The Music of Friends Sunday, November 28th, 2021 at 7.00 pm Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle
The Music of Friends – Evening Concert
The Music of Friends Presented by the Dublin International Chamber Music Festival in partnership with the Office of Public Works Albert Einstein said of music that "It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life." In our first live concert in two years and also the first public concert under our new name, the Dublin International Chamber Music Festival, we hope to bring some of these qualities to everyone here in the beautiful Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle. Our concerts today have a particular theme and relevance to our lives in the pandemic: our artists invite you to share with them a piece of music with personal significance to them during these challenging times. In addition, in recognition of, and to honour the work and sacrifices of key workers our afternoon concert includes a selection of musical works that have been nominated by frontline workers themselves. These concerts serve to deliver a taste of our plans for next year when this theme will be carried through and members of the public, via our social media channels, will be invited to suggest music which gave them comfort, solace or which, indeed, uplifted them during lockdown. Similarly, further frontline workers will be asked to choose special works with a personal meaning for them, demonstrating the power of connections with music. With all that is in store for 2022's Festival, we invite you in the meantime to just sit back and enjoy our first live concert of this most challenging year and let the music charm your souls.
The Dublin International Chamber Music Festival (Great Music in Irish Houses) is funded by The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and is supported by the Office of Public Works.
The Music of Friends – Evening Concert
PROGRAMME This evening’s concert honours the memory of one of Ireland’s most eminent musicians, the composer John Kinsella. Ian Wilson:
Temeraire for solo horn (world première) Cormac Ó hAodáin, horn
John Kinsella:
Homage to Victor Cormac Ó hAodáin, horn Andreja Maliř, harp
Johann Sebastian Bach:
Allemande, Sarabande and Tempo di Gavotta from Partita No 6 in E Minor, BWV 830
Frédéric Chopin:
Nocturne in D Flat Major Op 27 No 2 Hugh Tinney, piano
Errollyn Wallen:
Dervish
Ludwig van Beethoven:
Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major Op 102 No 1 Andante - Allegro vivace Adagio: Tempo d’andante - Allegro vivace Ailbhe McDonagh, cello Dearbhla Brosnan, piano
Paul Frost:
Rivers 1 and The Blackbird from In Habitat, In Transition Mia Cooper, violin
Fritz Kreisler:
Mélodie from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice Liebesleid Mia Cooper, violin Hugh Tinney, piano
The Music of Friends – Evening Concert
Cormac Ó hAodáin, horn Cormac Ó hAodáin was born in Dublin and studied horn with Victor Malirsh at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. From 1990 to 1994 Cormac studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and from 1994 to1995 he undertook postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Between 1993 and 1996, Cormac represented Ireland in the European Union Youth Orchestra touring Europe, Russia and South America. On these tours he had the privilege of working with Maestros Kurt Sanderling, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Georges Prêtre, Mstislav Rostropovich and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In 1997 he joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and in 1999, became a member of the Philharmonia Orchestra, also in London. In 2009, Cormac returned home to join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as Principal Horn. Since his return to Ireland, Cormac has established the Cassiopeia Wind Quintet, the Irish Horn Quartet and Cornucopia Brass Ensemble. Cormac joined the teaching staff of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2015 and made his conducting début with the Royal Irish Academy of Music Intermediate Orchestra. In 2016 he completed his Masters in CIT Cork School of Music and began conducting the Lourdes Brass Band in Drogheda. In 2020, Cormac was offered a conducting position with the Dublin Youth Orchestra Concert Orchestra and also invited to conduct the Dublin Symphony Orchestra. Cormac is currently undertaking a Masters in Conducting with David Brophy in TU Dublin.
Andreja Maliř, harp Andreja began her studies with Sheila Larchet-Cuthbert before going on to study at the Royal Conservatory of the Netherlands with Professor Edward Witsenburg. Andreja has been Principal Harpist with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra since 1988 (one of the youngest ever to be appointed). With the RTÉ NSO, she has performed all the major harp concerti including the Concerto for Harp by Philip Martin, commissioned especially for her by RTÉ, which she recorded to critical acclaim for the Marco Polo label. Throughout her career Andreja has enjoyed considerable success in the fields of solo, chamber and concerto performances both at home and internationally, touring as far afield as China, Canada, America, and all over Europe including stepping in at short notice to perform Scheherazade with the Kirov Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. A keen chamber music performer, she has an extensive repertoire and has performed at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival and Dublin International Chamber Music Festival many times.
Hugh Tinney, piano Hugh Tinney first came to international recognition by winning first prize in two international competitions, the 1983 Pozzoli in Italy and the 1984 Paloma O'Shea in Spain, and since then he has performed in more than 35 countries throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Far East. A prize in the 1987 Leeds Piano Competition also led to a busy career in Great Britain. Hugh has made a major contribution to Irish concert life for over 40 years, in multiple solo recital series, chamber music series, and frequent concerto appearances. He has played chamber music with many distinguished individuals and groups; he and violinist Catherine Leonard collaborated as a duo for many years.
The Music of Friends – Evening Concert
He has recorded solo, chamber and concerto repertoire for RTÉ lyric fm and several other CD labels. From 2000 to 2006, Hugh Tinney was Artistic Director of “Music in Great Irish Houses”. Later he was co-founder and joint Artistic Director of the Westport Festival of Chamber Music for many years. He teaches at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and he has been a jury member at several international piano competitions, including Santander and Dublin. In September 2007, Hugh was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music by the National University of Ireland. In 2018, in recognition of his 60th Birthday on 28th November, Hugh fulfilled some key celebratory engagements including a 12-stop recital tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland in November, and a performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the RTÉ NSO to a soldout National Concert Hall in Dublin.
Ailbhe McDonagh, cello Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh is soloist, chamber musician and composer. She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. McDonagh gave her début recital with celebrated Irish pianist John O’Conor at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. As a chamber musician, she performs with The McDonagh Sisters with pianist Orla McDonagh. She is also a member of the Ficino Ensemble and the crossover traditional Irish music group, Trio Elatha in which she plays traditional Irish music on the cello. She is an established composer with numerous compositions and commissions to her name. Her compositions have been published by Boosey&Hawkes, ABRSM, Hal Leonard and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Ailbhe's recordings include 'Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas 1-5‘ (2021, Steinway & Sons music label, New York) with renowned Beethoven specialist John O'Conor, 'It’s a Cello Thing’ (2012 CD of the week on RTE Lyric FM) and ‘Skellig’ (2020 Irish Examiner, Top Picks of the Year). Ailbhe joined the String Faculty of the RIAM in 2010. She performs on a Postacchini cello.
Dearbhla Brosnan, piano Regarded as one of the leading accompanists of her generation in Ireland, Dearbhla Brosnan began her musical studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she studied piano with John O'Conor. She received an Honours Degree in Music from Trinity College Dublin, before commencing her postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where her teachers included John Streets and Iain Ledingham. Dearbhla has performed extensively throughout Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, the United States and the Far East as a recitalist and chamber musician, in venues from Dublin’s National Concert Hall to St Martin-in-the-Fields. She regularly performs with Irish soprano Celine Byrne with whom she has given concerts in Portugal, Switzerland, Bratislava, Italy, and at St James's Piccadilly, London and in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall.
The Music of Friends – Evening Concert
She has frequently broadcast on both television and radio and has worked as official accompanist for music festivals and competitions including the Freemasons’ Young Musician of the Year, the Galway Flute Festival and the Dublin International Chamber Music Festival (Great Music in Irish Houses). Dearbhla is passionately committed to teaching and in addition to her own studio at the RIAM, has given classes in the United Kingdom, Italy, China and New Zealand. She is currently resident accompanist at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Mia Cooper, violin Mia Cooper studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Yossi Zivoni, in her final year recording Bartók’s violin duos with him. After graduating Mia joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra where she was Principal First Violin, also participating in London’s varied and vivid freelance music scene. She has been guest leader of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal National Scottish Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Philharmonia and BBC National Orchestras of Wales, and joined the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as Leader in 2006. A love of chamber music was sparked by devoted attendance from the age of 9 at Pro Corda in Suffolk, a residential chamber music course, and Mia has performed and recorded with many groups including the Brodsky Quartet, Gould Piano Trio, at festivals in UK, Europe and India. Mia joined the String Faculty of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2006.