Yvonne Collier has established herself as one of Ireland's finest young pianists. A native of Kilbride, Carlow, Yvonne began her studies at the Cork School of Music. In 2001 Yvonne moved to England to study with two internationally renowned pianists, the Irish pianist/composer, Philip Martin and Italian pianist, Victor San Giorgio at the Birmingham Conservatoire. She graduated with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Piano Performance in 2002 and subsequently decided to remain at the Conservatoire to study for a Master of Arts in Piano Performance in which she graduated in July 2003.
Yvonne has had the opportunity to further her studies through masterclasses with internationally renowned pianists including John Lill, Peter Donohoe, Balaz Szokolay, Vladimir Tropp, Martin Roscoe, Peter Jablonski, and Piers lane to name a few.
One of the highlights of Yvonne's career has been the invitation to perform the Grieg Piano Concerto at the Proms in Cork with the Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra in 1999. In 2000, she was invited to give the inaugural performance on the new model D Steinway in Kilkenny where she shared a concert with Irish soprano, Cara O'Sullivan. Since then Yvonne has given recitals across Ireland and in the UK and has given a live performance on Radio One's "Rattlebag". Television appearances including "Nationwide", The Late Late Show", "The Late Late Toy Show" and "RTE School Choir Of The Year Competition". She has also won the prestigious Birmingham International Piano Academy Concerto Competition and was invited to perform with the Queens Park Sinfonia in Birmingham. Other concerto appearances include a performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in Bb with the Wexford Sinfonia. It was with a performance of this concerto that she won the Hamilton Harty Concerto competition in the Feis Ceoil in Dublin. In September 2010 to May 2011 she worked with conductor Fergus Sheil on a specially commisioned opera for Carlow - "Shelter Me From The Rain" where she worked as repetiteur and also performed in the opera as part of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
Yvonne is in great demand as an accompanist and has performed with many renowned artists including Soprano Celine Byrne, winner of the Maria Callas International Competition, the Eurovision winner Eimear Quinn, Deirdre Masterson, Regina Hanley, Nyle Wolfe, Declan Kelly (The Three Tenors), David O'Leary and has toured with the Irish Sopranos. She is also the official accompanist for Carlow Choral Society and Vocare vocal group in Wexford.
