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Tag: Workshops

Young Musicians Set to Premiere “The Wicklow Ways” by Vincent Kennedy

Wicklow Ways“The Wicklow Ways” is a newly written work for orchestra by Irish composer, Vincent Kennedy, and comprises 73 young Wicklow musicians performing on violin, recorder, ukulele, guitar, piano and a whole host of drums and tuned percussion instruments. The piece will receive its world premiere this Sunday, 22nd March in the Mermaid Arts Centre in two concerts at 3pm and 4:30pm.

Vincent Kennedy was commissioned by Wicklow County Council under the Per Cent for Art Scheme and on behalf of Music Generation Wicklow to engage with four schools across County Wicklow to create the piece. Four workshops have taken place in each school – Scoil Chaoimhin Naofa, Gleann da Loch, Co. Chill Mhantain; St Laurences National School, Kindlestown, Greystones, Co. Wicklow; Lacken National School, Blessington, Co.Wicklow; St Cronans National School, Vevay Road, Bray, Co.Wicklow – since September 2014 , engaging the young musicians in fun and challenging ways, inspiring them to perform to the best of their abilities and reach new heights in their musical development.

Speaking of the project, Vincent said: “Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland, has always had a special place in my life and heart. Therefore receiving the commission to write The Wicklow Ways presented me with an opportunity to write music that celebrates the beauty and loveliness of the place and its people and also some of what it means and has meant to me. This experience has also been very important to me because as a seven year old in CBS Westland Row I got the chance to take up music and it changed my life. To be involved with these wonderful young people at the beginning of their music education is tremendous. To experience their enthusiasm, their sense of fun in learning, their kindnesses, their beautiful smiles and laughs, and to see how they have grown musically through the process has been inspiring.”

He added: “I have also experienced some of why they are doing so well and that is down to their brilliant and enthusiastic music teachers, their class teachers and assistants, the support and enthusiasm of the school principals and their dedicated staff and the support of their families and Wicklow Music Generation.”

Along with the children of the WOW Orchestra (Wonderful Orchestra of Wicklow) Aisling Seery plays “Rain, Water, Life” on Piccolo, Descant and Treble Recorders, Eamon Sweeney performs “Glendalough” on classical guitar, Sinéad Finegan premiers “Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh” on Violin with Svetlana Rudenko on piano, Terry Clancy gives the first performance of “Sea and Sky Blues” on Alto Saxophone, Rama Block beating his drums leads us on “A Night on Sugar Loaf Mountain” and James Dunne takes us on a journey by “Steam Train from Greystones to Bray” up and down his Xylophone.

The Wicklow Ways by Vincent Kennedy from Contemporary Music Centre on Vimeo.

The Wicklow Ways is one of four new music works commissioned by Wicklow County Council and produced by the Contemporary Music Centre under the Per Cent for Art Scheme on behalf of Music Generation Wicklow. These commissions have involved some 300 children and young people between the ages of 6 and 16 across County Wicklow.

Tickets are €6 (single ticket) and €12 (family of four). Bookings online via Mermaid Arts Centre or by phone 01 272 4030.

Vincent Kennedy hosts workshops and showcases new works

May is a busy month for composer vincent_kennedy_2Vincent Kennedy who has spent the beginning of May hosting workshops in schools in County Wicklow that will be participating in his new work commissioned by Wicklow Education Partnership.

The commission is managed and produced by the Contemporary Music Centre under partnership with Wicklow County Arts Office and Music Generation Wicklow and will involve many children and young people aged between six and sixteen.

The work is one of four commissions being created with other notable Irish composers including George Higgs, Elaine Agnew and Neil Martin.

Vincent will be taking part in ten performances of his works including the world premiers of two of his works.

Dates and details of these performances can be found below:

Friday 30th May 2014 – 8pm Drawing Room, Glenveagh Castle, Glenveagh, County Donegal.

“Memories” for Flute, Violin I, Violin II, Cello – Sarah Murphy (flute), Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo and Lucia Spacirova (Violins), Víctor Yélamo (cello). This is a world premiere of this version of the work originally written for 3 violins in 2012.

Saturday 31st May (2 concerts) at the Glebe Gallery, Glenveagh, County Donegal

12.30pm

Donegal Music Education Partnership’s Junior String Orchestra and Friends

“Etude for Cello” with Chamber Orchestra

5:00pm. Concert in the Glebe Gallery, Glenveagh, County

Donegal Chamber Orchestra with guest sean-nós singer Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde

Sunday 1st June 8pm Drawing Room, Glenveagh Castle, Glenveagh, County Donegal.

Donegal Camerata String Quartet (Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo, Claire Cunningham, violins; Lucia Spacirova, viola; Víctor Yélamo, cello)

Further details on all performances taking place in Glenveagh, Co. Donegal can be found here.

Friday 16th May 2014 7.30pm Rosses Community School, Dungloe, Co. Donegal

Donegal Youth Orchestra conducted by Vincent Kennedy

Sunday 18th May 2014 – 3pm Balor Theatre, Ballybofey, County Donegal

Friday 23rd May 2014 – 8pm Solstice Theatre, Navan, County Meath

Meath Harp Ensemble conducted by Vincent Kennedy

Friday 25th May 2014 – 3pm Ballyroan, Parish Church

Rathfarnham Concert Band conducted by Vincent Kennedy

Emeraz.com and Z1 Music Announce Their 7th Songwriters Workshop

songwriting-camp-News---IMRO-new-logo---DublinEmeraz.com and Z1 Music will be hosting a songwriters workshop in association with IMRO at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin on the 13th and 14th of July. The workshop will be run by noted songwriters/producers Tim Hawes and Obi Mhondera. The two have worked with acts such as The Spice Girls, Blue, Five and Sugababes in the past.

Participants in the workshop will be divided into groups of no more than three and will receive a project to complete. Each team will have its own recording space and engineer with which to work. In addition to this each person at the workshop will receive one to one mentoring from either Tim or Obi. The aim of the weekend is to expose budding songwriters to a professional setup and if a team is successful in their endeavours Z1 Music will look to have their song placed.

The cost of a place in the workshop is €399 (€299 for IMRO members). As this is a non-profit event, this fee is merely to cover the use of the top class Windmill Lane Studios.

For more information please contact:

Stephen Brett

Emeraz

Dublin, Ireland

+353 1 6831539

+353 85 7328668

New Festival to Showcase the Work of Irish and European Composers

New Music DublinNew Music Dublin is a major new festival that gives voice to a broad range of musical creativity from our time by showcasing the work of major international and Irish figures to the public, and through the involvement of many Irish artists.

NMD is a new partnership initiative of The Arts Council, The National Concert Hall, RTÉ Orchestras and the Contemporary Music Centre. It will take place in the NCH on March 1st, 2nd and 3rd 2013 and is the first event arising from a planned five-year partnership. The Arts Council is providing significant funding to New Music Dublin (see below for further background information regarding each of the partner organisations).

NMD offers audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves in many different types of new music. The 2013 Festival includes the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, directed by virtuoso trombonist Christian Lindberg in the world premiere of Lindberg’s new work ‘Kundraan and the Arctic Light’; the RTÉ Concert Orchestra performing the Irish premieres of Arvo Pärt’s ‘Symphony Number 4’ and Louis Andriessen’s ‘De Staat’; Garth Knox bringing his ECM project ‘Saltarello’ to Dublin; the serene voices of the Hilliard Ensemble paired with the haunting music of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannson; Crash Ensemble with European voices new to Ireland including Heiner Goebbels and Michel van der Aa; Callino Quartet with a world premiere by Kevin Volans; late night events including the cosmopolitan duo A Winged Victory For The Sullen and more.

In addition to the programme of concerts taking place over the festival weekend, NMD has a busy schedule of workshops, masterclasses and other events. The festival forms part of Ireland’s EU Presidency Cultural Programme, and at a time when our relationship with Europe is undergoing much discussion, is an opportunity to celebrate the diverse creative nature of the current generation of European and Irish artists.

For further information on the festival schedule and updates see www.newmusicdublin.ie

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