John Feeley (born 24 May 1955) an Irish

classical guitarist This is a list of classical guitarists. Baroque (17th and 18th centuries) 19th century 20th century https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAPUbFDFJfxY2qijBIG2Og?view_as=subscriberModern See also * List of flamenco guitarists List of notable ...

, and a teacher and editor of guitar music.

Life

Feeley was born in

Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Connacht. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-c ...

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He started guitar playing in popular music, and at age 17 "was recognised as one of Europe's best electric guitarists" After graduating from

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, with a first class degree in music, he moved to the USA to study with

Oscar Ghiglia Oscar Alberto Ghiglia (born 13 August 1938) is an Italian classical guitarist. Biography Early years Born in Livorno to an artistic family – his father and grandfather were both famed painters, his mother an accomplished pianist – Oscar Ghig ...

, Ángel Romero, and David Russell, completing a master's degree at

Queens College, City University of New York Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...

. In the following years he taught at Memphis State University, Tennessee. He now teaches at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin. His past students include all current members of the Dublin Guitar Quartet, along with Redmond O'Toole, Michael O'Toole and

Alec O'Leary Alec O'Leary (M.Mus., B.Mus., Dip. Inst. Teaching) is the director and founder of the Guitar Festival of Ireland and is widely regarded as one of the foremost guitarists of his generation. He has spent many years studying guitar with John Feeley ...

, director of the Waltons Guitar Festival of Ireland. Composers

Benjamin Dwyer Benjamin Dwyer (born 3 August 1965) is an Irish composer, guitarist and musicologist. Life Dwyer was born in Dublin and studied the classical guitar at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin, and at the Royal Academy of Music, London. H ...

, Ciarán Farrell,

David Fennessy David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and David Flynn, all of whom have written music for Feeley, were also guitar students of his. In 2006 Feeley completed a doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy in Music erformance at

Maynooth University The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann Mhá Nuad), commonly known as Maynooth University (MU), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. It w ...

, which involved a major thesis in three volumes with the title ''Classical Guitar Music by Irish Composers: Performing Editions and Critical Commentary''.

Performing and recording career

Feeley has appeared at such festivals as the Guitar Festival of Ireland, Bath International Guitar Festival, the

Dundee International Guitar Festival Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mi ...

, and the Wirral International Guitar Festival. He has won numerous awards including the Special Award for interpretation in the 1984 Mauro Giuliani competition, Italy. He has appeared as a soloist with The American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra, the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the

Contempo Quartet The ConTempo Quartet is a string quartet founded in Bucharest in 1995 and long-resident in Galway, Ireland, which has held national and regional appointments in Ireland, and performed in a wide range of events in Romania, Spain, Ireland and e ...

. He performs regularly in duet with the flautist

William Dowdall William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conqu ...

. Feeley is an enthusiastic champion of contemporary Irish music and in this capacity has commissioned works from many of Ireland's leading composers including Seóirse Bodley, John Buckley, Jerome de Bromhead,

Jane O'Leary Jane O'Leary (born 13 October 1946) is an American-born Irish musician and composer who has been living in Ireland since 1972. Biography Jane O'Leary (née Strong) was born in Hartford, Connecticut. She graduated ''summa com laude'' from Vassar ...

Brent Parker Brent D. Parker (born March 7, 1945) is an American former politician in the state of Utah. He is a dairy farmer from Wellsville, Utah Wellsville is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,432 at the 2010 census, wi ...

and Eric Sweeney. He also has a great interest in traditional Irish and Scottish music and in has recorded with The Chieftains and published his own arrangements of traditional melodies. He has been described by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' as 'Ireland's leading classical guitarist'"Performing Arts", in: ''The Washington Post'', 13 March 2001, p. C03. and by Michael Dervan in ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' as "a trailblazer ... when it comes to the guitar and guitar-playing in Ireland".

Discography

*''e-motion. Contemporary Works for Guitar'', Black Box Music BBM 1002 (CD, 1998). Contains: Ciarán Farrell: ''The Shannon Suite''; Jerome de Bromhead: ''Gemini'';

: ''Four Pieces for Guitar''; Dawn Kenny: ''e-motion''; Eric Sweeney: ''Figurations''; Michael Howard: ''Niagara Falls on Thomond'';

Brian Boydell Brian Patrick Boydell (17 March 1917 – 8 November 2000) was an Irish composer whose works include orchestral pieces, chamber music, and songs. He was Professor of Music at Trinity College Dublin for 20 years, founder of the Dowland Consort, con ...

: ''Three Pieces for Guitar''; Andrew Shiels: ''The Voyage of Maeldun''. *''in winter light'', Celestial Harmonies13244-2 (CD, 2004); with William Dowdall, flute. Contains: John Buckley: Guitar Sonata No. 2; Fantasia No. 1 for Alto Flute; Guitar Sonata No. 1; Three Pieces for Solo Flute; ''Lullaby for Deirdre''; ''Airflow''; ''In Winter Light''. *''Islands. Contemporary Irish Solo & Instrumental Works for Guitar'', Overture Music,

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(CD, 2010); with Laura Chislett Jones (flute) & Pavlos Kanellakis (guitar). Contains:

: ''... sting like a bee'';

: ''Cancion''; ''Tango''; John McLachlan: ''Four Pieces for Guitar'';

: Duo for Alto Flute and Guitar; Eric Sweeney (arr.): ''Three Folk Songs''; Seóirse Bodley: ''Islands'';

: Theme and Variations for Two Guitars. Earlier recordings, including arrangements of Irish traditional music for guitar *''Celtic Classics'' (Ossian) *''Sreanga Oir'' (Gael-Linn) *''Romanza'' (Marble Arch) *''John Feeley'' (Gael-Linn CEF 109) *''Serenade'' (with Raymond Burley) (CBA Classics)

Editorships

*''Scottish Music for Solo Guitar'', two volumes (Cork: Ossian Publications, 2005) *''Contemporary Irish Music for Classic Guitar Solo'' (Pacific, Missouri: Mel Bay, 2012)

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feeley, John 1955 births Irish classical guitarists Living people Musicians from County Galway Queens College, City University of New York alumni