The Kids' Classics Team

Gráinne Hope

Gráinne Hope

Gráinne Hope is Creator and Director of Kids' Classics. She received a B.A. in Music from Maynooth University and a Bachelor of Music Performance from Trinity College Dublin and the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. Continuing her studies in the United States, she received a Masters and an Artist Diploma in Cello Performance from Duquesne University under Anne Martindale Williams, principle cellist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

She has toured extensively, performing with orchestras in America and Europe including Camerata Ireland, The Wexford Opera Festival Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra, the Orchestra of the National Concert Hall, Altoona Symphony, Erie Symphony and the Soesterbeg Festival Orchestra.

She has performed on radio and television with classical artists such as Jose Carreras, Sarah Chang, Katherine Jenkins and numerous popular performers including The Three Priests, Colm Wilkinson, Bill Bailey, Ronan Tynan, Sharon Shannon and Moya Brennan.

As a cellist, and member of the National Concert Hall's Education programme, Gráinne performs with their Parent and Toddler workshops as well as their Play Us A Scéal project. She organized the Musicians on Call project which brought members of the London Philharmonic to perform in Care Homes in Dublin and coordinated the NCH’s Health and Harmony project in partnership with Cavan and Meath County Councils.

Gráinne conducts the Dublin based Young Orchestral Pops Electric Ensemble and tutors the YOPS Junior and Senior Orchestras as well as teaching on Dublin City s South East String Programme.

Dr. Julie Maisel

Julie Maisel

Originally from Pensacola, Florida, Dr. Julie Maisel received her Doctorate of Music and Masters of Music in Flute from Florida State University and her Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. Maisel has participated in masterclasses with Paula Robison, Louise Moyse, and William Bennett and has worked privately with Charles Delaney, Patricia George, and Albert Tipton. She currently teaches flute in the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and at Leeson Park School of Music. She is active with the Young Orchestral Pops (YOPS) and has also taught in Walton's New School of Music and Newpark Music Centre.

As a soloist and chamber musician she has presented numerous recitals in the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and performed with Colman Pearce in the John Field Room of the National Concert Hall in 2010. In working with the Learn and Explore programmethrough the National Concert Hall, she has presented music workshops with a team of musicians throughout Ireland. As a freelance musician, Maisel has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Pro Arte Orchestra, the Opera Theatre Company, the Irish Film Orchestra, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and various groups throughout the area.

Joe Csibi

Joe Csibi

A former member of The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Joe Csibi spent 7 years with Riverdance the Show as bass guitarist and musical director.

Joe has performed both double bass and bass guitar with a wide array of artists (including The Sugar Babes, Stephen Gately, Westlife, Elmer Bernstien, Sinead O Connor, Pavorotti, Domingo, Carreras, Shaun Davy, The Cheiftains, Sting) as well as The Wexford Festival Opera Orchestra, Opera Theatre Company and Camerata Ireland.

As an educator Joe has been a double bass teacher since 1994 and has tutored both the Junior and Senior National Youth Orchestras of Ireland double bass sections several times prior to their Winter and Summer concert performances.

Joe has been involved with the National Concert Halls Education Programme since 2005 and over the past 2 years developed one of their greatest projects, Blow The Dust Off Your Trumpet which has recently expanded and been set up in Cork.

Nicholas Grennell

Nicholas Grennell

Nicholas Grennell has been working as an actor for over thirty years in Irish and British theatres, as well as on T.V., radio and film. He comes from a family of actors whose parents Aiden and Iris, were leading actors in the Gate Theatre under the management of Lord Longford for several decades.

He starred in Joseph in the Gaiety Theatre with the great character actor Noel Purcell after which he spent two years in Rep in Belfast with the Ulster Actors Company. As a member of the Abbey Theatre Company, he played a host of parts in everything from Shakespeare to Behan, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Harvey Irish Theatre Awards. In musical theatre, Nick principle boy in over ten Gaiety pantos while also enjoying a West End run with HMS Pinafore , which received a best musical nomination by the prestigious 'Olivier Awards' in London.

As a Film and T.V. actor Nick has worked with actors such as Hugh Grant, Mia Farrow, Alan Rickman and many others. Long touring plays became common place in the last ten years, performing with the late Mick Lally in The Chastiute for three years, and the famous 'I Keano' for four years. Nick's most recent stage performance was to play Shakespeare himself in the very successful McBecks in the Olympia Theatre.

Robin Panter

Robin Panter

Robin Panter, originally from Liverpool, studied the Viola at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester with Roger Benedict and Scott Dickinson. In 2004 Robin was appointed Tutti Viola with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow. During his time with the BBCSSO, Robin was actively involved with the orchestras education outreach projects. In 2008 Robin was offered a sabatical from the BBC in order to join a team of musicians setting up Sistema Scotland. This programme is linked to Venezuela's 'El Sistema' and Robin was given the opportunity to travel to Venezuela to study the system and meet the Venezuelan team of musicians. Robin moved to Dublin in 2010.

Alongside his continuing education work, Robin works extensively with many Orchestras in the UK and Ireland including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Wales, Philharmonia, Scottish Ballet, Ulster Orchestra,Wexford Festival Opera(Principal Viola), RTE NSO, RTE CO, Scottish Ensemble, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra where he was recently on trial for a Co-principal position and is a regular Guest Principal. Robin regularly performs at Dublin's "Kaleidoscope" night and recently performed with the Kaleidoscope string quartet at the Eigse festival, Carlow. Robin recently qualified as a level 3 Suzuki Violin teacher.

Carol Quigley

Carol Quigley

Carol Quigley was born in Cork and received her teaching diploma for the Cork School of Music. She continued her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where she graduated with an honours degree in music performance. A full-time position as a member of the RTE Concert Orchestra brought her back to live and work in Ireland. She is in demand as a session, orchestral and chamber music player throughout Ireland. She teaches privately and tutors the string sections of Young Orchestral Pops Orchestra and facilitates music workshops for Kids Classics’.