Alec O'Leary
"Alec O'Leary's guitar playing is never less than superb" - Classical Guitar Magazine, USA.
"Easily one of Ireland's most talented and accomplished classical guitarists" - Hotpress.
Alec O’Leary was born with a guitar in his hands into a family of musicians and artists. Naturally his love for music grew with him from an early age. He was guided by his father and grand-father who played guitar in the style of Segovia and Bream. Subsequently he went on to study guitar at the Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama with Irish guitarist John Feeley. During this period Alec regularly travelled abroad for masterclasses with some of the world’s most distinguished musicians including Manuel Barreuco, Scott Tennant, Sergio Assad, Roberto Aussel and Roland Dyens. Alec has also studied in Naples with Maestro Aniello Desiderio aided by the Arts Council of Ireland.
Today Alec is one of the most talented, charismatic and creative guitarists of his age performing to international critical acclaim, winning praise for his impressive technique, outstanding musicianship, unique educational vision and inspired concert programming.
As an active performer, arranger, educator and a committed concert promoter, Alec is co-founder and director of one of Europe’s most prestigious guitar festivals, the Guitar Festival of Ireland. Along with a busy performing schedule, festival commitments, and teaching posts Alec is equally dedicated to making bespoke high-end guitars with his father, world-renowned luthier Michael J. O’Leary.
Alec has also commissioned many new works for guitar from some of the instrument’s most celebrated composers such as Leo Brouwer, Andrew York, Roland Dyens and Sergio Assad. He has been responsible for several major music projects including ‘Guitar Traditions’ seminar series in the Royal Irish Academy of Music with John Williams, Paco Pena & Pavel Steidl and the Sony recording ‘Places Between’ with John Williams and John Etheridge.
He shares the joy of his musical talent through his students at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin where he was appointed Guitar Lecture in 2018. Since then he has been responsible for the development of the RIAM Junior guitar ensemble, a new progressive group guitar teaching method and online teaching modules. His teaching style is lively and positive in nature, always encouraging creativity and critical thinking while empowering the student with the musical and technical abilities they need to achieve their goals.
In reviewing Alec’s first studio recording ‘Milonga’ the Classical Guitar Magazine (USA) stated: “Throughout, O’Leary does full justice to the music and gives some very exciting and clever performances, the ultimate track – the excellent Dyens arrangement of the classic Felicidade – being the icing on the cake and making for a truly exhilarating conclusion to a very enjoyable programme”.
Alec’s second release ‘From the Olive Tree’ with renowned soprano Deirdre Moynihan showcased many new arrangements for voice and guitar such as Garcia Lorca’s Canciones Españolas Antiguas, Roy Orbison’s Llorando and Nino Rota’s Brucia la Terra (from the Godfather III). This recording received glowing reviews in the media with The Classical Guitar Magazine (London) subsequently describing the duo as “An authentic and musically profound ensemble”.
In 2020, Alec performed and recorded the world premiere of Leo Brouwer’s work ‘Irish Landscape with Rain’ for 4 guitars (commissioned by LCMS). It is Brouwer’s first Irish commission and this is the world premiere recording of the work. All four guitars were played by Alec O’Leary. Brouwer subsequently wrote a new solo work dedicated to Alec called ‘Dorian, it is too Late (in memoriam Oscar Wilde)’. Released in late 2021, this is a work of intense beauty and marked lyricism. Alec has just released the world premiere recording of a work called ‘Another Dream’ by Grammy winning composer Andrew York dedicated to Alec O’Leary.
Alec has performed numerous times on national television and radio and in concert with the RTÉ Contempo Quartet, Aspiro Choir, RTÉ Cór na nÓg, members of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Wilde Guitar Quartet and more regularly with soprano Deirdre Moynihan. A recent performance highlight was a live broadcast on RTE Lyric FM of Tedesco’s Concerto in D with RTE Concert Orchestra.
Alec enjoys creating new things, going to concerts, playing table tennis and watching his children grow up.