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Kerry School of Music – Listowel

Founded in 1981 to 'make music happen' in Kerry. 1,000 students of all ages at centres in Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Castleisland, Killorglin and Dingle.
Welcome to Kerry School of Music and Performing Arts – the only fully integrated performing arts school in Ireland. The School was founded in 1981 by its present Principal, Tralee-born musician Aidan O’ Carroll to literally ‘make music happen’ in the Kerry Region.

1,600 students currently take foundation to pre-professional courses in music, dance, drama, music theatre, languages and music technology. They are taught by a superb team of more than 40 professional practitioner/academics at 10 centres throughout Kerry – Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Kenmare, Killorglin, Castleisland, Dingle, Cahersiveen, Waterville and Valentia Island. The vast majority of our students range in age between 4 and 18 and attend on a part-time basis after school and on weekends.

We cater also for a growing number of adults, many of whom return to music and performing arts training to avail of second chance educational opportunities and, in many cases, achieve an unfulfilled ambition to play or sing their favourite tunes. For still others its the social pleasure of being with like-minded people in a structured, fulfilling environment.

All teaching is syllabus based and student progress is monitored through non-compulsory Annual Individual Performance Assessments and written assessments.

Once they have achieved a basic level of competence, students are actively encouraged to apply their performing skills by joining one of the School’s many Performing Ensembles which perform regularly in the region throughout the year. In recent years performing groups have toured overseas in Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Italy. Future overseas tours are planned for the Crimea and Finland.

Many past students continue to pursue successful careers in Radio and Television, Theatre, Opera, Music Theatre ad in composing, directing as well as in the music industry.

Kerry School of Music and Performing Arts is a registered company (No. 144169), a charity (CHY. No: 10046), recognised under the Finance Acts and a Scientific Body.