Úna Palliser


Úna Palliser is an Irish born, London-based violinist, violist, singer and multi-instrumentalist who as well as being classically trained, is recognised for her proficiency in many musical genres, including rock, jazz, Balkan and Irish folk. She is best known for her collaborations and role as guest soloist with many high profile artists, including Shakira, A.R.Rahman, Leona Lewis, Terrafolk and Otis Taylor and as the singer of Irish folk song Mo Ghile Mear on the Specsavers 'Collie Wobble' advertisement. Úna is also the solo Irish singer on the end credits of BBC 6 part tv series My Mother and Other Strangers and the singer of the theme tune for BBC 6 part series

Biography

Early life

Una was born in Cork, Ireland where she began learning the violin at 4 years old at the Cork School of Music. She also studied piano and viola and later was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy
Palliser won a number of awards including Wolfson Trust Award, a Royal Philharmonia Martin Musical Scholarship Award, and was a string finalist in the RTÉ Millennium Musician of the Future Competition. She won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied with Garfield Jackson of the Endellion Quartet for 4 years before graduating with a 1st Class Hons Degree in performance.

Career

Una has recorded and performed as a session musician with many artists such as The Killers, Michael Buble, Dionne Warwick, Melanie C, Emma Bunton, P Diddy, Buena Vista Social Club, Robbie Williams, Ariana Grande, Josh Groban, Gwilym Simcock, Tim Garland, Maxim Vengerov, Liam Gallagher, The Noisettes, and Elbow. She has performed on a number of television shows including Later With Jools Holland, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Top of the Pops and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
She also appeared in music videos with Mark Ronson 'Valerie'. Richard Ashcroft and Josh Groban
She toured Europe as part of Cee-lo Green and Danger Mouse 's band Gnarls Barkley in 2006, and as solo violinist/violist on Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position tour of the US and Europe in 2007. Later that year she performed as featured violist on Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007.
In 2008, Palliser was the featured lead singer and violinist/violist on the single 'Still Resist The Storm' on BBC World Music Award Winning band Terrafolk's record Full Circle, which topped the radioplay charts in Slovenia. This led to many international tours and performances as a featured guest artist with Terrafolk.
Palliser toured as violinist with Moby on his 2009 summer tour.
In August 2011, she joined Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer as guest violinist on her UK tour. She rejoined Palmer as guest artist in 2013 at Koko, London and again in November 2017 at Union Chapel, London, also performing with Neil Gaiman
In October/November 2011, she performed at the Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar as the solo violinist with Leona Lewis. She rejoined Leona in Kuala Lumpur in March 2012 to perform to the King and Queen of Malaysia Palliser appeared with Lewis again in December 2014 at The Fayre of St James' Christmas Concert in aid of Rays of Sunshine
In May 2012, Palliser joined Avalanche City playing violin, glockenspiel, accordion and backing vocals for their UK shows.
In October 2012 Palliser toured with George Michael on his Symphonica Tour
Palliser performed as guest violinist with Otis Taylor at the FMM Sines – Festival Músicas do Mundo in Lisbon and Le Duc des Lombards in Paris in July 2012. She rejoined Taylor at La Defence Jazz Festival in Paris in July 2013
In 2014, Palliser featured in "The Secret Life of Materials", a documentary by Met Films in which she tried out and performed on one of the world's first 3D printed violins
In 2016, Palliser performed on violin and as singer in the All Irish production of Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare's Globe where she also sang one of her own compositions in the role of Kate's absent mother She later performed in Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in Inn at Lydda
In 2018, Palliser returned to Shakespeare's Globe as musical director and violinist of All's Well That Ends Well at Sam Wanmaker Playhouse.
Palliser's solo vocals and playing was featured in Jez Butterworth 's The Ferryman directed by Sam Mendes at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway in 2018–19 following a multi award winning run in London's West End at Royal Court Theatre and Gielgud Theatre
In 2017 / 2018 she toured as backing singer and violinist with Elbow.
Palliser performed as guest violin soloist with Indian composer and singer A.R. Rahman at Wembley Arena in July 2017 to celebrate 25 years of his music. She later performed with Rahman at the International Indian Film Academy Awards at the MetLife Stadium in New York In October 2017 Palliser rejoined Rahman on his Australian and New Zealand tour and later on his Canadian tour
In October 2019 Palliser sang the solo vocals of Vangelis score of Blade Runner at The Royal Albert Hall as the part of Avex International's premiere production of Blade Runner Live film with 12 live musicians. She also played electric violin on the project.
Palliser has been described as an 'extraordinary violinist' by the UK's The Independent newspaper. and her voice has been described as 'haunting' by both Metro and Songlines

Shakira

In 2010, Shakira invited Palliser to feature as the solo violinist on her 2010 / 2011 The Sun Comes Out World Tour where she also sang back up vocals as well as played the accordion, whistles and strohviol. She had a four-minute improvised solo intro to the last song of Shakira's main set, 'Ojos Asi'.

Vocals

Palliser's recording of the Irish folk song "Mo Ghile Mear" has been used on the Specsavers 'Sheep' advert since 2008.
She is the lead singer and violinist in the four-member band Una & the Balkan Bears which completed its first UK / Ireland tour in May 2010, ending with a performance at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. Una returned to Ireland in 2013 with her Balkan duo Balkish with accordionist Marko Hatlak to perform alongside Capercaillie
Una is the solo Irish singer on the end credits of BBC six part tv series My Mother and Other Strangers and the singer of the theme tune for BBC 6 part series Her voice can currently be heard as the unseen Banshee and also singing a setting of The Stolen Child by WB Yeats in the multi Tony Award winning play The Ferryman on Broadway.

Personal life

Palliser currently lives in London. She is married to chef James 'Jocky' Petrie, former Head of Creative Development at The Fat Duck and current Group Executive Chef for Gordon Ramsay They have two daughters Her brother Conor Palliser is a conductor and pianist and brother Ronan Palliser is a photographer. Her father plays Irish folk music including harmonica and whistles.

Tours

Small Island – – 2019 Royal National Theatre
All's Well That Ends Well – – 2018 Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
The Ferryman
– 2018–2019 Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Broadway
– 2017/18 Gielgud Theatre
– 2017 Royal Court Theatre
The Inn at Lydda – – 2016 Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
The Taming of the Shrew – 2016 – Shakespeare's Globe
Macbeth – 2016 – Shakespeare's Globe
Tribute to Stefan Zweig – 2015 – Arts Theatre
Reading with Bach – 2014 – Trinity Laban
María de Buenos Aires – 2013 – Cork Opera House
Pagliacci – 2012 – Everyman Palace Theatre
Abba The Show – 2012/13 – European tour
Lord of the Rings – 2007/8 – Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change -St Andrew's Theatre Dublin Kings Head Theatre + Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Graffiti Classics World Tour

Discography

Solo

Specsavers 'Collie Wobble' advertisement – Soundtree Music – 2008
Herself Film Soundtrack - 2020
' BBC television series – 2017
My Mother and Other Strangers BBC television series – 2016
With Birdy
  • Growing Pains – Beautiful Lies album, 2016
With Tom Hickox
with Kelli Scarr
  • Dangling Teeth
with Shakira
with Terrafolk
with Take That
'with Smoke Fairies
With Robbie Williams
With J Hus
Hold the Sunset BBC series soundtrack
With Judith Owen
The Dumping Ground BBC series soundtrack
With Beverley Craven
with Elbow
Three Girls
BBC television series soundtrack –
with Liam Gallagher
Funny Girl London Cast Recording –
with Ghostpoet
with Celeste
with George Michael
With Elsten Torres
with Russell Watson
with Katie Melua
with Carl Barat
with The Killers
with The Choirgirl Isabel
with Aled Jones
with Lisa Lois
with Paloma Faith
with Noisettes / Radio 1's Live Lounge CD
with Brian Eno
with Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse
with Tony Christie
with Peter Kay / Geraldine McQueen
with Gary Barlow / Eliot Kennedy
with Peter Raeburn
with Gnarls Barkley / Later with Jools Holland CD
with All Angels
with The Shapeshifters
with Hugh Cornwell
Trident 'splash' advertisement – Soundtree Music
Smirnoff ' Sea' advertisement – Soundtree Music
Royal Mail 'Grow' advertisement – Soundtree Music
Nokia 'Harmony' advertisement – Soundtree Music
BBC One's 'Let's Dance' TV theme – BBC
'Love on a Saturday Night' TV theme – London Weekend Television / ITV
Eva Short Film Soundtrack – Jeva Films
By Hook Short Film Soundtrack – Virgin Media Shorts / Laura Evers Johns
Every Good Boy Does Fine Short Film Soundtrack – Factory Gate Productions