Niall O’Riordan was awarded his MA and BMus from Cork School of Music, Ireland. During his early years and BMus Degree, he studied flute with southern Ireland's most important teacher Evelyn Grant. During this time he received consecutive scholarships to the Cork School of Music. Niall studied with Eilis O'Sullivan during his MA in flute performance. Further coaching with French flautist and pianist, Sabine Ducrot, during his MA was very fruitful and developed into a professional relationship. He now travels regularly to Sweden and studies with Anders Ljungar-Chapelon. Since 2004 has completed three special part-time courses covering flute ergonomics and pedagogic and holds the qualifications from Lund University, Sweden. As well as instruction on flute, his studies there include research in the French school of flute playing, in particular the influence of Alain Marion and his pedagogic approach. He has taken part in master classes and attended flute courses with nearly all of the influential British players.
Niall is an experienced and passionate teacher and has tutored chamber music and flute at University College Cork, taught flute at Cork School of Music and privately for many years. Niall will be a visiting teacher at Lund University Sweden in 2009. He is also been regular assistant at the Oxford International Flute Summer School since 2006.
He has been working as a flute specialist at all flutes plus for four years during which time he has developed a wealth of knowledge about the instrument. He works closely with the world’s leading flute manufactures.
Niall practices yoga and meditation. He is researching how flautists can use yoga techniques while playing the instrument to enrich their practice and performance. He leads insightful and inspiring applied yoga for flautist’s workshops across Europe and the UK. He has given workshops at the British Flute Society International Convention 2008 and has been invited back for 2010. His holistic approach draws inspiration from a variety yoga practices and philosophy as well as Feldenkrais method, voice work and visualisation.
