IMAGINE you’re an immensely talented musician and all your hopes and dreams revolve around making a career for yourself in the industry. By chance, doctors find that you have a tiny hole in your heart and recommend that you give up playing your favourite instrument.
That’s the daunting prospect that faced Artane man Niall O’Sullivan who is celebrating the release of his self-titled debut album, which has reached number 1 in the iTunes Classical charts.
Niall, a classically trained trumpet player and now aged 29, told Northside People how the serious health issue came about when he was just 15-years-old.
“A family member had a medical problem so we all had to get a check-up,
? he says.
“The doctors discovered that I had a little hole in my heart and recommended that I give up playing the trumpet due to the condition. They advised me not to put any strain on my heart.
?
Niall, who started playing the trumpet when he was eight, had a procedure called a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) closure at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.
“It was very worrying at the time,
? he recalls.
“Fortunately, I was given the all clear after about a year and half. That was 14 years ago and thankfully I’ve had no problems since.
?
Niall’s debut album took approximately 18 months to put together and has outsold new releases by Ludovico Einaudi, Andrea Bocelli and Jackie Evancho.
“I was thinking about doing it for a while as it’s something I always wanted to do,
? he states.
“The reaction has been great. I couldn’t believe it when it went to number one in the Irish iTunes charts. It’s also getting a great reaction in the US.
“I’ve always had this goal (to make the album) and there was a standard I had to get to which I did with the help of my producer.
“It’s great when you get positive feedback after putting so much work into a project.
?
The unique and inspiring manner in which the classical crossover artist has re-crafted popular favourites from the worlds of classical music, jazz, contemporary pop and traditional Irish music has won him admirers wherever he has performed.
Even though his career has risen meteorically in recent months, he is no overnight sensation. Niall has worked extremely hard to get where he is today.
In 1990, he joined the world famous Artane Boys’ Band, regularly performing in front of 80,000 people in Croke Park.
As a child, Niall used to run around the corner from his home to listen to his two older brothers, Gearoid and Shane, practicing with the band.
“I loved it and couldn’t wait till I was ond enough to join,
? he says.
“Music became the most important thing in my life and I would practice with the band five days a week.
?
After he finished with the Artane Boys’ Band, Niall’s natural talent was rewarded with scholarships to the Royal College of Music London, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the DIT Conservatory where he mastered his craft under world-renowned conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Valeriy Gergiov and Sir Colin Davis.
Since then, Niall has performed as principal trumpet in some of Europe’s finest orchestras and enjoyed working with internationally acclaimed artists such as Amy Winehouse, Dionne Warwick, Michael Buble, Boyzone, Katherine Jenkins, Chris de Burgh, Tom Jones, José Carreras, Sinead O’Connor and The Pogues.
This grounding has provided the perfect preparation for stepping into the limelight as an accomplished solo performer with real star quality.
From his remarkable rendition of the timeless favourite
‘Moon River’ and his stunning re-imagining of Snow Patrol’s
‘Run’, to his technically accomplished versions of
‘Ave Maria’ and the traditional Irish favourite
‘Raglan Road’, his heartfelt music dazzles at every turn.
Niall is already working on his second album, which he reckons will take approximately a year to complete.
“I’m also planning to get my own solo show into art centres around the country in spring 2012,
? he says.
“I want to get my name out there to the wider public.
?
Following his health scare as a teenager, Niall, who has been a full-time musician for three years, concedes that he has been really lucky.
“I am so appreciative of everything that has happened,
? he adds.