GUITAR MAN JUNE 2022 - University Concert Hall
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GUITAR MAN JUNE 2022 Sean Shibe Guitar Katherine Hunka Director/Violin Nicola Sweeney Violin Thursday 9 June University Concert Hall, Limerick Friday 10 June Town Hall Theatre, Galway Saturday 11 June The Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal Sunday 12 June Castletown House, Co. Kildare (Dublin International Chamber Music Festival) www.irishchamberorchestra.com
The Arts Council
offers a wide range
of financial supports
across artforms and
arts practices, including
music in Ireland and
proudly funds the Irish
Chamber Orchestra.
Thomas Zehetmair
Principal Conductor & Artistic Partner,
Irish Chamber Orchestra
www. artscouncil . i e
JUNE 2022
Irish Chamber Orchestra
Sean Shibe Guitar
Katherine Hunka Director/Violin
Nicola Sweeney Violin
GUITAR MAN
Vivaldi: Concerto in A minor for Two Violins, Strings, and
Continuo, Op. 3, No. 8, RV 522
Dave Fennessy Rosewoods
Dvořák Two Waltzes Op.54, No.1 & 4
Vivaldi Guitar Concerto in D Major RV 93
Malcolm Arnold Serenade for Guitar and Strings Op. 50
Elgar Introduction & Allegro
Thursday 9 June University Concert Hall, Limerick
This concert will be recorded for future broadcast on RTÉ Lyric fm
Friday 10 June Town Hall Theatre, Galway
Saturday 11 June The Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal
Sunday 12 June Castletown House, Co. Kildare
(Dublin International Chamber Music Festival)
www.irishchamberorchestra.com
Irish Chamber Orchestra | 3
and comprises of 22 outstanding musicians.
The ICO’s special rapport, forged by over 20
IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA years of playing – and sometimes singing! –
together, creates the unique sound that has
The Irish Chamber Orchestra is Ireland’s captivated audiences all over the world.
most dynamic ensemble. Mixing traditional
repertoire with new commissions and The orchestra enjoys outstanding support.
collaborating with everyone from DJs to dance The enthusiasm and forward thinking of CEO
companies, the ICO pushes the boundaries Gerard Keenan has been instrumental in
of what a chamber orchestra can do. These realising some of the ICO’s most exhilarating
days, you are as likely to find us at the Electric collaborations, while the board, chaired
Picnic as Mozartfest, but wherever we perform, by Aibhlín McCrann, comprises members
the ICO delivers world-class concerts feted for whose diverse professional expertise is
their energy and style. matched by their determination to realise the
orchestra’s vision.
Each year, Ireland’s busiest chamber
ensemble presents concert seasons in At the heart of this vision is the belief that
Limerick and Dublin, embarks on two national music is for everyone. That is why the ICO has
tours, and makes a series of prestigious implemented an ambitious and far-reaching
international appearances supported strategy that aims to take music out of the
by Culture Ireland. Our Artistic Committee concert hall and into the local community,
works closely with our Artistic Partners to inspiring children to try music for themselves,
devise exciting, diverse, and innovative and supporting them on their journey from
programmes, mixing standard repertoire with first lesson to public performance.
new work – often specially commissioned
– from the best young Irish composers. This Our ground-breaking initiative, Sing Out with
versatile approach enables us to appeal to Strings (SOWS), offers primary school children
music fans of every stripe while upholding the in Limerick the chance to learn free music.
highest artistic standards. Now in its eleventh year, the project has been
hailed as a model of social inclusion, offering
The driving force behind ICO’s last decade of opportunities for young people, developing
success has been its Principal Conductor/ key life skills, and providing tangible long-term
Artistic Partner Jörg Widmann, a composer, benefits for participants, their families, and the
conductor, and clarinettist whose irrepressible wider community.
energy and pursuit of excellence has enabled
the ICO to expand its horizons, attracting The success of SOWS has inspired us to set up
outstanding international performers such a youth orchestra, the ICOYO, which provides
as Thomas Zehetmair, Henning Kraggerud, aspiring musicians aged 12 to 18 with the
Florian Donderer, Brett Dean, Sheku Kanneh- support they need to grow. The ICO is taking
Mason Tabea Zimmermann, Igor Levit, all this a step further, providing free music
and Elisabeth Leonskaja. Throughout the across our country and beyond with a new
past decade, the ICO has performed at ground-breaking and freely available online
leading concert halls and festivals across teaching resource, Sing Out With Strings
Europe, the U.S.A., and South America. The ICO Online. However, it doesn’t stop there: the
released a series of acclaimed recordings orchestra has made its home at the University
on the prestigious Orfeo and Alpha Classics of Limerick for over 20 years, and UL’s MA in
labels. The ICO was the first Irish Orchestra Classical String Performance is run under the
to complete a three-year residency auspices of the ICO – providing a rigorous
at Heidelberger Frühling and is currently programme with close, “hands-on” contact
orchestra-in-residence at Kilkenny Arts to the orchestra, its visiting directors, soloists,
Festival. and guests.
Celebrated Austrian Violinist Thomas The ICO is orchestra-in-residence at the Irish
Zehetmair takes on the role of Principal World Academy of Music and Dance at the
Conductor/Artistic Partner from May 2022 for University of Limerick and is funded by The Arts
the next three years. Zehetmair’s enthusiasm Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
and commitment is matched by the orchestra
itself, led by the ebullient Katherine Hunka, www.irishchamberorchestra.com
4 | Irish Chamber Orchestra
IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Violin Board of Directors/Executive
Katherine Hunka Leader Aibhlín McCrann (Chair)
Nicola Sweeney Rosemary Collier
Emily Nenniger Eamonn Cregan
Louis Roden Joan Garahy
Cliodhna Ryan Ger Holliday
/IRISHCHAMBERORCHESTRA Terry McManus
André Swanepoel Principal 2nd violin Kerstin Mey
Oonagh Keogh
IRISHCHAMBERORCHESTRA Karen Morton
Kenneth Rice James Ring
Diane Daly
@ICORCHESTRA Gearoid Stanley
Anna Cashell
WWW.IRISHCHAMBERORCHESTRA.COM Chief Executive
Viola Gerard Keenan
Joachim Roewer Principal
Robin Panter Deputy CEO/Operations
Cían O’Dúill Cathriona Murphy
Mark Coates Smith
Communications/Media Relations
Cello Charlotte Eglington
Christian Elliott Principal
Aoife Nic Athlaoich Development
Richard Angell Joanne Tierney
Double Bass Education
Malachy Robinson Principal Kathrine Barnecutt
Harpsichord Friends/Finance
David Gerrard Margaret Kelly
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Irish Chamber Orchestra | 5
WHERE LIFE SOUNDS BETTER
96-99fm | On Mobile | rte.ie/lyricfm
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Katherine directs ICO national tours, which
take the orchestra all over Ireland. In 2020,
Katherine released her first solo CD recording
with the ICO of Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons
of Buenos Aires and Schubert’s Rondo in A
and received glowing reviews.
As part of her role with the ICO, she has
directed premieres with Irish composers
Sam Perkin, Ian Wilson, Raymond Dean,
and the late John Kinsella. As leader, she
KATHERINE HUNKA has also enjoyed performing solo concertos
DIRECTOR/VIOLIN and chamber music with wonderful artists
such as Jörg Widmann, Pekka Kuusisto, and
Born in London, Katherine Hunka began Nigel Kennedy. At the Aldeburgh Festival, she
playing the violin at the age of four. She grew premiered Benjamin Britten’s rediscovered
as a young musician under the tutelage of Double Concerto.
Sheila Nelson, performing at concert halls at
London’s South Bank and the Royal Albert Hall,
was soloist with the City of London Sinfonia In 2020 Katherine became Artistic Director
and led the National Youth Orchestra of of the Killaloe Music Festival for which she
Great Britain. devises programmes to include world class
musicians. Her group “The Far-Flung Trio”
with accordionist Dermot Dunne and bassist
Katherine studied for five years with Gyorgy Malachy Robinson delights audiences with
Pauk at the Royal Academy of Music and its light-hearted approach. Their repertoire
furthered her studies in the USA at Indiana spans from Bach to Klezmer. They released
University where she also acted as teaching a disc in 2019.
assistant to her professor, Mauricio Fuks.
She has since returned to Indiana as a guest
Professor and been made a Fellow of the Katherine was a member of the Academy
Royal Academy of Music in London. of St Martin in the fields and guest leader
with the Manchester Camerata, the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal
Katherine is Leader of the Irish Chamber Scottish National Orchestra, and the City
Orchestra since 2002 and regularly directs of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. She
from the leader’s chair. As director and has also been guest soloist with the RTE
soloist, with the ICO, she has toured Germany, National Symphony Orchestra and Concert
China, and Singapore, and appeared at Orchestra. She is currently a Lecturer at the
festivals including the West Cork Chamber MTU Cork School of Music and the Irish World
Music Festival, and the Kilkenny Arts Festival. Academy of Music.
Irish Chamber Orchestra | 7
has been Assistant Leader/Principal 2nd
with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra,
Nash Ensemble, Manchester Camerata
and London Mozart Players. She frequently
records music for tv, film and pop in London
and loves playing different types of music.
Highlights include recording and live shows
with Stevie Wonder.
Nicola has been Assistant Leader of ICO
for more than twenty years and loves her
connection with Ireland. She has been
NICOLA SWEENEY very lucky to lead the orchestra on several
VIOLIN major tours, to South America, Europe
and the USA. She has played numerous
Nicola is in demand as a freelance chamber concertos, double concertos and chamber
and orchestral musician in the UK where music with her fabulous colleagues. Her
she has lived since she gained her 1st Class recent CD recording of Moeran Violin Duos
Honours performance degree from the with Darragh Morgan was Gramophone
Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She magazine’s editor’s choice and was praised
studied with David Takeno and won every in the Strad magazine also.
violin competition during her time there. She
8 | Irish Chamber Orchestra
earned glowing reviews from The Times and
The Scotsman, with Presto Classical and
Europadisc both naming it ‘Disc of the Week’
and has received the Gramophone Award in
the Instrumental Category.
Shibe was one of the first artists to return to the
Wigmore Hall following the Covid-19 lockdown,
receiving a five-star review from The Guardian
for his “irresistible style and authority... a
nonchalant virtuoso and boundary breaker”.
He looks forward to opening his 2021-22 season
SEAN SHIBE with a BBC Chamber Prom at Cadogan Hall
GUITAR followed by appearances at the Schleswig
Holstein Music Festivals, St David’s Hall Cardiff,
One of the most versatile guitarists performing Glasgow Cathedral Festival, and King’s Place
today, Sean Shibe’s innovative approach to in London. Recent stage highlights include
his instrument has enhanced his reputation performances at the Southbank Centre
for having “one of the most discriminating in London, Liszt Academy in Budapest, the
ears in the business” (Gramophone). He was Alte Oper Frankfurt, Heidelberger-Frühling,
the first guitarist ever to be selected for BBC Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme, to Musashino Hall in Tokyo, the East Neuk and
be awarded a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Aldeburgh Festivals, and Marlboro Summer
and, in 2018, to receive the Royal Philharmonic Music Festival – the latter at the invitation of
Society Award for Young Artists. Additional Mitsuko Uchida. He has appeared with almost
accolades include the Royal Over-Seas all of the UK symphony orchestras and this
League First Prize and Gold Medal (2011) and season performs in the Concertgebouw in
the 2015 YCAT International Auditions. He is the Amsterdam and in Gent and Rovereto. Recent
2022 recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award. collaborators include the BBC Singers, flautist
Adam Walker, singers Allan Clayton, Ben
2021 marked the release of Shibe’s latest Johnson, Robert Murray and Robin Tritschler,
album Camino recorded for Pentatone and and performance artist and art filmmaker
featuring an introspective programme of Marina Abramović.
French and Iberian music. The album has
been named the recording of the month by A great admirer of the masterful composers
BBC Music Magazine as well the recording of of the past, Shibe is equally committed to
the week by The Guardian, Presto Classical, conceiving imaginative programmes of
and The Times describing it as “one of the new music and commissions. Alongside his
most compelling and touching recitals for own transcriptions of Bach’s lute suites and
the instrument I can recall”. Camino follows seventeenth century Scottish lute manuscripts
a string of successes recorded for Delphian he continues to explore, experiment, and
Records. Shibe’s debut album Dreams and expand the repertoire for his instrument both
Fancies (2017) was named Editor’s Choice in the studio and on stage with the music of
in Gramophone and nominated for a BBC composers such as Daniel Kidane, David
Music Magazine Instrumental Award. The Fennessy, Sofia Gubaidulina, Thomas Ades,
Gramophone Award-winning softLOUD (2018) Shiva Feshareki, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Sir
was hailed as ‘spectacular’ (Gramophone) James Macmillan, Mark Simpson, Sylvia Villa,
and ‘gripping’ (The Guardian), using both and Freya Waley-Cohen.
acoustic and electric guitar in repertoire
ranging from Scottish lute manuscripts to Born in Edinburgh in 1992 of English and
electric guitar arrangements of Steve Reich’s Japanese heritage, Shibe studied under Allan
Electric Counterpoint. With the laconically Neave at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland,
titled Bach (2020), a chart-topping recording and Paolo Pegoraro in Italy. He is a D’Addario
of Bach lute suites arranged for guitar, Shibe Endorsee and performs on these strings
became the cover star of Gramophone exclusively. Shibe currently holds a teaching
Magazine’s June 2020 issue in which the disc position at University of the Arts Bremen.
was named Editor’s Choice. The recording
P R OGR AM M E N O TES
Concerto in A minor for 2 Violins, Strings and Basso Continuo Op. 3 no. 8, RV 522
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
1. Allegro
2. Larghetto e spiritoso
3. Allegro
In Venice in late 1711 Vivaldi published his Op. 3, a set of twelve concertos divided
equally between works for one, two or four solo violins. The complete set, called
L’estro armonico, caused a sensation, and Vivaldi’s style became all the rage. No
other musical collection published during the entire 18th century created a greater
impact, and the concertos’ vitality and variety foreshadowed the Classical style of
Haydn and Mozart. The title has been translated variously as the ‘harmonic oestrus’
or ‘rut’, ‘harmonic spirit’, ‘harmonious inspiration’ or ‘harmonic whim’, but none of these
suggests quite the right combination of genius and fantasy.
Op. 3 no. 8 is one of Vivaldi’s best-known works and is in the standard fast – slow – fast
format, which he established, together with ritornello form in the fast movements,
where part of the theme is played in various ways as a refrain - ritornello - by the
full ensemble, alternating with modulating free thematic episodes on the solo
instruments. Sometimes the soloists are treated as a single unit, being paired in thirds
or sixths or playing in close imitation, and sometimes they carry on a dialogue within
the solo episodes and are rarely heard together except when one accompanies the
other. Typically, the slow movement is pervaded by a sense of solitude and quiet
desolation. After his death Vivaldi’s music was rescued from neglect by Bach, who had
come into contact with it while in Weimar (1708 – 1720). He was especially impressed
with the Op. 3 Concertos and transcribed five of them for solo harpsichord or organ,
including Op. 3 no. 8 (as BWV 593).
© Sarah M. Burn
Irish Chamber Orchestra | 10Rosewoods
Dave Fennessy (b. 1976)
The composer writes:
“A couple of years ago, Sean Shibe took up a set of solo guitar pieces of mine
called Rosewood (2010) and began to include them in his concert programmes. I
was so moved by his interpretation of those pieces that I decided to turn them into
a concertante work of sorts for him; the intimate colour and resonance of the guitar
now extended through a body of string instruments. I knew from my experience
of working with the ICO that there would be nobody better equipped to find these
delicate shades. The music itself was triggered by the memory of a visit to the
Orkney Islands and notions of calm, reflection, open spaces, echoes, and resonances
permeate it.”
© Dave Fennessy
Waltzes 1 and 4 from Op. 54
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
No. 1 – Moderato
No. 4 - Allegro vivace
In 1880 Dvořák completed a set of eight waltzes for piano, composed between 1st
December 1879 and 17th January 1880 and published as his Opus 54. His original
intention was to provide pieces for domestic music-making, which at that time was
an irresistible source of income for publishers.
Because he regarded them as among the finest of his miniatures (he composed
many sets of piano pieces around this time), Dvořák arranged Nos. 1 and 4 for string
quartet. An optional double-bass part was provided – apparently not by Dvořák – to
facilitate performance by a string orchestra.
11 | Irish Chamber OrchestraThe first piece, in A major, is typically attractive - Dvořák was among the most gifted
of composers in terms of memorable melody. For the first episode (twelve bars
repeated) the tempo is slightly increased to Più mosso and again each successive
contrasting episode is in a slightly more animated tempo. The piece is effectively a
chain of waltzes in the manner of Johann Strauss II’s many examples. Other details
which add to the charm of this waltz are the varying phrase-lengths and, towards the
end, the little reminiscences of the melodic material of the first episode.
In D flat major, the fourth waltz from Opus 54 begins with an 8-bar preparation which
crescendos into another infectiously memorable melody. Again, there are contrasting
sections, the first of which is in A major. The coda ebbs away until the sudden
fortissimo of the final bars. Miniatures though these pieces are, they are captivating
gems which can only enhance our admiration of Dvořák’s inexhaustible melodic gift.
© Philip Borg Wheeler
Guitar Concerto in D major, RV 93
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
1. Allegro
2. Largo
3. Allegro
Originally composed for the lute, the Concerto RV 93 is one of four works by Vivaldi
which include this instrument. They are this D major concerto for lute, two violins
and basso continuo, two trio sonatas (in C major and G minor) for lute, violin and
continuo, and the concerto for viola d’amore, lute and continuo. In common with the
two trio sonatas, the Concerto RV 93 was written for the Bohemian Count Johann
Joseph von Wrtby. Scholars have speculated about which kind of instrument was
involved, because Austro-German and Italian lutes differed greatly. The concerto is
regularly played on the guitar, a practice which Vivaldi himself regarded as a valid
alternative. In the captivating first movement the rapid 3-note figure at the outset
becomes a regular feature, imparting rhythmic energy. Both this movement and the
last movement are structured in the traditional ritornello form – i. e. based on ritornelli
(“little returns”) of the opening paragraph, either in full or abbreviated. These alternate
with solo passages of contrasting material. Vivaldi left no tempo marking, but Allegro
is obviously implied. Here the memorable opening theme is followed by a contrasting
minor-key phrase. This is one of the most infectiously tuneful movements in all of
Irish Chamber Orchestra | 12Vivaldi’s enormous output of concertos. The serenely meditative central movement, its initial dotted rhythm later giving way to more decorative figuration, casts a dreamlike spell. At the beginning of the second half (both halves are repeated) Vivaldi moves into B minor for four bars. The brief 12/8 finale is innocent and untroubled in character. Again, both halves are repeated and there are a few bars in minor keys at the beginning of the second half. It is obvious that Bach admired / he made keyboard transcriptions of several concertos. In his book The Baroque Concerto Arthur Hutchings asks “… what did he and other Germans gain … from Italian music, especially that of the Venetians?” He suggests: “Simplicity, precision and symmetry”. The distinguished scholar Manfred Bukofzer adds: “... the easily remembered motto of his ritornello”. © Philip Borg Wheeler Serenade for Guitar and Strings Op. 50 Malcolm Arnold (1921- 2006) Dating from 1955, Malcolm Arnold’s short Serenade can be viewed as a prelude to his Op 67 Guitar Concerto of 1959 and his Op 107 Fantasy for solo guitar completed in 1971. Each of them was written with the brilliant London-born guitarist and lutenist, Julian Bream, in mind. Arnold himself came from Northampton where his father was a prosperous shoe manufacturer as well as a good amateur pianist and organist. His mother was an accomplished singer, solo pianist, and accompanist. Disliking school intensely, he was taught, mainly at home, by one of his aunts with another taking charge of his piano studies. Listening to recordings of Louis Armstrong led Arnold to the trumpet with scholarships taking him to London’s Guildhall School of Music and then to the Royal College where his composition teacher was the inspirational Gordon Jacob. The budding composer joined the trumpet section of the London Philharmonic in 1942, becoming principal the following year when the orchestra gave the first performance of his Larch Trees Op 3. His comedy overture Beckus the Dandipratt was recorded by the LPO in 1948 after which Arnold decided to leave the orchestra and devote himself to composition. 13 | Irish Chamber Orchestra
By this time, he had found an entrée into the film and documentary world for which genre
he would eventually provide over one hundred scores including The Bridge over the River
Kwai, which won him an Oscar, Hobson’s Choice, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, and
Whistle down the Wind.
In other creative areas, Arnold has left an extensive legacy of nine symphonies, several
concerti for various instruments, a range of chamber and vocal music, two short operas
and several ballets. Among the latter, Homage to the Queen, premièred in Covent Garden
on 2nd June 1953, celebrated Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Arnold lived in Dublin for five years from 1972 during which time he completed his 7th
Symphony, 2nd Clarinet Concerto and 2nd String Quartet, written for the Allegri Quartet and
its leader, Dubliner Hugh Maguire. Arnold’s Fantasy on a theme of John Field also dates from
this period while his Four Irish Dances were completed on his return to England.
Arnold’s work in music education was impressive and consistent. He was among the
founding fathers of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and his support of this
enterprise, through composition and fundraising, continued for many years. His belief in
contemporary music led him to be an influential advocate for the entry of the renowned
French composer/conductor Pierre Boulez into British musical life. Arnold was knighted in
1993.
Marked Andante, the Serenade opens quietly with subtle guitar harmonics. It soon moves
into an Allegretto with a lilting air in 3/4 time. The guitar expands this over some highly
attractive string pizzicato accompaniment, and this leads on to a more impulsive central
section. Eventually the lilting air returns and is given additional ornate variants until the
quiet opening ideas are reprised. There is a little more sensitive decoration before the
Serenade reaches its gentle conclusion.
© Pat O’Kelly
Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra Op.47
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
By the early 1900’s Elgar was recognised as a major English composer, particularly in
Europe where his Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma) (1898-99) and The Dream of
Gerontius (1902) were seen as mould-breaking works. His friend Richard Strauss said that
with The Dream of Gerontius “England became one of the modern musical states.” Elgar’s
particular American champion and benefactor was Professor Sandford of Yale University,
the dedicatee of the Introduction and Allegro.
Irish Chamber Orchestra | 14The immediate stimulus for the composition of the Introduction and Allegro was a request in 1904 from the newly formed London Symphony Orchestra for a new work for a concert of Elgar’s music they were due to give in March 1905. His friend and publisher August Jaeger suggested he write “a brilliant quick string scherzo for the LSO, a real bring-down-the-house torrent of a thing such as Bach could write”, perhaps a modern fugue for strings. The idea obviously took hold and early in 1905 Elgar wrote to Jaeger “I’m doing that string thing in time for the symphony orchestra concert. Introduction and Allegro – no working-out part but a devil of a fugue instead…..with all sorts of japes and counterpoint.” He had already written the beautiful theme, which is first heard on the solo viola, for in 1901 when on holiday in Wales he heard distant singing, too far away to distinguish, but containing the interval of a falling third which he thought might be a Welsh idiom. The Introduction and Allegro invokes the spaciousness and grandeur of Elgar’s beloved Malvern Hills. It was finished in February 1905 and received its first performance in the Queen’s Hall on 8 March 1905 conducted by Elgar himself. It was soon recognised as a masterpiece and is one of the most perfect and influential works in the string orchestra repertoire. The work resembles the 18th century concerto grosso in that a small concertino group of players is contrasted with the main orchestra or ripieno, but it is a fine contrast rather than a dramatic opposition. It begins with the majestic Introduction in G minor, with a secondary theme, the ‘Welsh Tune’ based on the interval of a falling third, heard on the solo viola. The Allegro in G Major develops the themes of the Introduction and adds a new one in chattering semi-quavers. Instead of a development section Elgar wrote his witty, romantic “devil of a fugue” and this leads to the recapitulation where there is no holding back. © Sarah M. Burn 15 | Irish Chamber Orchestra
Classical String Performance MA Classical String Performance MA in association with the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. M https://youtu.be/T55rVkVgJUA This Master of Arts in Classical String Performance at the University of Limerick is a unique two-year programme offering advanced tuition in violin, viola, cello and double bass. The Irish Chamber Orchestra is globally renowned for its inimitable approach to chamber music making and this lies at the heart of this MA programme. This unique 2-year course is designed for gifted string players as the final step towards a professional career. M https://youtu.be/T55rVkVgJUA The aim is to finesse solo, chamber music, orchestral skills, and audition preparation, whilst developing a greater awareness of the importance of the body, creativity, and all-round musicianship. Students are invited to explore what it is they really want to say with their music, as they prepare to enter the profession. The programme is led by members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra who rehearse, tutor, and perform with the students. Former MA students are now members of the orchestra. Students receive weekly 90-minute individual lessons, technique and performance skills classes, combined with weekly intensive sessions in chamber music, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, creative embodied performance development, Improvisation, New music and baroque styles and real-life requirements. Online auditions taking place now for September 2022. A taste of the course can be seen in this video of the recent Academy project M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qunUXAH-IG0 For further information please write to diane.daly@ul.ie
F R IENDS OF TH E I C O
Here at the ICO we are lucky to have wonderful support from our Friends and Patrons. Each year we play
a variety of concerts and innovative collaborations all around Ireland and abroad, while also delivering
music education outreach to school children in Limerick through our Sing Out With Strings and ICO Youth
Orchestra initiatives.
Patrons and Friends of the ICO play a vital role in our store and are crucial in enabling us to engage with
diverse audiences throughout Ireland and internationally, and to inspire and nurture the next generation
of great young musicians!
To learn more or to become a Friend visit www.irishchamberorchestra.com/support
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Vivienne McKechnie Mary Rafferty
Michael & Valerie Moloney Eleanor Reilly The O’Grady-Quin Family
Phil Molony Mary Ryan Charlie & Mary Roche Family
Sara Moorhead Michael Ryan Marian Real & Family
Cathriona Murphy Peggy Ryan
Colin & Angela Nicholls Dearbhail & John Sheanon
Maire Ní Dhomhnaill Gerry & Ann Siney
CORPORATE FRIENDS
Donough O’Brien Gearoid & Phil Stanley
Dundon Callanan Solicitors
Bernie O Callaghan & Patrick Vanessa Sweeney
Plunkett Mary Thornbury
Paddy Hoare Bldg
Shelagh O’Connell Harry & Helen Van Den Akker
& Civil Engineering
Seán & Siobhán O’Dúill Don & Liz Walshe
Dr Geraldine O’Grady & Des Darina Warner
Keogh David & Brenda Wilkes
INDIVIDUAL PATRONS
Aida O Kennedy David R Wilkins
Anne O’Keeffe Robert Ballagh
Philip O Reilly & Michael Buckley
Sally Jane Walker John Shinnors
Samuel Walsh
PARTNERSHIPS
Kerry Group
Music Network JP McManus JP McManus
Benevolent Fund Pro-Am Fund
KMPM
Ticketsolve
Limerick Regeneration Dept of Arts Heritage
and the Gaeltacht
Sisters of Bon Secours
Rethink Ireland
Culture Ireland
Limerick City &
County Council
RTÉ lyric fm
Creative Ireland
Northern Trust
RTE Supporting the Arts Limerick Arts Office AIB
18 | Irish Chamber OrchestraFRIENDS OF THE ICO
S IGN UP FO R M
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Individual Friend [1 year] €100
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form to to
Joanne
MargaretTierney, Development
Kelly, Friends Manager,
Administrator
Irish Chamber Orchestra, University of Limerick, Limerick
Irish Chamber Orchestra, University of Limerick, Limerick.
Mob: +353 (0)87 6413060 Email: joanne.tierney@ul.ie
T: +353 (0) 61 202620 E: Margaret.Kelly@ul.ie
www.IrishChamberOrchestra.com
www.irishchamberorchestra.com
The ICO is a registered charity [Charity number 20022006]EDUCATION/COMMUNITY SING OUT WITH STRINGS (SOWS) Sing Out with Strings (SOWS) is a ground-breaking initiative that offers 300 schoolchildren the chance to learn music. Inspired by El Sistema, the Venezuelan model of music education, Sing Out provides pupils from Le Chéile National School, St Mary’s National School and Coláiste Nano Nagle Secondary School with free singing, song-writing, violin, viola, cello and double bass tuition, harnessing the power of music to develop pupils’ key skills, including concentration, co-ordination, listening and teamwork. The scheme is a cornerstone of the ICO’s Community Outreach programme, attracting local and national recognition. Sing Out with Strings continues to expand, strengthening communities within Limerick and inspiring a new generation of children to discover the transformative power of music. ICO YOUTH ORCHESTRA (ICOYO) The ICOYO has emerged from direct funding from the Creative Ireland Programme, part of a new National Creativity Fund. This youth orchestra caters for children aged 12-18 years. It focuses on orchestral participation and performance, as well as small chamber music groups with individual lessons boosting confidence and skills. It utilises pop, trad, classical and world music styles and allows participants to engage with different string instruments. It explores improvisation, composition and conducting in a safe and creative space. The youth orchestra convenes on a weekly basis, supplemented by three Mid-Term Camps throughout the year, allowing students to work intensively, during holiday periods. This will enable them to perform and grow as musicians while at the same time, broaden access to arts and culture within local communities. MA IN CLASSICAL STRING PERFORMANCE Since 2015, the ICO’s involvement has been a cornerstone of the MA in Classical String Performance at UL, a unique two-year full-time programme offering advanced tuition in violin, viola, cello and double bass. Focusing on musicianship and chamber music skills, the MA encourages students to develop their individual voices, discovering what it is they have to say and how to express it most powerfully. Students experiment with a range of art forms, drawing on theatre and movement techniques to help bring their music to life. ICO musicians deliver classes and students are given opportunities to perform with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, as well as in chamber ensembles with members of the ICO, and automatically qualify for a place in the Irish Chamber Orchestra Academy. COMMUNITY VISITS Throughout the year, ICO musicians give time to visit local voluntary organisations and charities to perform for audiences who are unable to attend concerts. These performances have included St Gabriel’s School for Children with Special Needs, St Paul’s Nursing Home, St Camillus Hospital, The Children’s Ark at Limerick Regional Hospital, Sisters of Charity and Milford Hospice. Feedback from these concerts has been overwhelmingly positive and is a tradition that the ICO intends to continue. For Further information contact: kbarnecuttsos@gmail.com 20 | Irish Chamber Orchestra
2. RÓISĺN REIMAGINED
Irish Chamber Orchestra
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – Vocals Paul Campbell
– Conductor Dónal O’Connor - Producer
Róisín Re-imagined is an exciting collaboration
between singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, musician
and producer Dónal O’Connor, Irish Chamber
Orchestra, and six composer/arrangers; Cormac
McCarthy, Paul Campbell, Linda Buckley, Sam
Perkin, Niamh Varian-Barry, and Michael Keeney
– who hail from very different musical worlds. The
ICO and Kilkenny Arts Festival co-commissioned
these arrangements, reimagining these timeless
songs for a new era.
Wednesday 10 August
St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny 5pm
IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
3 CONCERTS
KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL 2022
1. IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
& SHARON CARTY
Irish Chamber Orchestra
Sharon Carty Mezzo Soprano
3. IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
& AELISH TYNAN
Shostakovich Chamber Symphony in C minor,
Irish Chamber Orchestra
Opus 110a (arranged by Rudolph
Barshai from the String Quartet Stephen Barlow, Conductor
No. 8) Ailish Tynan, Soprano
Deirdre Gribbin The Stones of Life
Join us for a sensational night at the opera! The
The 8thQuartet or Chamber Symphony is the most fabulous soprano Ailish Tynan joins Irish Chamber
personal of Shostakovich’s great works. A gripping Orchestra with Maestro, Stephen Barlow for a
portrayal of the brutality of conflict, its jagged, concert packed with popular classics by Puccini,
dynamic rhythms contrast with elegiac outer Verdi, Mozart, Handel, and Lehar.
movements that never fail to move the listener. The
composer Deirdre Gribbin presents The Stones of Thursday 11 August
Life, a song cycle based on the words of her son,
St. Canice’s Cathedral Kilkenny Concert 7.30pm
Ethan Stein a young poet with Down Syndrome.
Using Ethan’s powerful imagery, Gribbin weaves
together a musical journey through the reflection of
this remarkable boy who has directly and indirectly,
inspired much of her work. Sharon Carty sings this
truly emotive work.
Saturday 6 August
St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny @ 5pm
WWW.IRISHCHAMBERORCHESTRA.COMSHOSTAKOVICH,
FROST, & GLASS
Katherine Hunka Director/Violin Fiachra Garvey Piano David Collins Trumpet
Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 in C minor for Piano,
Trumpet and Strings, Op. 35
Paul Frost Trip
Philip Glass Symphony No. 3
Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is full of burlesque swagger and impish sardonic
humour as the work unfolds into a climactic, carnival-atmosphere tumble. Fiachra
Garvey performs this masterful example of diversity, its inscrutable humour and
seriousness enhanced by the solo trumpet performed by David Collins. Symphony
No.3 by Philip Glass one of his most performed works. It pulses and breathes like
a living being as ICO create a truly exhilarating experience. In between, a world
premiere of Trip a new commission by Paul Frost was inspired by his own daily
thought processes and the wandering mind. It is generously supported by the
Arts Council.
Wednesday 7 September
National Concert Hall,
Dublin @ 7.30pm
Thursday 8 September,
CIT Cork School of Music,
Cork @ 7.30pm
(Cork Orchestral Society)
www.corkorchestralsociety.ie
Friday 9 September,
University Concert Hall,
Limerick @ 7.30pm
www.irishchamberorchestra.comYou can also read
