The Irish pianist Honor O´Hea studied in her native country under Mabel Swainson and Jan Cap. She pursued her degree studies in musicology at the University of London, where she graduated with distinction. During this period she won many awards including the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Scholarship for piano and, in two successive years, the piano prize of the Ulster Bank Music Foundation Awards. She earned her Master’s degree in piano performance in the United States, where she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study under the international renowned Portuguese/American pianist Sequeira Costa at the University of Kansas. In 1996 Ms. O’Hea had the distinction of being the first non-American to receive the Adell Hancock Scholarship from the U.S. Institute of International Education.

She continued her studies privately with Dominique Merlet in Paris and has also worked with Pascal Rogé and Paul Badura Skoda. She has given many solo, chamber and concerto performances in the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain, Austria, Croatia and Ireland. Among her appearances in Madeira have been several solo performances with the Classical Orchestra of Madeira. At present she is a tenured professor of piano at the Madeira Conservatory – Professional School of Arts.