Frank McNamara (musician)
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Frank McNamara is an internationally known arranger, conductor, composer, and pianist from Ireland.
Early life
McNamara's career began at the age of 11, when he first appeared on Irish national television. Frank attended Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated with music honours. He received the most outstanding pupil award at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where he studied composition with James Wilson and piano with Rhonda Marshall. Peter Katin also instructed Frank in piano in London and Canada.
Music
Irish audiences are well familiar with McNamara's work as music director of
McNamara also has an acting credit to his name. He was Reuben the pianist in Ronan O'Leary's Hello Stranger (story by Truman Capote) filmed in 1992. The movie starred Daniel J. Travanti. McNamara wrote the title song Hello Stranger and performed the song in the movie.[1]
In 1994 and 1995 he signed up with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) and rearranged Iceland's Eurovision Song Contest entries. He conducted the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra on the final night for the live performances of these entries during the Eurovision Song Contest which was hosted in Ireland in both these years. He was also the musical director of the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Dublin.
In 1998, he helped found The Irish Tenors, which group has been highly successful. He was their music director in five of their albums and three PBS specials and toured with them throughout the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Their album Ellis Island rose to number one on Billboard's World Music listing.
McNamara is the composer of a four-part movement classical work entitled Beatlesymphony, which is based on
He is the producer/musical director of
His work with John McDermott entitled A Time to Remember was released as a PBS special and on CD and DVD and that album was number one on Billboard's World Music list.
In 2002, McNamara created the group The American Tenors. Their
McNamara has made albums with The Irish Tenors, The American Tenors,
Personal life
McNamara is married to Theresa Lowe, a barrister and former RTÉ television presenter.[2] In 2019, the couple applied in the High Court to restructure debts of €3.7m.[3]
In the 2007 Irish general election, McNamara ran for the Progressive Democrats in Dublin South-Central, securing 474 first-preferences (1% of the poll, 6% of a quota).[4]
Discography
- (1985) Irish Reflections
- (1989) Frank McNamara and David Agnew: Music of the Night
- (1990) In a Sentimental Mood
- (1992) David Agnew: The Way I Feel
- (1995) Among My Souvenirs
- (1998) Irish Classics
- (1998) The Joys of Christmas – Eamonn Mulhall
- (1998) The Best of Frank McNamara and David Agnew
- (1999) The Irish Tenors – Live in Dublin
- (1999) The Irish Tenors – Home for Christmas
- (2000) The Irish Tenors – Live in Belfast
- (2001) The Irish Tenors – Ellis Island
- (2001) I Want to Know What Love Is – Rebecca Storm
- (2002) The Very Best of The Irish Tenors
- (2002) My Life Belongs to You – Ronan Tynan
- (2002) A Time to Remember – John McDermott
- (2003) The American Tenors
- (2006) The Young Messiah – Messiah XXI – Roger Daltrey, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Jeffrey Osborne
- (2006) Mary Lowe – Jazz Diva
Filmography
- (1992) Hello Stranger
- (1999) The Irish Tenors – Live in Dublin
- (2000) The Irish Tenors – Live in Belfast
- (2001) The Irish Tenors – Ellis Island
- (2000) The Irish Tenors – The Essential Collection
- (2002) A Time to Remember – John McDermott
- (2003) The American Tenors
Notes
- ^ "Hello Stranger" at the IMDb.
- ^ "Guests revealed for The Late Late Show". RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ^ O'Loughlin, Ann (20 May 2019). "Former Late Late Show musical director and wife seek €3m debt write-down". Breaking News. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Took, Christopher; Donnelly, Seán. "Frank McNamara". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 May 2019.; Sheahan, Fionnan (27 March 2007). "PDs' political novice is happy to face the music". Independent.ie. Retrieved 22 May 2019.