Beara Launch Info

Harpist Tara Viscardi launches her debut album ‘Beara’ where she is joined by flautist Robert Harvey in a project that pairs contemporary, original compositions inspired by the Beara Peninsula in the South West of Ireland with tunes collected and written on the peninsula since the 18th century. It also draws inspiration from Princess Beara, the Spanish Princess who it is said married Owen Mór, King of Ireland, around 120 AD and who gave the area its name.

The project has been showcased at the Return to London Town Festival 2023, the 2023 Wales International Harp Festival and the 2022 World Harp Congress, Cardiff, generously supported by Culture Ireland. The album was recorded on location in Dawros Church, Co. Kerry by producer Laoise O’ Brien and engineer Ben Rawlins and is funded by Kerry County Council Arts and the Wales International Harp Festival.

A multiple prize winner, Tara has performed and recorded at venues including Wigmore Hall, Abbey Road Studios, the National Concert Hall Dublin, Áras an Uachtaráin, the Mansion House and the Irish Embassy in London. Seven times All-Ireland Champion, Robert released his critically acclaimed solo flute album Feochán in 2020. He has toured internationally with Dónal Lunny’s band Cíorras, the Traditional Arts Collective, The Katerina Garcia Band and The National Folk Orchestra of Ireland.

Tara Viscardi​

Hailing from the Beara Peninsula in the South-West of Ireland, Tara Viscardi is an Irish traditional, baroque and classical harpist. First prize winner of the 2021 London Camac Harp Competition, Tara has performed and recorded in venues including Wigmore Hall, Abbey Road Studios, the Irish Cultural Centre, the London Irish Centre, the Irish Embassy London, Áras an Uachtaráin, the National Concert Hall Dublin and the Mansion House in London and Dublin. She has featured at festivals including the 2023 Cairde na Cruite International Festival for Irish Harp, 2020/21 Bloomsbury Festival, 13th World Harp Congress Hong Kong, 2021 Harp on Wight International Festival, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival and the 2023 Wales International Harp Festival, where she was a prize winner in the World Music Competition. 

Tara was a recipient of the 2022 Arts Council of Ireland Agility Award, which enabled her to commence studies in the Italian baroque triple harp with Dr Siobhán Armstrong, and was featured at the 14th World Harp Congress, Cardiff performing her original compositions for traditional harp and flute paired with chamber music by 19th and 20th century female composers, generously supported by Culture Ireland. A graduate of the Royal College of Music London, Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado Milan and TU Dublin Conservatoire, she holds a Master of Music in Performance (Distinction), Postgraduate Diploma in Harp Performance and a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Honours). Passionate about outreach and education, she is Administrator for Irish Heritage UK, the harp teacher at Junior King’s School Canterbury and the harp tutor at the Irish Cultural Centre, London. In 2021, Tara’s early music/folk group Nobody’s Jig held the Wigmore Learning/Royal Academy of Music Fellowship, delivering workshops and performances as part of the Wigmore Learning outreach programme. 

Robert Harvey

Seven times All-Ireland Champion, Dr. Robert Harvey is a flautist from Mountrath, Co. Laois. Robert was selected by Donal Lunny as flute player for the TG4 series “Lorg Lunny”, which resulted in the formation of the band Ciorras, with whom he released the album ‘Silver Lining’ and toured extensively internationally. In 2020, Robert released his critically acclaimed solo flute album ‘Feochán’ produced by Jiggery Pokery Productions. In 2019, Robert played the part of ‘Frank the Robin’ in Universal Studio’s ‘The Christmas Letter’ narrated by Kate Winslet and also features in the RTÉ produced animated children’s show ‘Peak Zoo’ as well as the recently released CD ‘Songs of Zelda: A Link to the Celts’, produced by Eimear Noone and Craig Garfinkle. Robert has also toured internationally with the Traditional Arts Collective, The Katerina Garcia Band, The National Folk Orchestra of Ireland, among others. Robert’s first book, Feadail, exploring the whistling tradition in Ireland will be published in 2023 by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann. Robert is Musical Director of Ceoltóirí Óga Laighean and the DCU Traditional Music Ensemble. Robert studied music in Trinity College Dublin and Conservatory of Music and Drama DIT, where he graduated with first class honours and was presented with the President’s Gold Medal in 2010. Robert recently completed PhD research on Traditional Composition in the East Galway Style. He currently lectures in Irish music at Trinity College Dublin and DCU, and is a well-established teacher of flute, tin whistle, whistling and lilting. Robert is looking forward to continuing his collaboration with harpist Tara Viscardi through their new BEARA project which will feature music collected and composed on the Beara Peninsula alongside contemporary compositions inspired by the area.