July 17th: JAZZ FUTURES #8: Rory Conneally Trio

At just 17, Rory Conneally became the youngest-ever finalist and winner of the Young Irish Jazz Musician competition when Bill Whelan - the composer whose work has carried Irish music to global stages - presented the award to him.

Now, at 19, Rory’s approach to piano draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources like the soul music of Stevie Wonder and jazz masters such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Thelonious Monk.

He began his musical development at the Sligo Jazz Project and has studied with Belfast’s own pianist and educator Scott Flanigan and with Elio Villafranca, a faculty member at the Juilliard School in New York. In September 2026, he takes the natural next step: a full tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Doors 8//Music 9