October means only one thing for Irish opera lovers – the Wexford Festival founded in 1951 by local GP and opera enthusiast, Dr Tom Walsh. His idea was the revival of operas that had disappeared from the repertoire and injecting them with new life. While this policy continues, Wexford also produces relatively recent compositions. This…
While the NSO’s season at the National Concert Hall began early last month, the Hall’s own International Series commenced on September 19 with the Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by fellow Hungarian András Keller. Renowned French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard was the soloist in Bartók’s soulful 3rd Piano Concerto written shortly before the composer’s death in…
As the saying goes, tempus fugit and with the arrival of September a new season has begun for a number of musical institutions not least the National Concert Hall, National Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra and Music for Galway among a plethora of others. The NSO’s 2023/24 events got under way on September 9 with…
Last month I ventured again to the Salzburg festival. It may seem odd that I didn’t hear a note of Mozart in his home city but my package of four operas and an orchestral concert by the visiting Berlin Philharmonic excluded him. The operas in my portfolio were Verdi’s Macbeth and Falstaff, Berlioz’ The Trojans,…
Among the tributes to the late Jane Carty was one that struck a particular chord for me, “She helped young people fall in love – with music”. It was part of the death notice informing us of her passing on August 2 and funeral from St Patrick’s Church in Dublin’s Monkstown on August 11. She…
The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (NYOI) was founded in 1971 by the redoubtable Olive Smith, a woman of unusual vision when it came to getting young people involved in music. In her quest she was ably assisted by a number of similarly minded individuals not least Dublin-born violinist Hugh Maguire who at various times…
Following the conclusion of its ‘subscription concerts’ at the end of May, the National Symphony Orchestra continued to be engaged in a number of Tuesday lunchtime and Friday evening programmes at the National Concert Hall. These have also come to an end as the orchestral members have embarked on their holidays. For most of August…
Described as an eccentric opportunist, ‘Mr Charles, the Hungarian’ came to Dublin in March 1742 when he tried to steal a march on George Frideric Handel who had arrived in the city some months earlier. Taking up residence in Abbey Street, Handel remained in Dublin until the following August. During this time he finished his…
June brings its quota of music festivals. Among these Dublin International Chamber Music brought a number of home and visiting artists to its various locations while the current Pipeworks Organ and Choral Festival opened at the National Concert Hall last Tuesday and continues at selected venues until Sunday next June 25 at St Michael’s Church…
Last week the National Symphony Orchestra and Royal Irish Academy of Music announced a joint venture entitled ‘The NSO Concerto Project’. While that may be a slight misnomer, the idea behind the enterprise is, and hopefully will continue to be, a fruit bearing amalgamation. Under the baton of Gavin Maloney, the inaugural event had four…