Tutors

Bernie Sherlock is a leading choral conductor.  She is the founder-conductor of the international award-winning chamber choir New Dublin Voices, Artistic Director of the Irish Youth Choir, and second conductor of EuroChoir 2021. Bernie has won international conducting prizes in Finland, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Slovenia and Ireland. Her ongoing work as an international adjudicator and director of choral workshops has taken her around Europe and to the US, Canada and China. She is a founding member of the International Choral Conductors Federation based in Rome, and the representative for Ireland on the World Choir Council.

New Dublin Voices is acclaimed for its innovative concert programming and has a strong record at Europe’s leading competitions, recently winning first prize at the International Competition of the 2019 Derry International Choir Festival, first prize in the mixed choir competition at the 2018 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Hungary, and the Grand Prix at the 2017 International Baltic Sea Choir Competition in Latvia. Among many other prizes, New Dublin Voices has previously come first at the Cork International Choral Festival (2015), Concoroso Polifonico in Arezzo (Grand Prix 2013), International Choir Contest of Maasmechelen, Belgium (all 6 prizes 2011) and Budapest International Choir Competition (Grand Prix 2009). In 2017 New Dublin Voices was the first Irish choir invited to perform at the triennial World Symposium on Choral Music.

Bernie has extensive experience directing a wide range of choirs, including the Culwick Choral Society and the Choral Society of Trinity College Dublin. She is a Lecturer in Music at the TU Dublin Conservatoire where she is conductor of the TU Chamber Choir and Youth Choir.For twelve years she directed and taught on the annual Sing Ireland International Choral Conducting Summer School at the University of Limerick.

Bernie studied choral conducting with Ildiko Herboly-Kocsar and Peter Erdei at the Liszt Academy in Hungary, and orchestral conducting with Gerhard Markson in Dublin. Following her BA in music from Trinity College Dublin she earned Masters and Doctorate degrees in conducting from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music/DCU respectively.

Seán Doherty is an award-winning composer from Ireland whose captivating compositions are fast becoming a favourite of choirs worldwide. His music has a deep connection to the text, often with strong moral and social themes. Seán’s work has been described as ‘unfailingly gripping’ (Irish Times) and music of ‘power, subtlety and richness’ (Josep Vila i Casañas: World Youth Choir).

He was first introduced to music through the Irish fiddle tradition of his hometown of Derry. As a teenager, singing in a performance of Duruflé’s Requiem inspired him to begin composing. He went on to read music at St John’s College, Cambridge, after which he completed a PhD in musicology at Trinity College, Dublin. Seán compositions draw inspiration from a wide variety of musical influences, from arcane medieval techniques to electronic dance music.

Seán’s choral works have been performed by choirs including the Stellenbosch University Choir, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, Ex Cathedra, the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge; New Dublin Voices and the World Youth Choir. His music has also garnered numerous awards including the Choir and Organ Magazine composition competition and Béla Bartok Competition, Hungary.

Seán’s chamber and orchestral works have been performed by the Vanbrugh String Quartet, Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland, and the Kensington Symphony Orchestra.

Seán is an assistant professor of music in Dublin City University, where he leads a Masters in Choral Studies with his colleague Dr Róisín Blunnie. He is active as a choral singer, singing with the internationally acclaimed chamber choir New Dublin Voices, conducted by Dr Bernie Sherlock, who have premiered many of his works. His choral works are published by Cailíno Music Publishers.