Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy is a pianist, composer, arranger and conductor from Cork, Ireland. Noted for a diverse stylistic palette, and equally at home in a variety of genres, his music is said to “defy categorisation” (Lyric FM).

His compositions and arrangements have been performed and recorded by artists and ensembles including Phil Woods, Jeff Hamilton, The DePaul Jazz Ensemble, The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, The WDR Funkhausorchester, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, The Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, The Ulster Orchestra, The Carducci Quartet, The New Irish Jazz Orchestra.

As a pianist, Cormac has performed extensively at concert venues, clubs and festivals throughout Europe and the US, sharing the stage/recording studio with artists and ensembles across a wide musical spectrum.
Cosán Casta, a recently released duo album with violinist Aoife Ní Bhriain, has received widespread international acclaim, while his 2022 solo piano release, On The Other Hand “marks him out as one of the rising stars of European Jazz Piano’ (The Irish Times). As a conductor, Cormac has led an eclectic mix of ensembles including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra. He is also a member of Martin Hayes’ Common Ground Ensemble

Cormac continues to be in demand as a composer, arranger and orchestrator in tandem with maintaining an active performance schedule. He lectures in piano, composition and arranging at the MTU Cork School of Music, and is director of the Cork School of Music Jazz Big Band. He is a first class honours graduate of the DePaul School of Music, Chicago and MTU Cork School of Music.