Month: November 2013

The Limerick National City of Culture 2014 programme has just been launched. Key elements of the year-long programme that will deliver an unparalleled blend of cultural expression and performance in Limerick throughout 2014 were announced at Daghda Dance Space in the old St. John’s Church in the city yesterday.

Over 200 different performances and exhibitions, spanning all aspects of culture and the arts, that will thrill, calm and even challenge the senses will be delivered by leading and critically acclaimed international, national and local acts in the most varied and embracing year of cultural expression staged in Ireland. The programme will run across 13 different themes – Streets; Stage; People & Places; Visual Art; Music; Secret Limerick; Food, Fashion & Craft; Na Leanaí; New Generation; Architecture; The Artists Call and Sport.

The year will leave a lasting legacy also in the city with some 109 Limerick groups having successfully applied for funding to deliver shows and exhibitions as part of the programme. Further marquee acts for large scale outdoor performances will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

Limerick National City of Culture opens with a New Year’s eve extravaganza that will include a Procession of Light – comprising illuminated floats, carnival, drama and community performers – through the City to the historic and majestic King John’s Castle on the banks of the River Shannon and concert, with tens of thousands of spectators set to be treated to a midnight fireworks and special effects extravaganza.

Among the music events planned throughout the year include “Kids are Alright”, a programme which gives local primary school children a chance to learn the ukulele, percussion, harmonic singing and improvisation techniques, “ICO Sing Out With Strings” where the Irish Chamber Orchestra will work with a new generation of musicians and a special Limerick “Proms in the Park” set to take place next summer.

For full details of the programme of events scheduled to take place throughout the year, see http://limerickcityofculture.ie/

Wide Open Music and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra present

Tasmin Little and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

On tour to Tullamore, Kilkenny, Castlebar and Navan.

“[Tasmin Little’s] intoxicating blend of power, passion, poetry and drop-dead beautiful playing”

(The Herald, Scotland)

One of the finest violin soloists on the international solo circuit taking to the road with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra for four virtuosic concerts – also including an educational programme with youth orchestras in each county.

Concert Tour

Following the sell-out success of Wide Open Music’s tour of Beethoven Symphony No 9 with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in June this year, the two organisations collaborate once again to present a dazzling display of orchestral colour in four venues throughout Ireland – Tullamore, Kilkenny, Castlebar and Navan – with top international solo violinist, Tasmin Little, conducted by Wide Open Music’s Artistic Director, Fergus Sheil.

Vivid, colourful, dynamic and rhythmic music – mostly inspired by dance – is the focus of these concerts. The programme opens with The Chairman Dances – a portrayal of the scene from John Adams’ opera Nixon in China where the elderly Chairman Mao dances with his wife alongside their American guests. Danzón No 2 by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez is based on a type of Cuban dance, full of Latin American rhythms, hovering between being highly sensual and emotionally explosive. The ballets of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky are among his most celebrated works. Pushing the boundaries of what was possible rhythmically, he also has a remarkable sense of orchestral colour. The Firebird is one of his most loved works, depicting the dazzling scenes of this traditional Russian fairy tale, from the shimmering sounds of the Firebird’s dance and the horror of King Kastchei’s infernal dance to the ecstatic sounds of the finale.

One of the highlights of the violin concerto repertoire, Bruch’s first violin concerto, which will be performed by Tasmin Little is emotionally rich and deeply romantic. Tasmin has firmly established herself as one of today’s leading international violinists. She has performed on every continent in some of the most prestigious venues of the world, including Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Concertgebouw, Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus, South Bank Centre, Barbican Centre and Royal Albert Hall and the Lincoln Center. She has made several acclaimed recordings and frequently appears at major festivals such as the Salzburg Festival and the BBC Proms.

The scale of this concert involving over 60 top musicians, makes possible the presentation of this high-octane programme of vivid orchestral colours. All presented in locations that are not regularly on the touring circuit for major concerts of this scale. The coming together of the orchestra, a star international soloist and one of Ireland’s leading conductors as well as youth orchestras in each location will make a compelling and memorable event for audiences.

This tour has been developed by Wide Open Music, bringing together a range of national and local supporters to fulfil this mission of making inspirational musical experiences available to audiences throughout Ireland.

Educational Programme

Four different youth orchestras are involved in an educational project that accompanies this concert tour; Irish Midlands Youth Orchestra (Tullamore), Mayo Youth Orchestra (Castlebar), St Canice’s Instrumental Music Programme (Kilkenny) and Julianstown Youth Orchestra (Navan). In the weeks leading up to these concerts, members of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Fergus Sheil will visit each youth orchestra for a mentoring programme. The youth orchestras prepare a range of repertoire, including some related to the RTÉ NSO’s concert programme. The project will culminate with showcase performances by each youth orchestra with Tasmin Little ahead of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra concert in their area.

RTÉ NSO Concert Programme:

John Adams: The Chairman Dances

Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No 1

Arturo Márquez: Danzón No 2

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919 version)

Soloist: Tasmin Little (violin)

Conductor: Fergus Sheil

Dates, Venues & Booking Details

Tullamore concert in association with Music Generation Offaly / Westmeath

Castlebar concert in association with Music Generation Mayo

Kilkenny concert in association with Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny

Navan concert in association with Solstice Arts Centre

With just a couple of months remaining in 2013, the search has already begun in countries around Europe for entries for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark.

Among those vying for a slot in the final is IMRO member, Chris Erhardt, a 26-year-old German songwriter and producer based in Dublin, who is hoping to have his song, “Butterflies”, selected as the Swiss entry. Having worked with various artists throughout Germany, UK, Ireland and the USA throughout his career, Chris has teamed up with London singer and songwriter, AJ Lewis, for their mid-tempo ballad entry. Voting begins in Switzerland on 4th November.

Meanwhile at home, RTÉ have just revealed the Eurosong 2014 mentors. The five mentors who will be sourcing songs and singers to represent Ireland at the contest next May are Aslan guitarist Billy McGuinness, singer and songwriter Hazel Kaneswaran, RTÉ 2fm presenter and Kerbdog frontman Cormac Battle, band manager Valerie Roe and tour manager Mark Murphy.

The Semi-Finals of the 59th Eurovision Song Contest are set to take place on Tuesday May 6 and Thursday May 8 in Copenhagen. The Final is scheduled for Saturday, May 10.

Further details available at RTÉ here – http://www.rte.ie/ten/news/2013/1031/483830-eurosong-2014-mentors-are-revealed/