Sarah McMahon – Cello

Sarah McMahon began her cello studies with Nora Gilleece at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin in 1987. In 1995 she moved to London where she studied at the Royal Academy of Music with David Strange, Jenny Ward-Clarke and Colin Carr graduating with a first class B Mus Performance Degree and a Dip RAM.

Sarah is now much in demand as soloist and chamber musician throughout Ireland and the U.K. She is a member of the Callino String Quartet with whom she has a busy performing schedule. They have toured widely throughout Europe collaborating with many diverse artists such as Edgar Meyer and John Abercrombie. The Quartet has worked closely with several composers on their works for string quartet and earlier this year they released a CD of music by Ian Wilson for the Riverrun label.

In addition to her commitments with the Quartet, Sarah takes a keen interest in historical performance and regularly works as principal cellist with the Gabrieli Consort and the Academy of Ancient Music. She has performed concertos at St. John’s Smith Square, the Casa da Musica in Porto and the National Concert Hall in Dublin and recently appeared as concerto soloist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Sarah also performs regularly in Canada with the Theatre of Early Music under the direction of Daniel Taylor. She is principal cellist of the Irish Baroque Orchestra and recently she was featured as soloist in a critically acclaimed disc for Hyperion of the Vivaldi Double Cello Concerto.