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The Galway Music Residency Announces Autumn 2019 Series of Music & Musings

October 10, 2019

The Galway Music Residency is delighted to announce its autumn 2019 series of Music & Musings in partnership with the Contemporary Music Centre. This series of concerts, features ConTempo Quartet with emerging and established composers from Ireland, exploring new music, how it comes to be and how to listen to it.  Presented in an intimate setting these events offer opportunities for all to understand and appreciate today’s musical creations.

The first concert in the series featured Seán Doherty’s work The Devil’s Dream, commissioned by the Vanbrugh Quartet. This work, exploring the theme of ‘death’, was paired with excerpts from Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 From My Life.

The second concert in the autumn 2019 series of Music & Musings on Thursday 14th November will feature veteran Irish composer Marian Ingoldsby with her work Struck by a raindrop, first premiered in 1999 by the Jupiter String Quartet. This piece will be paired by excerpts from Britten’s String Quartet no. 3.

Finally, on Thursday 5th December, ConTempo Quartet will perform the WORLD PREMIERE of Ed Bennett’s new work for string Quartet recently commissioned by the Galway Music Residency and Galway City Council Arts Office as part of a three-year commissioning initiative. The piece will be complemented by additional works and performances will again be punctuated by discussion between composers and artists, with audience participation welcome.

Tickets for these unique events cost €15/€10 and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.ie or at the door subject to availability.

This series is kindly supported by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), an entity focused, among other programmes, on developing cultural initiatives to promote music creation, culture and cultural diversity. The Galway Music Residency is aslod supported by NUI Galway, the Arts Council, Galway City and County Councils and GMIT. For further information, visit www.thegalwaymusicresidency.ie or call 091586706.

The Galway Music Residency (GMR) was established in 2002 to cultivate a comprehensive music development programme for Galway, with a professional ensemble at its centre. The programme was designed to bring performances to new audiences in Galway City and County and to broaden the experience of those already involved in music. ConTempo Quartet was chosen as GMR’s Ensemble in Residence in 2003 and continues to captivate audiences throughout the city, county and beyond with its repertoire of classical, contemporary, folk and traditional music. GMR also runs a vibrant programme of community and educational projects, engaging with young musicians and listeners of all ages.

Formed in 1995 in Bucharest, ConTempo Quartet is recognised as one of the most exciting and vibrant chamber ensembles performing today.  It has performed world-wide in many prestigious venues, winning prizes at competitions in Munich, Rome and London, and worked alongside artists of the highest calibre.  It has broadcast widely on European radio, premiered and recorded many contemporary pieces and in June 2016 the members were conferred with honorary doctorates in music from NUI Galway in recognition of 13 years of music and education in the West of Ireland. In 2014 ConTempo was also appointed RTÉ’s Quartet in Residence.

The Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) is Ireland’s archive and resource centre for new music, supporting the work of composers throughout the island of Ireland.  CMC is a relevant, resourceful and recognisable force in the documentation, development and promotion of contemporary music in Ireland.  CMC meets the needs of a wide variety of interest groups: composers, performers, musicologists, teachers, students and reaches a range of audiences including music enthusiasts, other artforms, children and young people in its support to contemporary music.  As the archive for composers’ works and related materials from the island of Ireland, CMC’s strategic goal is to ensure that the contemporary music landscape in Ireland is documented and preserved for future generations and that access to our dynamic library of contemporary works is provided.  

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