Abhain Trio
Maria McNamee is an Irish harpist from Newry who began playing the harp at the age of 9, embracing both traditional Irish and classical music. She recently graduated with a first-class honour's degree and TCL silver medal from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where she continues to study for her master's degree with Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly.
In 2011, Maria joined Chetham’s School of Music where she spent 6 years studying with Marie Leenhardt, Gabriella Dall’Olio and En Hudson.
Winner of the John Marson prize 2020, Maria was awarded 2nd prize in the London Camac competition 2021. In 2017 Maria became a runner up Irish heritage award winner. Solo engagements have included performances at St James Piccadilly, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, playing for London’s Irish ambassador at the Irish Embassy, for the Duke of Wellington at Aspley house, as well as regular performances at the Queen’s house and the ORNC Chapel in London. Maria is also a very active chamber and orchestral musician, part of several chamber groups and co-principal harp of the Young Musician's Symphony Orchestra.
Maria recently performed as a soloist at Blackheath halls for Sally Beamish’s Seavaigers, written for solo fiddle and lever harp with string ensemble. This concerto was part improvised and inspired by Scottish folk music which tied in well with Maria’s love and interest in folk music.
Maria is delighted to be generously supported by the Ann Driver Scholarship and the Helen Roll Charity/The Joyce Tudge Bursary Scholarship, Help Musicians UK, the Countess of Munster trust, the Craxton memorial trust and the Boise Scholarship.
​
Gregor is a London based percussion and bodhran player and is in his final year studying BMus in percussion at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. After growing up in the classical music scene in Ireland, Gregor moved to study in London with Teachers Michael Doran and Marney O'Sullivan at Trinity Laban. A keen classical musician he has performed with a variety of orchestras in London with notable performances including the opening night of the BBC Proms 2018 and Edinburgh International Festival opening ceremony. Gregor has been playing bodhran for 2 years after discovering traditional Irish music from colleagues in London.
He receives regular lessons from internationally renowned bodhran and percussionist Kieran Leonard and has recently been offered a place on the Master's course to study bodhran on the Traditional Scottish music course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Gregory Scotland is a violinist from Leicestershire currently studying violin performance with John Crawford at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Gregory joined Trinity in 2018 as the Len Smith and Felicity Young Scholar and is in the final year of his undergraduate studies. Though he is a classically trained violinist and performs in Orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world, he is also an enthusiastic folk fiddler, regularly performing traditional Irish folk music in a variety of settings, including as a member of the folk trio 'The Abhainn Trio'.