About Us
Introducing a multicultural trio, the Quarter Dozen will ignite your senses and transport you to new musical realms. Meet Rodrigo on percussion, Markus on woodwind, and Valerie on keys, the minds and composers behind this Ireland-based band.
Rodrigo Hoerlle
Rodrigo Hoerlle is a brazilian percussionist and composer who started playing drums at the age of 13. With a bachelor's degree in Popular Music in Brazil and
a master's degree in Composition and Creative Music Practice in Ireland, his practice focuses on performing and composing instrumental music but also transcribing drum parts.
He recorded tracks for Benjamin Boone's albums Caught in the Rhythm (2023) and Confluence: The Ireland Sessions (2024) and an album with Augusto Santos, Lucas Brum, and Marcello Caminha Filho called Lummi (2022).
He transcribed Marcelo Corsetti's compositions into a song book.
Between Ireland and Brazil, Rodrigo has been playing and recording with countless people all over the world.
Markus Kräber
Markus Kräber is a multi instrumentalist, music educator and composer who moved from Koblenz/Germany to Ireland more than thirty years ago.
His main instruments are saxophone, flute, bass clarinet and whistles. He holds an ALCM Teaching Diploma and a LLCM Performance Diploma for saxophone with the London College of Music. He also studied creative composition and jazz harmonization at the Berklee College of Music. His works are mainly influenced by his love of traditional Celtic music, Jazz and Klezmer.
Markus has been teaching music for many years. At present, he educates at the Peter Dee Academy of Music in Limerick, at Valerie’s Music School in Caherconlish/ Co. Limerick and at Glenstal Abbey School in Murroe/ Co. Limerick. Over the years, Markus has been playing with a huge variety of bands and ensembles. Today he is a member of Celtic Whisper, the Limerick New Music Ensemble and most of all, The Quarter Dozen.
Valerie Lunn Walsh
Valerie is very passionate about composition and dedicates much of her free time to writing music and experimenting with ideas for various projects. Her work spans a wide range of styles, from relaxing piano music and traditional Irish music to string quartets and choral music.
She finds great joy in teaching music to students of all ages in her own music school which she founded over 13 years ago — children, teenagers, and adults alike. Playing alongside Markus and Rodrigo, creates a very fulfilling collaboration.
Valerie has an MA in Composition and Creative Music Practice from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in the University of Limerick. She also completed a Diploma in 'Community and group teaching' at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.
