Cormorant Trio: Parry, Beethoven, Schubert and Berger

Musician Bio's

Núria Vizcaíno

Núria was born in Barcelona, where she learned cello and piano, and studied her cello
bachelors in Conservatori Superior del Liceu, in the same city. In Ireland, she could
experience a different performative approach to music in the MA course in Limerick, linked to
the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Libra Strings project. She has been part of chamber
groups and symphonic orchestras since then, most recently in Vratsa Symphony Orchestra,
in Bulgaria.

Marianne Brandstettner

Born in Austria, Marianne Brandstettner first studied violin pedagogy at Anton Bruckner Private University Linz (Austria) with Josef Sabaini and Meesun Hong Coleman. She graduated with a Master’s degree with distinction in 2019.

Marianne spent 6 months studying at Haute école des arts de Berne HKB (Switzerland) and one year at Musikene (Spain), where she completed two Postgraduate Studies in Violin and Alexander Technique. Afterwards she moved to Ireland and did a second Master’s degree in “Classical String Performance” at University of Limerick under guidance of Katherine Hunka and in cooperation with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, which she graduated with first class honors in 2022. In 2022/23 Marianne held a position of Tutti First Violin at Cairo Symphony Orchestra in Egypt. She returned to her home country just a couple of months ago and is now enjoying a diverse career as a freelance musician and creator.

Marianne has played with orchestras and ensembles all over the world (Philharmonices Mundi, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Niederbayerische Philharmonie, Cairo Classical Ensemble, Junges Tonkünstler Orchester Bayreuth, Opus Lirica) covering a wide range of different styles and formations. She has been teaching violin for more than 10 years. Marianne is founder and artistic director of the music and arts festival “Kunst am Hof” which offers different performances by artists from all over the world in the middle of nature with the aim of finding new, creative ways of musical presentations and communications between the artists and the audience.

Marianne did masterclasses with musicians such as Lily Francis, Frank Stadler, David Gerber, Johannes Meissl, Benjamin Schmid, Thomas Zehetmair, Tim Kliphuis, Nurit Stark, Vera Martinez, Gareth Lubbe, Simone Zgraggen, David Watkin, Maigréad McCrann and Kolja Lessing.

Marianne plays a violin by Thomas van der Heyd, made in 2012, and a bow by Albert Nürnberger from 1920.

Eleanor Chapman

Eleanor Chapman, after growing up in the seaside town of St. Anne’s, Lancashire in the UK, attended the Junior Royal Northern College of Music from the age of 16 and was awarded the Vicci Wardman Viola Prize. At this time she was helping to coach younger string ensembles in her area and followed this with further work in youth music engagement during her time studying viola at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where she studied with Louise Lansdowne and Robin Ireland.

A founding member of the Dunev String Quartet and the Gaia Ensemble, her interest in chamber music has lead to recording debut albums in 2019/20, and a UK quartet tour exploring the music of Beethoven, Grieg and Webern. To further her studies Eleanor came to Limerick in late 2020 to take part in a Masters programme with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. She has since been working as a tutor with their education sector and performing freelance with various Irish ensembles.