Golden Globe nominated composer Brian Byrne moved to Los Angeles from Ireland in July 2003 to expand his career as a film and television composer. Since then, Brian has consistently worked as a composer, conductor, songwriter, arranger and pianist – in the US and in Europe. Brian recently won two World Soundtrack Awards and a Satellite Award for his music to the song and score for the movie Albert Nobbs and has just been nominated for his third World Soundtrack Award 2016.

From huge orchestral scores to minimal ensemble compositions, Brian has written music for films in many genres. He won his first Irish Film and Television Award for his original score for the Irish Sci-Fi comedy Zonad, directed by John Carney. He then scored an indie drama called The Good Doctor, starring Orlando Bloom and went on to compose the score to the Oscar nominated movie Albert Nobbs starring Glenn Close. Brian just completed the score to Jim Sheridan's new movie The Secret Scripture, starring Rooney Mara and wrote and produced the end title song for Kelly Clarkson.

As well as an in demand Film composer, Brian is a much sought after arranger. He recently worked on Sarah McLachlan's new album.
In 2014 Brian  completed composing the music to Heartbeat of Home a new show from the producers of Riverdance. featuring Paddy Moloney, Carlos Nunez, The RTE Concert Orchestra, Jessica Sanchez and guests. It toured North America and China.

In Spring of 2014 Brian composed the score to The Price of Desire a biopic about Eileen Gray the famous Irish designer and also Jenny's Wedding starring Tom Wilkinson and Katherine Heigl. Brian has just completed the score to Boychoir starring Dustin Hoffman and features a song co-written with Josh Groban.

Brian has collaborated with such international luminaries as Katy Perry, Bono, Barbra Streisand, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Josh Groban, Kurt Elling, Lisa Stansfield, Van Morrison, Alanis Morissette,The Corrs, Sinead O’Connor, Alan Bergman, Ronan Tynan, Luis Miguel, Vince Gill, Gladys Knight, to name a few. He arranged a song for the movie Sex and the City 2 and played piano on Liza Minnelli’s cover of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it).”

Brian’s American conducting debut came in 2004 at Carnegie Hall. He was commissioned to write all the arrangements and conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the release of Ronan Tynan’s first solo album for Decca. Brian also released a Classical album called Tales From the Walled City on the Decca label and is working on a large scale project based on poems by James Joyce.

Brian was educated at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He graduated in 1997 with first-class honors in music and was awarded The Peter Knox Memorial Award for overall performance. Later that year he received the Outstanding Musicianship Award from Berklee College’s touring faculty in Scotland as well as winning the PRS Sir Arthur Bliss Prize Scholarship for composition that enabled him to study film composition at London’s Royal College of Music. In 2008, Brian added ASCAP’s Film and Television Scoring Workshop’s Steve Kaplan Scholarship to his already long list of accomplishments and awards. 

Malcolm Edmonstone (UK)

“truly an astonishing musician” The Daily Telegraph
“combines a sensuous touch with Bach-like precision” The Guardian

Malcolm Edmonstone is amongst the most in demand of modern musicians, having forged parallel careers as pianist, arranger and educator, working across the broad spectrum of jazz and contemporary music. A prominent educator, he is Head of Jazz at the Guildhall School and Director of Jazz for NYOS (The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland). As an arranger he has written large-scale projects for jazz artists Liane Carroll, Iain Ballamy, Mike Walker, Claire Martin, Ian Shaw and Jacqui Dankworth. In the commercial music arena Malcolm wrote and played for BBC1’s hit show Strictly Come Dancing for MD Laurie Holloway; his discography as a session musician is extensive and live TV broadcasts include accompanying Liza Minnelli. In 2016 he gave his BBC Proms debut, directing the NYOS Jazz Orchestra and Choir in his arrangements for Liane Carroll and Iain Ballamy. Malcolm writes for production music library Audio Network and lives in Bath with his wife Laura and three children.

Scott Flanigan

Hailing from Belfast in Northern Ireland, Scott Flanigan is one of the foremost keyboard players on the Irish jazz scene. He performs regularly across the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany, and has recently performed with Van Morrison, the Ulster Orchestra, Larry Coryell, Jean Toussaint, Jim Mullen and Linley Hamilton. As a leader, Scott successfully tours his own contemporary piano trio, as well as a hard-swinging organ quartet. 

Equally at home in academia as well as the bandstand, Scott received his BMus degree from Ulster University and his MMus in Jazz Performance from Dublin Institute of Technology. Scott is currently working on a Ph.D in Jazz Performance at Ulster University, where he is researching, analysing, and synthesising contemporary trends in jazz piano.

Scott is also in demand as a teacher of jazz harmony, improvisation and concert preparation, having delivered successful workshops across the United Kingdom and Ireland, and maintains a busy teaching schedule at home in Belfast.

Reviews for Point Of Departure (2015):

"a mix of intelligent original compositions and deftly re-arranged standards" - irishtimes.com

"an elegant, assured calling card that showcased both his technical command and sensitivity" - allaboutjazz.com

"a very mature and compelling start" - marlbank.net

Kieran Quinn (IE)

Born in Australia but raised in Sligo, Kieran Quinn has been working as a musician ever since he realised that his hands were more suited to playing piano than trying to catch footballs on the GAA pitches of Ireland.
After periods of study with selected pianists in Dublin, New Orleans, and on his own, Kieran began work as a professional musician in 2005.
Since then, he has worked with many leading musicians, nationally and internationally, and has entertained audiences in Dubai, the USA, Canada and across Europe.
In 2013 Kieran performed, as a member of Dublin Gospel Choir, on legendary composer Ennio Morricone’s Dublin concerts, and played the part of a 1930’s jazz musician in Ken Loach’s 2014 feature film, Jimmy’s Hall. Most recently, Kieran has collaborated with Jane Milligan (Spike’s daughter) on bringing some of her father’s unpublished songs to life.
As a musical director, he has been in charge of Sligo’s sell-out Christmas pantomime since 2008, as well as productions of West Side Story, Grease, and Hairspray, and various gala concerts. He is the founder, musical director and host of Kieran Quinn’s Themed Nights and Teenage Themed Nights, which are one of the North West’s hottest tickets. These nights provide singers both professional and amateur the opportunity to perform with a 12-piece professional band in front of packed theatres.
Kieran is also an accomplished composer and performer, and released his first album, Not Just Black and White, in 2013. His second album – The Next One – was released in 2015 and was accompanied by a unique 32-date national tour, bringing the music from it to a piano in each county.
Kieran plans to build on the success of that tour in 2016 – live dates can be viewed here. Kieran also operates a successful private teaching practice in Strandhill, Co. Sligo – providing innovative courses and self-styled lessons for budding musicians of all ages. He considers himself very lucky to have managed to forge a career for himself in music.