Percussionist is Maynooth Uni’s artist-in-residence

Maynooth University Department of Music has announced the appointment of award-winning Irish percussionist, composer, and filmmaker Ruairí Glasheen as Artist-in-Residence for 2024–25.

Inaugurated in 2022, the Department of Music Artist in Residence is a position hosted by Maynooth University in partnership with Kildare County Council Arts Service, Music Generation Kildare, Music Generation Offaly, and Music Generation Westmeath.

The role is designed to provide students and the broader communities of Kildare, Offaly and Westmeath the opportunity to work with Ruairí, as well as giving him the time and support to develop his own projects and create new work.

Ruairí Glasheen’s passion for rhythm began at the age of four when he made his musical debut on the Irish bodhrán.

In 2013, he graduated with First-Class Honours from the Royal College of Music, receiving the prestigious President’s Award from HRH Prince Charles.

Ruairí has performed globally across a wide range of genres and prestigious stages, including performing with John Williams at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, ‘Come From Away’ in London's West End, for 5,000 schoolchildren at the Royal Albert Hall, and appearances at renowned venues such as The Barbican, Kings Place, The Southbank Centre, Ronnie Scott’s, and Union Chapel.

In 2019, Ruairí’s first documentary, ‘Hidden Drummers of Iran’ was released following a successful Kickstarter campaign.

The film was officially selected for SoundTrack Cologne and the San Francisco Iranian Film Festival, and it won the Jury Prize at Italy's Sonic Scene Festival.

In 2022, the film was acquired for broadcast by SVT and has been featured on BBC News, Sky News, and CNN’s Inside the Middle East. Ruairí’s subsequent documentaries include Hidden Drummers of India (exploring Southern Indian percussion), Rhythms of Italy (examining ancient Italian tambourines), and The Real Story of the Irish Bodhrán, which has been highlighted in The Irish Examiner and on Ireland AM. In 2024 Ruairí travelled to Japan to collaborate with Taiko drummers for an upcoming documentary series funded by the Daiwa Foundation.

Eláine Donnelly, acting Arts Officer for Kildare County Council commented: “The Arts Service is delighted to partner once again with Maynooth University and Music Generation on this artist residency”.