Fintan O'hare

I offer 1-1 lessons either online, or in-person around York.

For GCSE and A-Level students, lessons are built around the exam board's assessment criteria. We focus on writing a genuinely good piece while understanding exactly what is being marked, so nothing is lost to a technicality on the day. I have taught composition to learners aged 6 to 18 at Sheffield Music Academy, and delivered composition seminars and assessment feedback to undergraduates at the University of York.

For university and conservatoire applicants, there is no fixed syllabus. Instead, I work with you on the pieces you are actually submitting, developing your technical craft and your own musical voice so your portfolio represents you as clearly and strongly as possible. I went through this process myself, first for a BMus at Trinity Laban, then for an MMus at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, and I have since taught and assessed composition students during my PhD at the University of York.

For music theory, lessons are structured around the ABRSM syllabus, working through exactly what each grade requires so you are properly prepared for the exam. I have taught music theory and musicianship at Sheffield Music Academy, alongside marking student assessments at university level.

For anyone writing music with no exam or application attached, lessons follow whatever you are trying to make. I give honest, specific feedback on the piece itself and help you develop the skills to take it further. My choral work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show, and my instrumental music has been presented internationally at festivals in Germany, Italy, and Finland, with a recent saxophone commission selected for the CoMA Immediate Pieces anthology. I also have peer-reviewed research published in Organised Sound and Leonardo (MIT Press).