Recently hailed by the New York Times as "an extraordinary clarinetist," Dublin-born Carol McGonnell is known for the expressive power of her playing and can be heard with leading ensembles internationally, both as soloist and chamber musician. A regular fixture in New York, she performed at the inaugural concert of Zankel Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. She has also recently performed as part of IN YOUR EAR REDUX, a weekend festival at Carnegie Hall curated by John Adams. She has worked closely at Carnegie Hall with other composers including Elliott Carter and George Benjamin, and conductors such as David Robertson, Oliver Knussen and Michael Tilson-Thomas. Carol herself has guest curated for the the Kilkenny Arts Festival and is curator of Music for Museums in association with the National Gallery of Ireland.

In Germany she recorded H.K. Gruber’s Roaring Eisler for RCA with Ensemble Modern. Other international engagements include the Pan Contemporary Music Festival (Seoul Korea), the International Electro-acoustic Festival (Shanghai China), Izmir Contemporary Festival (Turkey), Plovdiv Festival (Bulgaria), West Cork Chamber Music Festival and the Marlboro Music Festival. Equally sought after in her native Ireland Carol has performed as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra. In the summer of 2005, a RTE One broadcast of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto featured Carol and the National Symphony Orchestra. A return engagement with that orchestra took place in September 2006.

She is a founding member of the Argento Chamber Ensemble, a dynamic chamber ensemble that has established a significant reputation by working directly with composers of the French Spectral School and has two recordings on the Aeon Label which feature both the father of the spectral school, Tristan Murail, and his prolific protégé, Philippe Hurel. She is the clarinetist of the Carnegie/Juilliard programme,The Academy.