Róisín Blunnie

Róisín Blunnie is Associate Professor of Music and Programme Chair of the M.A. in
Choral Studies at Dublin City University. She conducts Dublin-based chamber choir
Laetare Vocal Ensemble and the large undergraduate choir DCU Lumen Chorale.
She is a native of Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim, and studied Choral Conducting at
the Liszt Academy-Kodály Institute in Hungary before completing her PhD at Trinity
College in Dublin. She was the DCU team lead for the recent EU-funded Erasmus+
project PRESTO, which created a suite of free digital learning resources for music
(available at www.kodalyhub.com/presto), including ‘Developing Polyphonic Skills
Using Canon Exercises’ for conductors, singers, and music teachers, and which won
the Erasmus+ prix d’excellence. Together with orchestral conductor Dr Ciarán Crilly
(UCD) she is the editor of the book Perspectives on Conducting (Routledge 2024),
featuring chapters on diverse aspects of the art and craft of conducting by
distinguished Irish and international contributors.
Róisín founded Laetare Vocal Ensemble in 2014. The choir is active in concerts,
festivals, collaborations, commissions, and recordings. Competition successes
include the ‘Ireland’s Choir of the Year’ award, Schuman-Europe award and
Contemporary Music Centre Trophy at the Cork International Choral Festival, 2nd
prize and the special award to a conductor at the City of Derry International Choir
Festival, and a Gold Diploma in the Grand Prix final of the Ave Verum International
Choral Festival, Austria. The choir’s latest album is Ghost Songs: Contemporary
Music and Words from Ireland (Divine Art Records), a 35-track collection of choral
works interspersed with readings by some of Ireland’s leading literary voices. Róisín
is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.