Our people - Patricia Higgins

Patricia Higgins L.G.S.M. (Perf.), LL.B., L.R.I.A.M. was born in Dublin and educated in the Dominican College, Eccles Street, Dublin. She started piano lessons at the age of five with Dr. Anthony Hughes in the Royal Irish Academy of Music and (in the period while he was studying in Vienna) studied with Valerie Walker and Dina Copeman before resuming her piano studies with Dr. Hughes on his return to Dublin. At nine years of age she commenced violin studies with Dr. Francois d’Albert continuing with Max Thoner. In both instruments Patricia was awarded many scholarships and prizes. In London, she studied with the famous violinist Yfrah Neaman in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she was awarded the Guildhall Medal for obtaining the highest marks in all music subjects in the L.G.S.M. Performer’s Diploma.  Patricia then emigrated to New York where she pursued her career as a violinist becoming a member of The American Symphony Orchestra (founded and conducted by the eminent conductor Leopold Stokowski) and the orchestra of Radio City Music Hall. Then followed some years as violinist in the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional del Ecuador in Quito before moving to Colombia to take up a position in the Universidad del Cauca, Popayan, Colombia. On her return to Ireland, Patricia worked as a freelance violinist, joined the staff of the Royal Irish Academy of Music as teacher of Violin and Viola, taught in the Leinster School of Music and was awarded a Law degree by Trinity College, Dublin. She currently teaches piano and violin in the Leinster School of Music, Griffith College, Dublin and in Herbert Lodge School of Music (K.I.S.E.Y.M.) in the Curragh, Co. Kildare. Patricia Higgins also writes poetry and has dramatised presentations for young people including Oscar Wilde’s “The Selfish Giant”, O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” and Padraig Pearse’s “The Thief”.