I am a violinist, whose work spans many artistic forms.
Since completion of BA and MA Performance Degrees in the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and the University of Limerick respectively, my work has led me in varying directions from regular performances with Ireland’s leading orchestras to devising and premiering new contemporary works, broadcasting children’s radio, co-creating performative cross collaborative shows internationally and exploring many ways in which the violin and body can produce sound.
Over the past several years, my practice aims to bring together classical and experimental musical engagement with community groups in order to create accessible structures within the wider music ecosystem. This work has led to the multisensory performances with the Deaf community, children and those with chronic conditions.
Photo credit: Aarif Amod at Kirkos Venue, Dublin
“Honourable mention goes to the violinist Jane Hackett whose playing of Fauré’s Romance sans paroles is truly beautiful. The audience is visibly moved by the sentiment.”
The Body that Breathes-a 'silent' concert experience,Unit 44 Dublin. Concept/Direction,Jane Hackett, co-devisor-George Higgs and Dublin Theatre of the Deaf. Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. Photo: Sanda Sameika
Work
In recent years, a significant part of my practice has involved community outreach with diverse communities and developing ways of listening and engaging with music through multidisciplinary dissemination.
My journey into sound and embedded access within classical music contexts has led to many fascinating explorations into vibrotactility, embodied interpretation and Dalzcrozian related learning. Working alongside Deaf artists, children and communities has led to many creative projects including The Body that Breathes-a silent concert experience’ (Arts Council Project Award, Dublin Theatre of the Deaf, Dr George Higgs ‘23), Liminal Lands (Artist in Residence DLR/Music Network ‘24), Multisensory Music Series with the children at Holy Family School for the Deaf (Arts Council YPCE Bursary ‘25, Exploring and Thinking Bursary DCC ‘25) and curation of the Deaf Perspectives Symposium: Innovations in Mutlisensory Research at Dublin City University ‘26. My interest in developing concert structures for both hearing and Deaf audiences has propelled me to undertake a PhD in multisensory music research alongside the Deaf community at DCU beginning in September ‘26, kindly funded by a Government of Ireland Research Scholarship.
Alongside several years performing with Ireland’s orchestras including Irish National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera I broadcast and developed a children’s radio show Kids Classical Club, and co founded a chamber collective, ReClassified, chamber music in live venues and bars around Dublin.
I have been a member of the contemporary music ensemble, Kirkos, since 2013, with our recent co-composition A Beginner’s Guide to Slow Travel being performed at New Music Dublin, Sound Scotland, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Fuddlefest and Queen’s University Belfast; which entailed slow travelling, collective napping and climate crisis awareness. I am also a performing member of chamber collective, Musici Ireland, touring works including A Mother’s Voice and Chronically Hopeful, debuting internationally at Luxembourg’s Rainy Days Festival in ‘25.
I have been kindly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, South Dublin County Council, Dublin City Council, Culture Ireland, Arts and Disability Ireland and Creative Ireland Programme, receiving Bursary, Agility, Individual Artist, Capacity and Resilience and Lyric FM Awards and was chosen as Music Network and DLR’s ‘Established Musician in Residence 2024’ which involved developing a new sound work for Deaf and hearing audiences in collaboration with Deaf and hearing artists.
Recent music cross art collaborations have included outreach programmes with Dlr County Council and Dublin City Council as part of Cruinniú na nÓg Creative Ireland Programme, working alongside circus artist (and husband!) Olivier Dietrich. Here we have ran workshops, performed shows and had extensive weeks at Stepping Stones ETNS working with the children on graphic notation, conducting, acrobatics and performance skills.
Showreel
“A Mother’s Voice does a beautiful job of centering survivors and transforms powerful testimony into performance with thoughtfulness and care. This is important work, blending activism and artistry, and I hope many other audiences have the opportunity to experience it.”