Tara McNeill
Tara McNeill (pronounced TAR-a) is an Irish violinist, harpist, and soprano singer from Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Early life and career
McNeill comes from a family that is musically inclined. All her siblings play musical instruments. At St. Joseph's Primary School in Antrim, McNeill showed potential as a musician. McNeill took to singing at a young age. By age 7, she was learning to play piano and by age 8, she was playing the violin.

McNeill was part of the junior and senior Ulster / North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) Youth Orchestra, performing with them for 7 years and leading the senior orchestra at the age of 17.

She was selected as Head Girl in St. Louis Grammar School, Ballymena in 2008–2009.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Teaching and Performance, with a focus on violin, from the Royal Irish Academy of Music. There, she studied under Michael D’Arcy. She graduated with First class honours in June 2009 with the highest marks in her year.
McNeill performs on a Roger Hansell violin.

Musical career
McNeill toured with the Irish choral ensemble Anúna as both a solo violinist and as a singer from 2011 to 2016. She also played violin on the Anúna album Illumination released in 2012.

In April 2013, McNeill performed the Irish premiere of Finzi's Violin Concerto in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland.

In 2014, McNeill was a lead performer in the show Ireland Calling as a violinist, harpist, and singer. The show appeared in Copenhagen, Denmark and Dublin, Ireland in 2014.

Celtic Woman
In August 2015, McNeill played the harp as part of the orchestra in Celtic Woman: Destiny, a DVD and PBS TV special filmed in the Round Room at the Masion House, in Dublin, Ireland.

On 7 August 2016, McNeill was announced as the newest principal member of the all-female Irish musical ensemble Celtic Woman. McNeill took over for founding and long-time Celtic Woman violinist Mairead Nesbitt, who took leave from the group to pursue her own projects. McNeill joined Mairead Carlin as one of the only two principal performers of Celtic Woman to come from Northern Ireland so far.

On 15 August 2016, McNeill began recording in the studio for Celtic Woman. McNeill's first live concert with Celtic Woman was on 16 September 2016, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her first album as an official member of Celtic Woman was Celtic Woman: Voices of Angels.

Other career highlights
McNeill has toured in many countries and has performed with well-known artists such as Barry Douglas, Bono, Il Divo, Julie Feeney, Josh Groban, and Damien Rice. She has performed at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Oriental Arts Center, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Prior to joining Celtic Woman, McNeill taught violin in Mount Anville Junior School, Dublin, teaching about 50 students.

Personal life
McNeill married American pianist Alexander "Alex" Bernstein in January 2018.

Discography
 With Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman: Voices of Angels (2016)
Celtic Woman: The Best of Christmas (2017)
Celtic Woman: Homecoming Live from Ireland (2018)
Celtic Woman: Ancient Land (2018)

Awards 
 Leo Gibney Award for Chamber Music (RIAM)
 2009: Ballymena Music Festival's prestigious Young Instrumentalist Award
 2010: Holywood Music Festival's Sinfonietta Cup
 2010: Holywood Music Festival's d’Arcy Cup and Award
 2010: Holywood Music Festival's Ulster Bank Festival Gala Cup
 2012: Inaugural Flax Trust Classics £5000 bursary
 2012: George & Angela Moore Flax Trust Classics Audience Award
 2016: Grammy Award nominee for Best World Music album at the 59th Grammy Awards (for Destiny, with Celtic Woman)

References

External links 
TaraMcNeill.com – Official website

Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Celtic Woman members
Women violinists from Northern Ireland
Women harpists from Northern Ireland
People from Antrim, County Antrim
21st-century Irish violinists
Musicians from County Antrim
21st-century women singers from Northern Ireland
21st-century Irish harpists