1st prize-winner of the 2012 Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition and former NCH Rising Star, Fiachra Garvey ARAM, grew up on Móin Bhán in the Wicklow mountains. He spent his early childhood being the understudy to the family sheep dog Rex (who had lofty ambitions for early retirement) and playing the piano! Other pastimes included swimming in the Blessington lakes and staging plays in the attic with his sister and cohort of friends. Since those more playful days, Fiachra has obtained his Dip Mus, BA and MA degrees from the Royal Academy of Music London, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and received prizes at many international competitions including Dublin AXA, EU Prague and Collioure, France.

Concerto appearances include the Janáček Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, UCD Symphony Orchestra, RIAM Symphony Orchestra and the Hibernian Orchestra working with eminent conductors John Wilson, Theodore Kuchar, Stephen Bell and Duncan Ward to name a few. Fiachra has recorded and broadcast for BBC and RTÉ television and radio and has released two solo albums, “For the Piano (RTE Lyric fm label) and a Live from Wigmore Hall disc.

Particularly memorable appearances for Fiachra include Wigmore Hall, Fazioli Hall, National Concert Hall Dublin, St Magnus Festival Orkney, West Cork Festival, Brighton Festival, Spoleto Festival, GOOGLE, Geneva Festival, Wexford Opera, Philia Hall Japan and Zhejiang Concert Hall China.

As a keen entrepreneur Fiachra is the Founder and Artistic Director of the West Wicklow Festival, a feast of chamber music held in his dream house! Chamber music is one of the most important aspects of Fiachra’s professional life. He loves to play solo piano but as an insurance policy against isolation he’s always engaged in exciting collaborative projects. Since 2019 Fiachra has been appointed Artistic Director of the inaugural Vauxhall One Concert Series. Fiachra is also a board member of the Dublin International Piano Competition.

Nowadays based between London and Ireland the farm activities require particularly diligent scheduling. Fiachra returns home to help with the yearly lambing, dipping, shearing, harvesting and all the other elegant and refined activities on the farm! Fiachra feels this makes him a more inspired and fulfilled musician. Current pastimes include training for marathons, going to see plays at the Puppet Theatre Barge and engaging in lively debates at the Chelsea Arts Club!