SOLAS QUARTET
Katherine Hunka, violin
Marja Gaynor, violin
Cian Ó Dúill, viola
Aoife Nic Athlaoich, cello

The Solas Quartet was formed  in  2020 when covid restrictions didn’t allow a visiting quartet to fly to Ireland and the group stepped in. They quickly realised that they shared common ideals and have been going strong ever since.  All are busy chamber musicians and educators, and all hold positions at the MTU Cork School of Music. Their imaginative programmes celebrate music from the 14th century to the present day, including arrangements and compositions by the quartet themselves.

Katherine Hunka, violin

Violinist Katherine Hunka enjoys a diverse and colourful career as a violinist, chamber musician, composer and mentor. For twenty-six years Katherine led and directed the Irish Chamber Orchestra. She directed tours worldwide and in 2020 released a solo album with the ICO of Piazzolla and Schubert that received glowing reviews.

Katherine is busy as soloist and chamber musician throughout Ireland and the UK. She champions new music and just returned from a Scandinavian tour with the Manchester Collective. Her group the Far Flung Trio presents wildly eclectic programmes that delight audiences. Their new album “Umbrellas” was released in August on the Orchid Classics label.

Katherine is currently dedicating much time to composing. In 2025 she received a bursary from the Irish Arts Council to allow her time to explore composition further. She has written for festivals and for friends and her work is gaining recognition. This June the ICO will perform her composition “Beyond” on their June tour.

Mentoring young musicians is an important part of Katherine’s musical life. She has been a guest at Indiana University, is currently lecturer at MTU Cork School of Music and is Artistic Director of ConCorda chamber music course. This June she will direct the National Youth Chamber Orchestra.

Marja Gaynor, violin

Originally from Finland, Marja Gaynor is a Cork-based violinist and viola player. She specialises in Baroque music and is a member of Irish Baroque Orchestra and Camerata Kilkenny, recording and touring with both groups regularly. She has also performed with Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Marsyas, Dunedin Consort, London Handel Players and Helsinki Baroque Orchestra. Marja is known as a versatile musician at home in many different styles, a fluent improviser, as well as arranger and curator. Upcoming projects include chamber music tours with Solas Quartet and The Vanbrugh and performing and arranging as a trio with uilleann piper David Power and flamenco guitarist John Walsh. She teaches violin and chamber music in MTU Cork School of Music.

Cian Ó Dúill, viola

Cork born viola player Cian Ó Dúill has performed with the Vanbrugh, Carducci and Calino String Quartets, the Fidelio Trio, the Avalon Ensemble, Chroma and the Crash Ensemble. He has played in chamber music recitals with Anthony Marwood, Finghin Collins, Jorg Widmann, Hugh Tinney, Natalie Clein, Howard Shelley, Kirill Troussov, and Patricia Rozario as well as appearing at West Cork, Killaloe, Ortús, Sligo Spring, Kilkenny Arts, Cheltenham, Warwick Arts, Chichester, Aldeburgh, Wye Valley and Kings Lynn Chamber Music Festivals.

Cian was a founder member of both the Regent String Quartet and the Rothko String Trio, and played regularly with the Chamber Players as well as the London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble. Concerto appearances include performances of works by Bach, Telemann, Mozart, Bruch and Hindemith in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Greece.

Cian was a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra for 22 years, was co-principal viola of the London Mozart Players and has worked regularly with the London Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Britten Sinfonia. Cian is Head of Orchestral Studies at MTU Cork School of Music.

Aoife Nic Athlaoich, cello

Dublin born Aoife Nic Athlaoich enjoys a versatile career performing on both modern and baroque cello. As well as her position as principal cello with the ICO, Aoife is sub principal cellist with the Irish Baroque Orchestra and a co-founder of the Solas String Quartet. Aoife has performed at Ireland's leading chamber music festivals and is the former artistic director of the East Cork Early Music Festival.

Aoife studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin before continuing her 3rd level education at the Royal Academy of Music in London and winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music for her post graduate studies. Aoife lives in Cork City where she is a lecturer of cello at the MTU Cork School of Music. Aoife also teaches at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin and on the MA in Classical String Performance at the University of Limerick.