Anna Jansson

Violinist Anna Jansson is currently studying at the Kunst-Universität Graz under the guidance of Maighréad McCrann. She studied previously at the Cork School of Music with Katherine Hunka, as well as being a piano student of Mary Beattie.

A multiple prizewinner at festivals across Ireland, Anna performs regularly both as a soloist and alongside various ensembles throughout Europe. She is the current leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra, and has toured with orchestras including the Junges Philharmonisches Orchester München, the Mahler Student Festival Orchestra, and the Wiener Jeunesse Orchester. She has taken part in Irish festivals such as the West Cork Chamber Music Festival and the Killaloe Music Festival, and in August of 2026 she will be partaking at the Young Euro Classic festival in Berlin with the Ulster Youth Orchestra.

She is currently playing a c.1780 Joseph Gagliano violin which has been loaned to her as the leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Kate O’Shea

Kate is currently undertaking a master’s degree at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague as a student of Lisa Jacobs, having previously studied in Cork with Katherine Hunka.

An avid chamber musician, she has performed extensively at festivals across Ireland and Europe, including the West Cork Chamber Music Festival and Festival Zeeland Klassiek.

Kate joined the EUYO Summer Tour in 2025, and has performed with orchestras including the Residentie Orkest, L’Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Irish National Opera Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouworkest Young.

Recipient of Cork Orchestral Society Emerging Artist Award, she was a first prize-winner at the CSM Advanced Recital Competition, Vanbrugh Chamber Music Competition, Feis Ceoil’s Elsner Cup and the John Vallery Bursary at the Irish Freemasons Young Musician Competition. Kate recently appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, performing Mendelssohn’s violin concerto in a masterclass with Maxim Vengerov.

Schubert is one of her favourite composers and she is very excited to play this epic piece with friends!

Charlie Duff

Charlie Duff began violin at the age of 4 with Mick Hickey and later Mary Bollard, before transitioning to viola with Simon Aspell, with whom he studies at the MTU Cork School of Music.

Charlie has held multiple principal positions in orchestras at home and abroad, such as the Cork Youth Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, the Ulster Youth Orchestra and the European Youth Orchestra Academy. Charlie has also enjoyed playing in the viola sections of the Mahler Student Festival Orchestra, CSM Symphony Orchestra, Cork Concert Orchestra, Cork Haydn Orchestra, among others.

Charlie has received solo masterclasses from renowned violists, including Alexandros Koustas and Piérre Antoine Codron. Charlie is an avid chamber musician, and is currently the violist of The Olympia Quartet, with them he has performed at the Ortús and West Cork Chamber music Festivals, and the Sounds From a Safe Harbour Festival, Collaborating with musicians including composer Atli Örvarsson. He also plays with the Láíocht piano quintet, who recently won first place in the Vanbrugh Chamber Music Competition. He has had chamber music masterclasses from members of the Vanbrugh, Doric, Tchalik and Marmen Quartets, Barry Douglas, and Alina Ibragimova, to name a few.

Charlie has recently been accepted into the Royal Conservatoire The Hague in the class of Ásdís Valdimarsdottir and is looking forward to beginning his bachelors there next year.

Adam Joyce

Adam Joyce began learning the Cello in 2013 with Jane Hughes, and in 2019 began studying with Christopher Marwood at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and later at the MTU Cork School of Music.

Adam was awarded the National Concert Hall Young Musician of the year award in 2023. In 2025, Adam was awarded first prize and a bursary of €5,000 at the Top Security Frank Maher Classical Music Awards. He has won first prize in numerous competitions at the Feis Ceoil.

He has performed as principal Cellist in the European Youth Orchestra Academy, the RIAM Symphony Orchestra, and the Ulster Youth Orchestra. He has also performed with orchestras including the 2023 edition of the Royal Concertgebouworkest Young Orchestra, Junges Philharmonisches Orchester München, and Mahler Student Festival Orchestra.

In 2024, 2025, and 2026 he performed at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival as Cellist of the Allegria and Olympia Quartets, whom he has also performed with at the National String Quartet Foundations Annual Gala Concert at UCC in June 2025 and 2026.

Zosia Switaj

Zosia Switaj is in 6th year of secondary school and has completed Grade 8 on the double bass. She is taught in Cork School of Music by David Whitla. Zosia is currently the principal double bass of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the Ulster Youth Orchestra. She also plays in the CSM Symphony Orchestra and the Cork Youth Orchestra. In 2024, she was a member of the European Youth Orchestra Academy in Mannheim.

Zosia has won prizes in Feis Ceoil on double bass and was commended in the 2025 CSM Senior Recital Competition. Apart from double bass, she also plays tuba and piano in CSM. As a double bassist there's not many opportunities to play chamber music so she's really looking forward to playing the Schubert Octet.

Jekabs Brants

Jekabs began playing the clarinet at eight at Naas Music School, and in 2017 began studying with John Finucane at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. While at RIAM, he was awarded a place on the Young Scholars/Artists Programme, performing at a variety of venues and participating in masterclasses including the National Concert Hall Spring Masterclass Series with Paul Roe, as well as lessons with Olivier Vivares in Switzerland. In 2025, he received the Eversheds Sutherland RIAM Accelerator Academy Bursary.

Jekabs has performed as a member and principal clarinet with several orchestras, including the CSM Symphony Orchestra, RIAM Symphony Orchestra, and the Irish National Youth Orchestra. He is currently principal clarinet of the Ulster Youth Orchestra. As a soloist, he recently performed the second movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with Cork School of Music’s Ensemble 26. In 2026, he is excited to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (KMH).

Carl Roewer

Carl started playing the bassoon at the age of 12. He is currently studying his Bachelor Degree in Freiburg with Prof. Henrik Rabien.

Carl has been principal bassoon with numerous orchestras including the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Ulster Youth Orchestra, Camerata de’Bardi van Nederland and the Järvi Academy Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is an active freelancer across Germany, the UK and Ireland as an orchestral player, chamber musician and soloist. His concerto debut took place in the presence of Michael D Higgins with the NYOI, and he has since performed as soloist with the St. Giles Orchestra and the 1885 Orchestra of London.

Carl was a finalist at the Trench Award in 2026, where he was the recipient of the Lumcloon Energy Bursary. He has won numerous awards at Féile Luimní, Feis Maitiú and MTU CSM. Carl was the Rising Star Artist at the Killaloe Music Festival in 2024, and the Young Artist as part of the Malvern Concert Club Season in 2025.

In 2026, Carl founded the Aurelian Ensemble out of a desire to perform Schubert’s Octet with friends. He is very excited to present this inaugural tour and concerts.

Róisín Martin

Róisín Martin began studying the French horn at the Cork School of Music with Seán Clinch, and is currently a student of Joseph Ryan. She has served as principal horn with the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, the Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the Ulster Youth Orchestra. In 2024, she was also a member of the European Youth Orchestra Academy.

Róisín has won multiple awards for solo playing and chamber music in Feis Ceoil, Feis Maitiú and Cork School of Music, including as a member of the Gaofar Wind Quintet. She was also offered the Vice-Chancellor’s Music Scholarship at Durham University. Alongside French horn, Róisín is also a keen violinist, so she is particularly excited to perform Schubert’s Octet, as it brings together string and wind players in a chamber music setting.