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 has performed as guest soloist with London Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Prague Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, and many high profile artists including Shakira, A. R. Rahman, Leona Lewis, Terrafolk and Otis Taylor and as the Irish folk singer on several film and television soundtracks, including Mo Ghile Mear on the Specsavers 'Collie Wobble' advertisement. Herself, Obi-Wan Kenobi, My Mother and Other Strangers and Kat and Alfie: Redwater.
Palliser became a member of the Balanescu Quartet in 2023

Biography

Early life

Palliser 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 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

Palliser has recorded and performed as a session musician with over 100 major artists including The Killers, Michael Buble, Little Mix, Dionne Warwick, Melanie C, Emma Bunton, P Diddy, Buena Vista Social Club, Robbie Williams, Julian Lennon, Ariana Grande, Josh Groban, Gwilym Simcock, 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 and appeared in music videos with Mark Ronson, Richard Ashcroft and Josh Groban. Palliser has also recorded on a number of film and television scores including The Lovely Bones, The Princess, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Decameron , Endeavour, Emancipation, Grace , Three Girls, The Cube, and Hold the Sunset.
Palliser was the featured lead singer and violinist/violist on the single 'Still Resist The Storm' on BBC World Music Award Winning ensemble Terrafolk's record Full Circle, which topped the radioplay charts in Slovenia. This led to many years touring and performing internationally as a featured guest artist with Terrafolk and a performance as solo violinist and vocalist with the European Symbolic Orchestra.
She toured Europe as part of Cee-lo Green and Danger Mouse 's band Gnarls Barkley, as solo violinist/violist on Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position tour of the US and Europe supporting Amy Winehouse and Arcade Fire. She also performed as featured violist on Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007.
Palliser later toured as violinist with Moby on his Wait For Me tour., with George Michael on his Symphonica Tour. and Liam Gallagher on his Definitely Maybe tour. She also joined Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer as guest solo violinist on her UK tour and other subsequent UK performances, also performing with Neil Gaiman. Palliser joined Avalanche City playing violin, glockenspiel, accordion and backing vocals for their UK tour, She has also performed and toured many times as solo violinist with Otis Taylor and toured as backing singer and violinist with Elbow.
and as solo violinist with Leona Lewis.
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. She has also appeared there in Macbeth as singer and as part of Words Of Peace with Mark Rylance
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.
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 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. In 2021 and 2024 she toured the UK with the project. Palliser also led the strings playing electric violin on the project. In 2025 she toured as solo violinist for Terminator Live.
Palliser performed as violin soloist with Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus in February 2022 at Royal Festival Hall London, at the premiere of Outlander series 6. The orchestra performed a 15 minute suite before a showing of the first episode of the series with live orchestra, solo fiddle and solo whistles playing the score composed by Bear McCreary. The concert was conducted by James Shearman
In December 2022 Palliser was invited to perform as soloist with the London Chamber Orchestra at St John's, Smith Square in London. She has subsequently collaborated as ensemble leader and soloist with the orchestra on a number of other projects
In 2023 Palliser became a member of the Balanescu Quartet on viola.
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

invited Palliser to feature as the solo violinist on 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 also appears as solo vocalist on Joglaresa’s Christmas album ‘Sing We Yule’ with her version of Don Oíche Úd i mBeithil.
In 2022 her vocals featured on Natalie Holt’s score for Obi-Wan Kenobi, part of the Star Wars franchise. Palliser’s solo vocals are featured on the soundtrack of 2020 film Herself directed by Phyllida Lloyd singing her arrangement of Irish ballad Lass of Aughrim. She 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 Kat and Alfie: Redwater. Her voice was also heard as the unseen Banshee and also singing a setting of The Stolen Child by W. B. Yeats in the multi Tony Award winning play The Ferryman in London’s West End and on Broadway.
In 2025 she performed as solo vocalist with the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra and choir in Prague O2 Arena for Avatar Live.
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. Palliser returned to Ireland in 2013 with her Balkan duo Balkish with accordionist Marko Hatlak to perform alongside Capercaillie. Palliser is long standing member of Gypsy Dreamers band, as singer & violinist, releasing their second album ‘Big Sky’ in 2025.

Personal life

Palliser currently lives in London. She is married to Scottish chef James 'Jocky' Petrie. 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

  • Balanescu Quartet
  • Avatar Live
  • Terminator Live
  • Damian Lewis Ireland tour
  • Liam Gallagher Definitely Maybe Tour
  • Blade Runner Live
  • The Rock Orchestra
  • ABC
  • A. R. Rahman
  • Elbow
  • Pete Tong with Heritage Orchestra
  • Michael Buble
  • Otis Taylor
  • George Michael Symphonica Tour
  • Avalanche City
  • Shakira The Sun Comes Out World Tour
  • Moby
  • Take That Beautiful World Tour 2007
  • Patrick Wolf The Magic Position Tour
  • Gnarls Barkley

    Theatre

- - 2025 Lyric Theatre, London
Standing at the Sky's Edge - - 2022-2023 Royal National Theatre
Come From Away - - 2019-2024 Phoenix Theatre, London, UK Tour
Hamilton - - 2021-2024 Victoria Palace Theatre
Moulin Rouge! - - 2022-2024 Piccadilly Theatre
Girl from the North Country - - 2022
Measure For Measure - - 2021 Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Shakespeare's Globe
Small Island – – 2019, 2022 Royal National Theatre
Heart of a Dog - Everyman Palace 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