Deirbhile Brennan, 46
Accountant
Dublin, Ireland
Ireland

At age 5, Deirbhile Brennan began her piano studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and later studied with Frank Heneghan at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama for 10 years, winning many prizes and awards. Ms. Brennan holds a degree in music from Trinity College Dublin after which she took a lengthy break that included forging a career as an accountant; she currently works as senior operations manager at the National Treasury Management Agency. Ms. Brennan returned to the piano in 2009, studying with Dr. Hugh Tinney. She has won a number of awards at piano competitions including in the United Kingdom (finalist 2012), Ile De France, Paris (first prize 2012), and Chicago (first prize 2014). She performs regularly, but notably in 2014, she performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall (presented by New York Concerti Sinfonietta), and last year she performed at the Les Amateurs Piano Festival in Morocco. The mother of four children ages 8 to 16, she enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as attending concerts and plays.

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round
SOLER   Sonata in D Major, R. 84
LISZT   “Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este” from Années de Pèlerinage

Quarterfinal Round
RAMEAU   “Gavotte et six doubles” from Suite in A Minor
JANÁČEK   Piano Sonata 1.X.1905, “From the Street”

Semifinal Round
MOZART   Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman,” K. 265 (300e)
SCHUBERT   Impromptu in A-flat Major, op. 142, no. 2
CHOPIN   Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52

Final Round
SCHUMANN   Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 54: I. Allegro affetuoso