Niall Crowley & Oonagh Drohan

Conductor / Leader

Oonagh Drohan is a conductor, accompanist, piano teacher and musicianship tutor at South East Technological University (SETU), Ireland. She is an integral part of the SETU Music School in Waterford, where she serves as a Programme Leader of the SETU Choral Programme. This dynamic programme encompasses seven choirs and involves over 200 singers from Waterford and the surrounding region. Within the SETU Choral Programme, Oonagh is the musical director of both the SETU Singing Club and the SETU Junior Youth Choir. She is also the accompanist for the SETU Girls’ Choir. Oonagh holds both a BA in Music and an MA in Music from Waterford Institute of Technology, where she specialised in performance and studied piano under the renowned Malcolm Proud. Her commitment to ongoing professional development is evident through her participation in numerous masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Finghin Collins, Márta Erdei, Thérèse Fahy, Míċeál O’Rourke, Duncan Honeybourne, and Andrew Wilson-Dickson. A sought-after accompanist, Oonagh regularly works with soloists and choirs for performances, competitions, and exams. She is a former member of the Irish Youth Choir and has sung with several prominent Waterford-based ensembles such as Ad Hoc Chorale and Voci. She continues to perform as a member of Trinity Capella, maintaining a strong connection to the choral world both as a performer and educator. Niall Crowley is a conductor, singing teacher, and musicianship tutor at South East Technological University (SETU), Ireland. Based in the university’s Music School in Waterford, he was a key figure in developing the award-winning SETU Choral Programme—an ensemble of seven choirs comprising over 200 singers. Beyond SETU, Niall has conducted the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, the Irish Youth Choir, Waterford Baroque Consort and Waterford Male Voice Choir amongst others. His choirs have been featured on national radio and television and have won prizes at major Irish and European music festivals. Passionate about the transformative power of choral singing, he has played a pivotal role in establishing over ten choirs in his hometown of Waterford. With 25 years of teaching experience, Niall has coached countless youth and adult singers, nurturing many emerging music professionals, singers, and conductors. In demand as a tutor, he has worked with the Irish Youth Choir, Ulster Youth Choir, Cornell University Glee Club, and the Irish Boys’ Choir, as well as tutoring on the Sing Ireland’s International Choral Conducting Summer School. Niall holds a BA in Music from Waterford Institute of Technology and postgraduate degrees from the University of Limerick and the CIT Cork School of Music, earning an MA in Musicology and an MA in Conducting. He is currently Director of Publications at Irish choral music publishers Cailíno, where he works as a music editor and engraver, preparing scores for publication from over 30 composers represented by the company.