Kitty Dalligan

Kitty Dalligan started playing music at an early age, studying violin and viola with renowned violinist Jaroslav Vanecek at Dublin’s Municipal School of Music, later known as the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. She was a regular prizewinner at Feis Ceoil and Feis Maitiú on both violin and viola. Kitty played with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra before joining the teaching staff of the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. She went on to teach violin and viola as well as conducting the Preliminary, Primary and Junior Orchestras for many years.

In 2002 Kitty founded the Young Orchestral Pops (YOPs) Orchestra. In 2011, working closely with Dublin City Council, Kitty established the Whitefriar Strings Project, an outreach strings programme that provides access to free professional string tuition for local Whitefriar Street children at St Enda’s primary school.

Kitty is a member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). In 2012 she was honored to accept an invitation by the president of ASTA to present a talk about her work with the Whitefriar Strings Project at the ASTA National Conference.

Kitty’s awards include The Agnes O’Kane Award from IAYO, the Superquinn Community Award, and the Unsung Hero Award from Dublin City Council for her work and dedication with youth orchestras and music students.