VANBRUGH & FRIENDS
Keith Pascoe, violin
Marja Gaynor, violin
Simon Aspell, viola
Ed Creedon, viola
Christopher Marwood, cello

Mozart - String Quintet in E flat major K.614

Mozart always brings charm, elegance and wit, however harsh his circumstances, and nowhere more so than in his gorgeous E flat major string quintet, written in the last year of his short life along with the Magic Flute, the clarinet concerto and the Requiem.

THE MELIORA QUARTET
Cillian Ó Cathasaigh, violin
Seán Hurley, violin
Kseniia Yershova, viola
Alina Obreja, cello

Ravel - String Quartet, movements 1&4

The Meliora Quartet was founded in September 2024 under the guidance of Christopher Marwood at the MTU Cork School of Music. Since its formation, the quartet has performed across Cork and Kerry, including appearances for the National String Quartet Foundation in Kinsale, Kenmare, and Youghal, as well as at the NSQF Gala Concert. In spring 2025 they opened the “Vanbrugh and Friends” Concert Series as part of FUAIM at UCC. Their 2026 season promises an exciting lineup of performances that will bring the quartet to audiences throughout the Munster region. In 2026, the Meliora Quartet will serve as the Fellowship Quartet at the ConCorda Chamber Music Course. They are also delighted to return to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival for the second consecutive year.

The name “Meliora” comes from the Latin word for “improvement,” a concept that lies at the core of the quartet’s artistic identity. Reflecting this ethos, the group is committed to deeply exploring their repertoire and sharing music with insight, curiosity, and collective joy.

Cillian Ó Cathasaigh, a fourth year BMus Student in MTU CSM studies violin with Katherine Hunka. He was a runner-up in the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year Award 2024. Cillian is a multiple prizewinner in Feis Maitiu, Feis Ceoil and MTU CSM competitions. He was a soloist with IYBO at their concert at HandelFest in 2024. He was a member of the NYOI and is a member of Mahler student Festival Orchestra. He has been concertmaster of MTU CSM Symphony Orchestra and Cork Youth Orchestra, leading the latter for their 2023 concert tour of Italy.

Seán Hurley, a versatile violinist from Cobh, County Cork, is in his 2nd year of the BMus degree in MTU CSM, studying with Katherine Hunka. Last winter & summer, he enjoyed national tours as concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. He has also previously played with La Orquesta de las Américas in México, the European Youth Orchestra Academy in Germany and the Ulster Youth Orchestra, playing both violin and viola. Seán has won Feis Ceoil competitions such as The Arthur Catterall Cup and The Senior Chamber music cup. He is also a frequent prize winner at concerto, recital and chamber music competitions in MTU CSM.

Kseniia Yershova is a violin and viola player from Ukraine. She is currently in her third year of BMus degree at the MTU Cork School of Music under the tutelage of Gregory Ellis and Simon Aspell. Kseniia received the Jane Carty Memorial Prize at the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2025 and won the Advanced Recital and Concerto Competitions at MTU CSM. She was one of the young musicians in the Camerata Ireland Academy in both 2024 and 2025, where she won the Flax Trust Bursary playing viola. As a passionate chamber musician, Kseniia performs on both violin and viola in various ensembles. Kseniia is also an active orchestral musician, frequently performing in different orchestras around Ireland, including the RTÉ Concert orchestra, Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, CSM Symphony Orchestra and recently played with Camerata Ireland.

Alina Obreja began her music journey in her hometown Chisinău, Moldova and took up the cello shortly after moving to Ireland with Sonja Cadogan in Portlaoise. Recently, Alina completed her Bachelor of Music degree at MTU Cork School of Music with a first class honours, specialising in cello performance under the tutelage of Christopher Marwood. Lately, she has performed with the Cork Opera House concert orchestra and lead the cello section of the MTU CSM Symphony Orchestra for two years. Alina has been numerously commended for her performances in the Advanced Recital Competitions in the MTU CSM and won the first prize in the Vanbrugh Chamber Music Competition with the Gealach Quartet in 2024. Alina has participated in the Ortús Festival in Cork, as part of the prizewinner’s concert. She enjoys performing within chamber groups, as part of the National String Quartet Foundation concert series and other such events.

VANBRUGH & FRIENDS
Keith Pascoe, violin
Marja Gaynor, violin
Simon Aspell, viola
Ed Creedon, viola
Christopher Marwood, cello

The Vanbrugh has evolved from the work of the Vanbrugh Quartet which was based in Cork as RTE’s Resident Quartet from 1986 to 2013 and as Artists-in-Residence at University College, Cork from 1990 until the retirement of violinist Gregory Ellis in 2017. Over three decades the quartet gave close to three thousand concerts, presenting the chamber music repertoire to audiences throughout Ireland, Europe, the Americas, and the Far East. Commercial recordings include more than thirty CDs of repertoire ranging from the complete Beethoven quartets to many contemporary Irish works. In 2016 the group was presented with the National Concert Hall’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their contribution to music in Ireland.

Keith Pascoe, Simon Aspell, and Christopher Marwood continue to perform together as the nucleus of the Vanbrugh and are joined by guest artists for performances of a wide range of chamber music repertoire.

Keith Pascoe, violin

Keith Pascoe was invited to join the Vanbrugh Quartet in 1998 whilst still a London-based musician. He studied violin, piano, chamber music, and conducting at the Royal College of Music under Jaroslav Vanecek, Eileen Reynolds, Aeolian and Amadeus Quartets, and Norman Del Mar. In 1985 he founded the Britten Quartet who became EMI exclusive artists having previously made numerous recordings with other labels, touring the world for ten years. After the Britten Quartet disbanded, it wasn’t long before he heard Ireland’s call…

In Cork he hit the ground running with a hectic national and international schedule, touring for nearly twenty years with the Vanbrugh Quartet. In quieter times he was inspired to take further studies including research into the music of Luigi Boccherini. Several of his critical editions have been published, and he is lecturer in chamber music and violin at TU Dublin.

His solo violin work includes performing cycles of the complete Mozart and Beethoven Sonatas on a tour of Ireland supported by the Arts Council. And as director-violinist of Evlana, an Irish contemporary music group, he continues to work with living Irish composers. As conductor of the Cork Fleischmann Symphony Orchestra for many years, he has conducted and played concertos on numerous occasions.

The renaissance of the Vanbrugh has brought him further inspiration and refocus, opening new possibilities in repertoire, collaborations and artistic challenges.

Marja Gaynor, violin

Originally from Finland, Marja Gaynor is a Cork-based violinist and viola player. She specialises in Baroque music and is a member of Irish Baroque Orchestra and Camerata Kilkenny, recording and touring with both groups regularly. She has also performed with Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Marsyas, Dunedin Consort, London Handel Players and Helsinki Baroque Orchestra. Marja is known as a versatile musician at home in many different styles, a fluent improviser, as well as arranger and curator. Upcoming projects include chamber music tours with Solas Quartet and The Vanbrugh and performing and arranging as a trio with uilleann piper David Power and flamenco guitarist John Walsh. She teaches violin and chamber music in MTU Cork School of Music.

Simon Aspell, viola

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London, Simon Aspell is one of Ireland’s leading viola players. Aside of his work with Vanbrugh Quartet, Simon has also had a successful career as an orchestral principal, guesting with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, as well as appearing as soloist and recitalist throughout Ireland and the UK. A frequent guest with numerous ensembles, Simon has also joined his colleagues at the RIAM’s chamber group ACE (Academy Chamber Ensemble), performing regularly throughout Ireland. Simon teaches viola and chamber music at MTU Cork School of Music and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, in Dublin.

Ed Creedon, viola

One of Ireland’s foremost chamber musicians, violist Ed Creedon enjoys a dynamic career performing with leading ensembles and musicians. Born in Cork City, Ed studied with Constantin Zanidache (Academica String Quartet) and Simon Aspell (Vanbrugh Quartet). He has performed extensively across Ireland and internationally, with appearances at the National Concert Hall Chamber Music Gathering and tours to Finland, France, Spain, India, and the United States with Camerata Ireland, including solo performances alongside Barry Douglas.

His chamber music collaborations include regular tours with Vanbrugh & Friends as well as performances with the Ficino Ensemble, Musici Ireland, and Evlana Ensemble and appearances at New Music Dublin, Ortús Festival, Dublin International Chamber Music Festival, Clandeboye Festival, Music in Monkstown, Killaloe Festival of Chamber Music, and Waterford Chamber Music Festival.

Ed is the violist of the Lir String Quartet, which was formed at the Clandeboye Festival in 2016. The quartet presents multiple national tours each year, frequently performing to sold-out audiences at the National Concert Hall and championing contemporary music through numerous Irish premieres.

Christopher Marwood, cello

Christopher Marwood graduated from Cambridge University in 1983 and went on to study at London’s Royal Academy of Music and Conservatorium Maastricht. Cello teachers included Florence Hooton, David Strange, Ralph Kirshbaum, William Pleeth and Radu Aldulescu. His chamber music mentor for several years was Emmanuel Hurwitz.

As cellist of the Vanbrugh Quartet for 32 years, Christopher Marwood enjoyed a busy career performing throughout Ireland and touring worldwide. He co-founded the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in 1996 and remains director of the Festival’s masterclass programme. He is director of the National String Quartet Foundation, planning and raising funds for more than fifty concerts annually. He teaches at MTU Cork School of Music and continues to perform both as soloist and as chamber musician. His recent CD of works by Boris Tchaikovsky was nominated for the 2019 International Classical Music Awards.