and

Danger Mouse (musician) Brian Joseph Burton (born July 29, 1977), known professionally as Danger Mouse, is an American musician and record producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released '' The Grey Album'', which combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's '' T ...

's band

Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley is an American soul music, soul duo composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse (musician), Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, ''St. Elsewhere (album), St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contai ...

, as solo violinist/violist on

Patrick Wolf Patrick Wolf (born Patrick Denis Apps; 30 June 1983) is an English singer-songwriter from South London. Wolf uses a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano, and viola. He is known for combining electronic samp ...

The Magic Position ''The Magic Position'' is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf. It was released on 26 February 2007. The album features collaborations with Marianne Faithfull and Edward Larrikin of Larrikin Love as well as backi ...

tour of the US and Europe supporting

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

and

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...

. She also performed as featured violist on

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...

's Beautiful World Tour 2007. Palliser later toured as violinist with

Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...

on his Wait For Me tour., with

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

on his Symphonica Tour. and

on his

Definitely Maybe ''Definitely Maybe'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band Oasis, released on 29 August 1994 by Creation Records. The album features Noel Gallagher on lead guitar, backing vocals and as chief songwriter, Liam Gallagher on lead vo ...

tour. She also joined Dresden Dolls'

Amanda Palmer Amanda MacKinnon Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a memb ...

as guest solo violinist on her UK tour and other subsequent UK performances, also performing with

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...

. Palliser joined Avalanche City playing violin, glockenspiel, accordion and backing vocals for their UK tour,https://twitter.com/unapalliser/status/197035850339598336 She has also performed and toured many times as solo violinist with Otis Taylor and toured as backing singer and violinist with

. and as solo violinist with

. In 2014, Palliser featured in "The Secret Life of Materials", a documentary by Met Films in which she tried out and performed on one of the world's first 3D printed violins. In 2016, Palliser performed on violin and as singer in the All Irish production of Taming of the Shrew at

Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Southwark, Lon ...

where she also sang one of her own compositions in the role of Kate's absent mother. She later performed in

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is an indoor theatre forming part of the Shakespeare's Globe complex, along with the recreated Globe Theatre on Bankside in Southwark, London. Built by making use of 17th-century plans for an indoor English theatre, ...

in Inn at Lydda. In 2018, Palliser returned to Shakespeare's Globe as musical director and violinist of

All's Well That Ends Well ''All's Well That Ends Well'' is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the First Folio in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate about the date of its composition, with possible dates ranging from 1598 to 1608. ...

at Sam Wanmaker Playhouse. Palliser's solo vocals and playing was featured in

Jez Butterworth Jeremy Butterworth (born March 4, 1969) is a British playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has gained recognition for his unique voice in contemporary theater, often blending themes of myth, folklore, and realism. He has received a T ...

The Ferryman (play) ''The Ferryman'' is a 2017 play by Jez Butterworth. Set during the Troubles, it tells the story of the family of a former IRA volunteer, living in their farmhouse in rural County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981. Synopsis The play is set in ...

directed by

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...

at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 2018–19 following a multi award winning run in London's West End at

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

and

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

. Palliser performed as guest violin soloist with Indian composer and singer

A.R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinema ...

at Wembley Arena in July 2017 to celebrate 25 years of his music. She later performed with Rahman at the

International Indian Film Academy Awards The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is an annual awards ceremony for Hindi cinema. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for their favourite a ...

at the

MetLife Stadium MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. It opened in 2010, replacing Giants Stadium, and serves as the home for the ...

in New York. In October 2017 Palliser rejoined Rahman on his Australian and New Zealand tour and later on his Canadian tour. In 2019 Palliser sang the solo vocals of

Vangelis Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (, ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; , ), was a Greek musician, composer, and producer of electronic, progressive, ambient, and classical orchestral music. He composed ...

score of

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...

The Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

as the part of Avex International's premiere production of Blade Runner Live film with 12 live musicians. In 2021 and 2024 she toured the UK with the project. Palliser also led the strings playing electric violin on the project. Palliser performed as violin soloist with

and Philharmonia Chorus in February 2022 at

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

London, at the premiere of

Outlander (TV series) ''Outlander'' is a historical drama television series based on the book series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. Developed by Ronald D. Moore, the show premiered on August 9, 2014, on Starz. It stars Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall, ...

series 6. The orchestra performed a 15 minute suite before a showing of the first episode of the series with live orchestra, solo fiddle and solo whistles playing the score composed by

Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American composer of film, television, and video game scores. His work includes the scores of the television series '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', '' Black Sails'', '' ...

. The concert was conducted by

James Shearman James Shearman is an English conductor, orchestrator, and composer. He is perhaps best known for his contributions to film scores including those for ''Gosford Park,'' ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'', '' Manchester by the Sea'' and num ...

In December 2022 Palliser was invited to perform as soloist with the London Chamber Orchestra at

St John's, Smith Square Smith Square Hall (formerly St John's Smith Square) is a concert hall in the centre of Smith Square, City of Westminster, Westminster, London. Its name was changed by its current operator, Sinfonia Smith Square, in 2024. Originally a church, ...

in London. She has subsequently collaborated as ensemble leader and soloist with the orchestra on a number of other projects In 2023 Palliser became a member of the

on viola. Palliser has been described as an 'extraordinary violinist' by the UK's ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' newspaper. and her voice has been described as 'haunting' by both Metro and

Songlines A songline, also called dreaming track, is one of the paths across the land (or sometimes the sky) within the animist belief systems of the Aboriginal cultures of Australia. They mark the route followed by localised "creator-beings" in the Dr ...

Shakira

invited Palliser to feature as the solo violinist on

The Sun Comes Out World Tour The Sun Comes Out World Tour (also known as the Sale el Sol World Tour) was the fifth concert tour by Colombian singer Shakira, launched in support of her eighth and ninth studio albums, ''She Wolf (album), She Wolf'' (2009) and ''Sale El Sol' ...

where she also sang back up vocals as well as played the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

, whistles and strohviol. She had a four-minute improvised solo intro to the last song of Shakira's main set, ' Ojos Asi'.

Vocals

Palliser's recording of the Irish folk song " Mo Ghile Mear" has been used on the

'Sheep' advert since 2008. She also appears as solo vocalist on Joglaresa’s Christmas album ‘Sing We Yule’ with her version of

Don Oíche Úd i mBeithil Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...

. In 2022 her vocals featured on Natalie Holt’s score for

, part of the

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

franchise. Palliser’s solo vocals are featured on the soundtrack of 2020 film

directed by

Phyllida Lloyd Phyllida Christian Lloyd, (born 17 June 1957) is an English film and theatre director and producer. Her theatre work includes directing productions at the Royal Court Theatre and Royal National Theatre, and opera director for Opera North and ...

singing her arrangement of Irish ballad Lass of Aughrim. She is the solo Irish singer on the end credits of

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

six part tv series ''

'' and the singer of the theme tune for

6 part series '' Kat and Alfie: Redwater''. Her voice was also heard as the unseen Banshee and also singing a setting of ''

The Stolen Child "The Stolen Child" is an 1889 poem by William Butler Yeats, published in ''The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems''. Overview The poem was written in 1886 and is considered to be one of Yeats's more notable early poems. The poem is based on I ...

'' by

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

in the multi

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winning play '' The Ferryman'' in London’s West End and on

. She is the lead singer and violinist in the four-member band Una & the Balkan Bears which completed its first UK / Ireland tour in May 2010, ending with a performance at

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sc ...

in London. Una returned to Ireland in 2013 with her Balkan duo Balkish with accordionist Marko Hatlak to perform alongside

Capercaillie ''Tetrao'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Feathers from the bird were used to create the characteristic hat of the bersaglieri, an Italian ace infantry formation. ...

Personal life

Palliser currently lives in London. She is married to chef

James 'Jocky' Petrie James "Jocky" Petrie is a Scottish professional chef, best known for his work alongside chef Heston Blumenthal as Head of Creative Development of the Experimental Kitchen at The Fat Duck, and as Group Executive Development Chef for Gordon Ramsay ...

, They have two daughters Her brother Conor Palliser is a conductor and pianist and brother Ronan Palliser is a photographer. Her father plays Irish folk music including harmonica and whistles.

Tours

(viola, 2023–24) *

Tour (viola, 2024) *Blade Runner Live (solo vocals, violin, electric violin, 2019-2024) *The Rock Orchestra (guest orchestra leader, various UK tour dates, 2021–22) *

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

(viola, 2018) *

A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...

(solo violin, 2017/18) *

(violin, backing vocals 2017/18) *

Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong (born 30 July 1960) is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as '' Essential Mix'' and '' Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for ...

with

Heritage Orchestra ] The Heritage Orchestra is a British orchestra founded in 2004 under the artistic direction of Christopher Wheeler, Chris Wheeler. The orchestra perform a mix of styles and genres and are known as the premiere non-classical orchestra in the UK ...

(viola, 2016–2018) * Michael Buble (uk only-violin 2014) * Otis Taylor (solo violin 2011–2013) *

Symphonica Tour (viola 2012) * Avalanche City (solo violin, vocals, accordion 2012) *

(solo violin, electric violin, strohviol, accordion, whistle, percussion, backing vocals, 2010–11) *

(violin, electric violin, 2009) *

Beautiful World Tour 2007 (viola, 2007) *

Tour (solo electric violin, viola, 2007) *

(violin, viola, 2006)

Theatre

Standing at the Sky's Edge (musical) - (violin/viola chair) - 2022-2023

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

Come From Away - (dep solo violin/fiddle) - 2019-2024

Phoenix Theatre, London The Phoenix Theatre is a West End theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located in Charing Cross Road (on the corner of Flitcroft Street). The entrances are on Phoenix Street and Charing Cross Road. The Phoenix Theatre was built on the sit ...

, UK Tour

Hamilton (musical) ''Hamilton: An American Musical'' is a sung-through, sung-and-rapped-through biographical musical theater, musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Based on the 2004 biography ''Alexander Hamilton (book), Alexander Hamil ...

- (dep violin / viola) - 2021-2024

Victoria Palace Theatre The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham in 1911 and was the last London theatre he designed before his retirement. The building was designated ...

Moulin Rouge! (musical) ''Moulin Rouge! The Musical'' is a jukebox musical with a book by John Logan (writer), John Logan. The musical is based on the 2001 film ''Moulin Rouge!'' directed by Baz Luhrmann and written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. ''Moulin Rouge!'' is se ...

- (dep violin / viola) - 2022-2024

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at the junction of Denman Street and Sherwood Street, near Piccadilly Circus, in the City of Westminster, London. It opened in 1928. In its early years the theatre presented a wide range of ...

Girl from the North Country (musical) ''Girl from the North Country'' is a jukebox musical with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan and written by Conor McPherson. It is the second show to use Dylan's music after Twyla Tharp's '' The Times They Are a-Changin'.'' Production history Worl ...

- (dep solo violin) - 2022

Measure For Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604. It was published in the First Folio of 1623. The play centers on the despotic and puritan Angelo (Measure for ...

- (dep violin/vocals) - 2021

Small Island – (pre-recorded viola) – 2019, 2022

Heart of a Dog - (pre-recorded violin, viola, octave viola) Everyman Palace Theatre

– (musical director, violin, viola) – 2018

(pre recorded solo vocals, violin/viola) – 2018–2019 Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

– 2017/18

– 2017

The Inn at Lydda – (strohviol, violin) – 2016

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

(actor-musician + singer) – 2016 –

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

(dep /understudy solo singer) – 2016 –

Tribute to Stefan Zweig (improvised violin) – 2015 –

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It opened on April 20, 1927. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre cen ...

Reading with Bach (violin with contemporary dance choreography) – 2014 –

Trinity Laban Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music, dance, and musical theatre conservatoire based in South East London. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. Trini ...

María de Buenos Aires ''María de Buenos Aires'' is a tango opera (''tango operita'') with music by Ástor PiazzollaSCP 2005. and libretto by Horacio Ferrer that premiered at the Sala Planeta in Buenos Aires on 8 May 1968. The first part of the surreal plot centers ...

(actor-musician) – 2013 – Cork Opera House

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...

(actor-musician) – 2012 – Everyman Palace Theatre Abba The Show (violin) – 2012/13 – European tour Lord of the Rings (musical) (dep viola) – 2007/8 –

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change ''I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'' is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, and music by Jimmy Roberts. It is the second-longest running Off-Broadway musical.Gans, Andrew"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change Ends NYC R ...

-St Andrew's Theatre Dublin

Kings Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. The original venue was the oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2024, the pub theatre, and the King's Head Theatre now operates from a purpose- ...

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

Graffiti Classics World Tour (actor-musician)

Discography

Solo

'' 'Collie Wobble' commercial (solo vocals, arranger) – Soundtree Music – 2008 ''

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

'' Television Score (solo violin) - 2023 ''

'' Film Score (vocals) - 2022 '' Herself'' Film Score (solo vocals, arranger) - 2020 ''JOY'' Short Film Score (solo vocals) - 2020 ''

'' BBC series soundtrack (Musical Director/coach, solo violin, 2019) With Joglaresa * '' Sing We Yule ''Christmas Album (solo vocals, arranger) - 2017 '' Kat and Alfie: Redwater'' BBC television series (solo vocals, violin) – 2017 ''

'' BBC television series (solo vocals, violin) – 2016 With Birdy *''Growing Pains – Beautiful Lies'' album (

erhu The (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, that is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two-stringed fiddle''. It is used as a solo instrument as ...

), 2016 With Tom Hickox *''Angel of the North – War, Peace and Diplomacy'' album (

stroh violin The Stroh violin or Stroviol is a type of String instrument, stringed musical instrument that is mechanically amplified by a metal resonator and horn attached to its body. The name Stroviol refers to a violin, but other instruments have been mo ...

, 2014) with

Kelli Scarr Kelli Scarr is an Emmy-nominated composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer. She was featured on Moby's album '' Wait for Me'', and collaborated with him on National Public Radio's "Project Song", resulting in the track "Gone to Sleep ...

*''Dangling Teeth'' (violin, 2012) with

*''Je ľaime a mourir'' (solo violin, string arranger, 2011) *'' Live From Paris'' (solo violin, vocals, accordion, strohviol, 2011) with Terrafolk *''Still Resist the Storm'' (solo vocals, violin, viola) – single – Full Circle Album- Music Net, Menart (2008) with

*''Beautiful World Live'' – Universal (viola, 2008) 'with

Smoke Fairies Smoke Fairies (Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies) are a British band hailing from Chichester. History Blamire and Davies met at school in Sussex during the late 1990s. They spent 2002 in New Orleans, where they absorbed American blues music ...

*''Troubles – Music For Heroes Records'' (solo fiddle, viola, 2008)

Other recordings

The Decameron (TV series) (viola 2024)

She's Got No Name ''She's Got No Name'' ( zh, c=酱园弄·悬案, p=Jiàngyuán nòng·xuán'àn) is a 2024 crime drama film directed and co-produced by Peter Chan, and features an ensemble cast led by Zhang Ziyi. The film, which is based on a true story of an uns ...

(feature film, viola 2024) With Nala Sinephro *Endlessness album (viola 2024) George Orwell’s 1984(Audible, viola 2024) Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland (viola 2023 BBC documentary)

Endeavour (TV series) ''Endeavour'' is a British television detective drama series on ITV. It is a prequel to the long-running ''Inspector Morse'' series. Shaun Evans portrays the young Endeavour Morse beginning his career as a detective constable, and later as a ...

(viola 2023) Emancipation (2022 film) (viola 2022)

The Princess (2022 action film) ''The Princess'' is a 2022 American fantasy action comedy thriller film directed by Le-Van Kiet and starring Joey King in the title role with Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, and Veronica Ngo. The film focuses on a strong-willed princess who ...

(viola 2022) With

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are compleme ...

*Cool It Down album (viola, 2022) With

*Why Me, Why Not album (viola, 2022) With Nick Powell (musician/composer) *Walls Fall Down album (vocals 2021) With

* Little Mix The Search (violin / viola 2020) With

*The Christmas Present album (violin, 2019) With

J Hus Momodou Lamin Jallow (born 26 October 1996) known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer who has been credited with pioneering the genre Afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 f ...

*Must Be single (Viola, 2019) With

Judith Owen Judith Owen (born 2 January 1969) is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her first album, ''Emotions on a Postcard'', was released in 1996 and has been followed by several more. She is co-founder of Twanky Records with her husband, Harry Shearer. Life ...

*I Still Dream of America single (viola, 2019)

The Dumping Ground ''The Dumping Ground'' (also informally referred to as ''The DG'') is a Television in the United Kingdom, British children's television series, children's television drama series that focuses on the lives and experiences of young people who ...

BBC series soundtrack (viola, 2016–22) With

Beverley Craven Beverley Craven (born 28 July 1963) is a British singer-songwriter best known for her 1991 UK hit single " Promise Me". She has recorded six studio albums, including the collaborative album '' Woman to Woman'' with Judie Tzuke and Julia Fordha ...

*Let It Be Me – Woman to Woman album (viola, 2018) with

*Golden Slumbers – John Lewis Christmas Advert – (violin, viola, 2017) Three Girls (miniseries) BBC television series soundtrack – (violin, viola, 2017) with

*For What Its Worth – live from Air Studios (viola 2017) with Anton Du Beke *From The Top album - Polydor (viola, 2017)

Funny Girl (musical) ''Funny Girl'' is a musical with score by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, and book by Isobel Lennart, that first opened on Broadway in 1964. The semi-biographical plot is based on the life and career of comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice ...

London Cast Recording – (violin, viola, 2016) with Ghostpoet *Shedding Skin – Play It Again Sam *Be Right Back, Moving House – Play It Again Sam (viola 2015) *Nothin In The Way – Play It Again Sam (viola 2015) with Celeste *Celeste (violin, 2015) with

* Symphonica (viola, 2014) With

Elsten Torres Elsten Creole Torres (born February 10, 1965) in Havana, Cuba as Listoriel Leyva Torres, is a singer, songwriter and Record producer, producer. He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards for his first solo album, solo independent album, ''Ind ...

*The Only One (violin, string arrangement, 2013) with

Russell Watson Russell Watson (born 24 November 1966) is an English crossover/popular singer, almost in the tenor range, who has released singles and albums of both quasi-operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after per ...

*Anthems album – Sony (violin 2012) with

Katie Melua Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi, Georgia and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of composer ...

*Secret Symphony Dramatico (viola 2012) with

Carl Barat Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

*So Long My Lover – PIAS Recordings, Arcady Records (violin, viola 2010) *Ode to a Girl – PIAS Recordings, Arcady Records (violin, viola 2010) with

*A Dustland Fairytale – Live at Abbey Road – Channel 4 (viola 2010) with The Choirgirl Isabel *The Choirgirl album – Universal UK (violin, viola, 2010) with

Aled Jones Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of " Walking in the Air", which reached No 5 in the UK pop chart. He ...

*Aled's Christmas Gift album (viola, 2010) with Lisa Lois *Smoke album – SBC/Sony BMG – (viola, 2010) with

Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. After signing with Epic Records in 2008, Faith released her debut album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?'' (2009), which produced the UK ...

*Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? – Sony Music (viola, 2009) with

Noisettes Noisettes are an English indie rock band from London, currently composed of singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa and guitarist Dan Smith. The band first achieved commercial success and nationwide recognition with the second single of their seco ...

/ Radio 1's Live Lounge CD *When We Were Young (Killers cover) BBC Radio (viola, 2009) with

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

*The Lovely Bones Soundtrack (viola, 2009) With

The Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies are an English band formed in 1985, consisting of Simon Bartholomew, Andrew Levy, and Jan Kincaid. After the addition of N'Dea Davenport in 1990, the group experienced mainstream success and pioneered a new genre called a ...

*C'est Magnifique single (viola, 2009) with

Hannah Waddingham Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is an English actress, singer, and television presenter. She is known for playing businesswoman Rebecca Welton in ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Ch ...

*Oh Holy Night - Christmas In New York album - Spekulation Entertainment (viola, 2009) with

*Valerie video (viola, 2008) with Tony Christie *Made in Sheffield album (viola, 2008) with

Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. Born and raised in Farnworth, Kay studied media performance at the University of Salford and later began working part-time as a stand-up comedian. In 199 ...

/ Geraldine McQueen *Once Upon a Christmas Song – Polydor Records (viola, string arrangements, 2008) with

Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, having writ ...

Eliot Kennedy Eliot Kennedy (born 29 March 1969) is an English songwriter and record producer based in Sheffield. He has worked with artists such as Céline Dion, Rebbie Jackson, Billie Piper, The Spice Girls, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Donny Osmond, Br ...

*Without You / Brittania High soundtrack – Polydor Records – (viola, string arrangements, 2008) with Peter Raeburn *You and Me album – Nowever Records (violin, viola, 2008) with

/ Later with

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Jayne County, To ...

CD *Crazy – BBC (viola/violin, 2007) with Nicky Spence *My First Love album - Universal Classics / Decca (viola, 2007) with

All Angels All Angels were a British classical crossover group formed in 2006, consisting of Daisy Chute, Laura Wright, Rachel Fabri, Melanie Nakhla and actress Charlotte Ritchie. The group's style was classical crossover music and close harmony ar ...

– Universal (viola, 2006) with

The Shapeshifters The Shapeshifters is the current alias of British house music, house producer Simon Marlin and a former duo comprising Marlin and Swedish producer Max Reich, from Gothenburg. The Shapeshifters have been signed to Defected Records since 2008, a ...

*Beautiful Heartache – Positiva, EMI (viola, 2006) with

Hugh Cornwell Hugh Alan Cornwell (born 28 August 1949) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and writer, best known for being the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the punk rock and new wave band the Stranglers The Stranglers are an English ro ...

*Gingerbread Girl – Koch Entertainment (viola, 2000)

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

's ' Let's Dance' TV theme –

(violin, viola) ' Love on a Saturday Night' TV theme –

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

/ ITV (vocals) Six Degrees of Summer Short Film Score - O2 Guru / Martha Fiennes (violin/viola) Cast Offs Short Film Score - Garrick Hamm (violin / viola) Eva Short Film Score – Jeva Filmshttp://www.jevafilms.com/completed.html (solo vocals) By Hook Short Film Score – Virgin Media Shorts / Laura Evers Johns (solo vocals) Every Good Boy Does Fine Short Film Score – Factory Gate Productions (solo violin)

Trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...

'Splash' commercial – Soundtree Music (composer, string arranger, violin)

Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...

‘Glider’ commercial - Soundtree Music (violin, viola)

Guinness Guinness () is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at Guinness Brewery, St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic bever ...

‘World’ commercial - Soundtree Music (violin, viola)

Smirnoff Smirnoff (; ) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898), but its modern incarnation traces back to the ...

' Sea' commercial – Soundtree Music (violin, viola)

Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...

'Grow' commercial – Soundtree Music (violin, viola)

Nokia Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, originally established as a pulp mill in 1 ...

'Harmony' commercial – Soundtree Music (vocals)

References

External links

Official Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palliser, Una Living people Musicians from Cork (city) Irish expatriates in the United Kingdom Irish women violinists Irish violists Irish women violists 21st-century Irish women singers Year of birth missing (living people) Musicians from London 21st-century Irish violinists Pop violists 21st-century violists