Aoife Ni Dhornain began her violin studies in 1983 with Suzuki method. She attended conferences in Cork in 1985 and in Berlin in 1987. In 1989 she continued her studies with Brian McNamara in The Conservatory of Music. Aoife graduated from UCD with a 1st class honours Bachelor of Music in 1998 and went on to complete a Masters in Music Performance in University of Limerick studying with Hugh Maguire, Mauritzio Fuchs, Georg Paul and Katherine Hunka. She directed the chamber orchestra in UCD to great acclaim in 1997, and returned to play as soloist with the Baroque orchestra in 2000. Aoife was chosen to play with the Viennese Youth orchestra in 1999 and after being invited to play with the Jeunesse Musical Orchestra in Switzerland in 1997 she was asked to lead the Orchestra in a Swiss tour. She performs regularly as soloist and chamber musician throughout Ireland and has toured extensively across Europe and the United States.

Aoife has been a member of IBO since 1998 and has played a number of Baroque projects with the Opera Theatre Company including a memorable rendition of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in a Grotto on Valencia Island in collaboration with visual artist Dorothy Cross. Since graduating she has studied Baroque Violin with Maya Homburger and Elizabeth Wallfisch. She has performed throughout Ireland with Andrew Manze, Lucy van Dael, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Maya Homburger, Emma Kirkby and Monica Huggett.

Aoife is a regular guest player with the RTE Concert and Symphony Orchestras and also enjoys playing with Jack L, Glen Hansard and George Michael.