Cora Venus Lunny facts for kids

Cora Venus Lunny (born 1982) is a talented Irish musician who plays the violin, composes her own music, and sings. She is the daughter of the famous Irish musician Dónal Lunny.

Cora is known for her skill in classical music, which she has played since she was a teenager. She performs in many different ways: as a soloist (playing on her own), in small groups called chamber music, and by making up music on the spot, which is called improvising. She has traveled across Europe, America, and China to perform with the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra.

A Musical Childhood

Cora Venus Lunny was born in Dublin, Ireland, into a family full of music. She received her first violin when she was only three years old and quickly showed a natural talent for it. She learned to play using a special technique called the Suzuki Method.

For a short time, she tried acting in a movie, but her love for music was stronger. She decided she wanted to spend her life making music. Starting at age thirteen, she studied with expert violin teachers all over Europe to become the best musician she could be.

When she was sixteen, Cora won a major award called the RTÉ Musician of the Future competition. She was the youngest person ever to win it. Because of her talent, she was even featured in a TV ad for The Irish Times newspaper, representing a new and exciting generation in Ireland.

Exploring New Music

In 2001, Cora won an award at the Sarasate International Violin Competition in Spain. Six years later, she was invited back to be one of the judges for the same competition.

A big change in her career happened in 2002. She played on an album of traditional Irish songs with the singer Sinéad O'Connor. This was her first time working on music outside of the classical style. The experience inspired her to experiment with other types of music and to improvise more.

She realized that even though she loved classical music, she wanted to explore other sounds. She met the famous violinist Nigel Kennedy and was invited to play with his band in Berlin. They played Polish folk music and even songs by rock legend Jimi Hendrix. This led to a tour where she performed as a second soloist, playing concertos by Vivaldi and pieces by Bartók.

Cora's musical adventures have taken her to places like Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. In 2005, she played the viola for the first time in a professional performance of a piece by Mozart. That same year, she joined a musical group called Fovea Hex.

Albums and Other Work

Cora has released her own solo albums, including 1943 in 2011 and Terminus (Conscientiae) in 2014. She has also appeared as a guest musician on many albums by other artists.

Besides her music, Cora has also been involved in films. She acted in a few movies when she was younger and as an adult. She also used her musical talent to help create the soundtracks for several films and documentaries.

Selected Discography

Here is a list of some of the albums Cora Venus Lunny has worked on.