Kevin O’Carroll started his formal music education by attaining a scholarship to the renowned Schola Cantorum at St. Finian’s College, Mullingar. At that time, he also studied French horn with Victor Malirsh by way of scholarship from the Irish Youth Orchestra. In 1980, Kevin managed to get a “real” job – though leaving the bank in 2009 to become a full time freelance musician. During that 29 year period he was busy with his musical life, working with choirs and musical societies in addition to freelancing as a French horn player. From 1981 to 1996 he was Organist and Choirmaster at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford.

In 1995 Kevin began studying to increase his specialist choral knowledge. He studied conducting with the internationally renowned conducting pedagogue and clinician, Dr. John Dickson at TTU, USA. He has also worked with David Hill (King’s College, Cambridge), Tim Brown (Clare College, Cambridge) as well as the well-known British composer and conductor Bob Chilcott.

Recognised nationally and internationally as a choral specialist, Kevin is in demand as a teacher and choral consultant for workshops and guest lectures. He has worked with choirs from all over Ireland from Cork to Derry and Wexford to Castlebar. He has also provided workshops for groups from the USA and Finland.

Kevin has conducted many premier performances of choral music and his premiers include works by Eric Sweeney, Marion Ingoldsby, Greg Scanlon and Colin Mawby. An occasional composer himself, Kevin’s compositions have been broadcast on national radio in Ireland and in the USA. He has also worked on many larger canvases including Brahms Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Fauré Requiem, Durlflé Requiem, Dvorak Te Deum, Rutter Magnificat, Rutter Requiem, Jenkins The Armed Man, Mozart Sparrow Mass in addition to conducting many other unaccompanied polyphonic masses by Palestrina, Byrd, Lassus etc. He has also explored some lesser-known works such as Pergolesi’s Magnificat and the Funeral Sentences by Henry Purcell.

Over the years, Kevin has conducted groups from many countries including Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Australia, Taiwan and the USA. Equally at home in front of orchestra, choir or musical theatre groups, he has been guest conductor for musical societies in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In addition to working with community choirs Madrigallery and Wexford Festival Singers Kevin also founded a professional choral ensemble, Vocalis, and Waterford Concert Orchestra.

In addition to his performance work, Kevin is a member of the Panel of Examiners with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In 2012, Kevin published the first book on choral conducting specifically for the Irish market. This book is used as a textbook in several colleges and universities, both in Ireland and the U.K. Kevin has been adjudicator for most choral competitions in Ireland including Navan Choral Festival, New Ross Choral Festival, Arklow Music Festival, Limerick’s Choral Festival and Cork Choral Festival amongst others. He has been both Guest Director and Tutor for Special Choir at the Irish Church Music Association Summer School and has provided lectures at the Irish Association of Choirs Summer School.

The arrival of Covid 19 forced a slowdown in his schedule and led to Kevin’s decision to take more time for himself. He now describes himself as semi-retired.

Kevin holds a Diploma in Choral Conducting from ABRSM, a B.A.(Hons.) in Music and Business Management and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting performance. He also holds a PhD Arts Practice (University of Limerick) where his topic explored the impact of modern music notation on the performance practice of Renaissance polyphony.