About LORICA

Dr. Michael T. Dawson

Dr. Michael T. Dawson is a multi-award-winning conductor, educator, and co-founder of the Irish Institute of Music & Song. He is Artistic Director of LORICA and of the Maynooth University Chamber Choir (National University of Ireland). A Fulbright Scholar, he earned his Doctorate in Musical Arts in Choral Music from the University of Southern California.

Renowned for his energetic and dynamic teaching style, Dr. Dawson delivers more than 50 masterclasses and workshops each year and is a respected adjudicator and member of the World Choir Council. A former member of Anúna, he has recorded several internationally recognised albums and soundtracks, including the TV series Vikings and the video games Diablo III and World of Warcraft. His choirs have performed and recorded with internationally famous artists Dermot Kennedy and Phil Coulter.

In 2024, under Dr. Dawson's direction, LORICA won the Oak Tree Trophy at the Derry International Choral Competition. Since he began directing the MU Chamber Choir (2011–2016, 2021–present), it has achieved some of Ireland's most significant choral accolades, including becoming the first Irish choir to win both the Pavarotti Trophy and Choir of the World at the Eisteddfod in Wales. It recently won six prizes and the Absolute Winner award at the 52nd Festival of Songs in the Czech Republic.

His ensembles regularly perform major tours of the U.S., China, and Europe. Dr. Dawson is deeply committed to choral education and to sharing Irish music and culture with audiences around the world.