National Concert Hall Jan to March Calendar 15 by National Concert Hall

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Thursday 5 February 2015 The King’s Singers Programme includes Striggio, Gibbons, Cavendish, Weelkes Stanford & many more.

Monday 27 April 2015 John O’Conor Programme includes Schubert & Beethoven.

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Thursday 19 February 2015 Ray Chen violin Julien Quentin piano Programme includes Arvo Pärt, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky & Stravinsky

Sunday 3 May 2015 Latvian Radio Choir Sigvards Kl¸ava conductor Programme includes Rachmaninov, Bach/Nystedt, Eriks Ešenvalds, Anders Hillborg, Ligeti, Peteris Vasks.

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Wednesday 25 February 2015 Paul Lewis Programme - all Beethoven Tickets from ¤25

Thursday 26 March 2015 Natalie Dessay soprano Philippe Cassard piano Programme includes Schumann Brahms, Duparc & more. Tickets from ¤25

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Thursday 21 May 2015 Ulster Orchestra Rafael Payare conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Programme includes Wagner, Elgar & Shostakovich.

©Uwe Arens

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Thursday 16 April 2015 New York Philharmonic Alan Gilbert conductor Joyce DiDonato mezzo-soprano Programme includes Ravel, Strauss & Esa-Pekka Salonen.

THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL JANUARY-MARCH 2015 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sunday 25 January 2015 Benjamin Grosvenor Programme includes Rameau, Bach-Busoni, Franck, Chopin and Granados.

Ray Chen

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JANUARY-MARCH 2015

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CONTENTS January listings February listings March listings January Highlight - Stars Of The Old School by Dick O’Riordan January Concerts - Main Auditorium January Concerts - John Field Room February Highlight - Perspectives Spring 2015 by Tony Clayton-Lea February Concerts - Main Auditorium February Concerts - John Field Room March Highlight - What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music by David Lang March Concerts - Main Auditorium March Concerts - John Field Room Forthcoming Highlights Friends Events Education Events Booking and General Information Getting Here and Parking Seating Plan

PATRON Michael D. Higgins President of Ireland

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RESIDENT AT THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL

The National Concert Hall is supported by The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Chamber Choir Ireland Irish Baroque Orchestra Music Network

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

JANUARY 2015 Thu 1 MA Fri 2/Sat 3 MA Sun 4 MA Wed 7 JFR Thu 8 MA Fri 9 JFR Fri 9 MA Sat 10 MA Sun 11 MA Mon 12 JFR Tue 13 MA Tue 13 JFR Wed 14 MA Thu 15 MA Fri 16 JFR Fri 16 MA Fri 16 MA Sat 17 MA Tue 20 MA Tue 20 MA Wed 21 MA Thu 22 MA Fri 23 JFR Fri 23 MA Sat 24 MA Sun 25 MA Mon 26 JFR Tue 27 MA Tue 27 JFR Thu 29 MA Fri 30 JFR Fri 30 MA Sat 31 MA

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Viennese Whirls The Wizard of Oz NYOI New Year Gala Conor Linehan, piano recital The Fureys in Concert Songs You Should Hear (or should hear again) RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: The Music Makers Dublin Youth Orchestras Annual concert Reeling in The Showband Years Piano recital by Angela Brownridge RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Horizons 2015: Gráinne Mulvey Of Ladies Lost and Found The Burren Backroom Series Concert and CD launch RTÉ Concert Orchestra Signature Series: Danielle de Niese Trio Gerbera World Cultures series: Enrique Granados, Giuseppe Martucci PIPEWORKS: Mark Duley, organ RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Clown & Philosopher The Essential Finbar Wright RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Horizons 2015: David Coonan DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama presents Breaking New Ground Perspectives 2015: Punch Brothers RTÉ Concert Orchestra Signature Series: David Arnold Jazz Sketches on Sondheim RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Nordic Giants Johann Strauss Gala International Concert Series 2014/2015: Benjamin Grosvenor, piano John McCormack’s Life and Songs RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Horizons 2015: Philip Hammond Sergey Schepkin, piano The Three Tenors & Special Guests Pianist David Syme in Concert RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Gallic Charms Anton & Erin ‘That’s Entertainment’

MA Main Auditorium JFR John Field Room

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FEBRUARY 2015 Sun 1 MA Perspectives 2015: Lambchop performing their acclaimed album NIXON in full Tue 3 MA RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Horizons 2015: John Buckley Tue 3 JFR Champions of Barbershop. Wed 4 MA Irish Chamber Orchestra: World Premiére Thu 5 MA International Concert Series 2014/2015: The King’s Singers Fri 6 JFR Lunchtime with The Schumanns Fri 6 MA RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Heavenly Length Sat 7 MA The 20th Festival of Youth Orchestras Sun 8 University Church Vanbrugh Quartet-Schubert and Haydn Series Sun 8 MA 24 Hours From Tulsa - Remembering Gene Pitney Tues 10/ MA An Evening with Elaine Paige Thu 12 Fri 13 JFR Pigalle - The Life and Music of Edith Piaf Fri 13 MA RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Rollercoaster Sat 14 MA RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Valentine’s with Declan O’Rourke Sun 15 University Church Vanbrugh Quartet-Schubert and Haydn Series Sun 15 MA An Evening With Curtis Stigers & His Musicians. Tue 17 MA Great Symphonies Close Up with Charles Hazlewood Tue 17 MA The 2015 National Concert Hall Rising Star Alex Petcu-Colan, percussion Wed 18 MA RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Strike up the Band, The Gershwins in Hollywood Thu 19 MA International Concert Series 2014/2015: Ray Chen, violin & Julien Quentin, piano Fri 20 JFR More Good Old Days of Dublin’s Theatre Royal Fri 20 MA PIPEWORKS: David Adams, organ Fri 20 MA RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Musical Peaks Sat 21 MA Puccini By Candlelight Sun 22 University Church Vanbrugh Quartet Schubert and Haydn Series Mon 23 MA Keep The Home Fires Burning: Songs of The First World War Tue 24 MA A Leaving Certificate Guide To Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique with The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Tue 24 MA Isla Grant Wed 25 MA International Concert Series 2014/2015: Paul Lewis, piano Thu 26 MA RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Essential Classics Fri 27 JFR We’re Old-Fashioned Fri 27 MA RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Mexican Wave Sat 28 MA The Gloaming

30 31 58 31 32 58 33 34 36 37 38 58 40 40 41 42 44 45 46 47 58 48 48 50 51 52 52 53 54 56 58 56 57

MA Main Auditorium JFR John Field Room NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

MARCH 2015 Sun 1 MA Mon 2 Tue 3 MA Wed 4 MA Fri 6 ML Fri 6 EL Fri 6 MA Fri 6 EL Sat 7 MA Sat 7 MA Sun 8 MA Mon 9 MA Tue 10 MA Wed 11 MA Thu 12 MA Fri 13 JFR Fri 13 MA MA Sat 14 Sun 15 MA Mon 16 MA Tue 17 MA Wed 18 MA Thu 19 MA JFR Fri 20 Fri 20 MA Fri 20 MA Mon 23 MA Wed 25 MA Thu 26 MA

The Gloaming

Waltons World Masters - Habib Koité 62 RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Disco Inferno! 62 What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music 66 Tom Johnson: Nine Bells (Festival Opening) What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music 66 Bang on a Can All-Stars and Trio Mediæval: Steel Hammer What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music 63 RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and So Percussion What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music 67 Dublin Guitar Quartet premiére new Michael Gordon piece What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music 64 Bang on A Can Marathon: Afternoon What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music 65 Bang on a Can Marathon RIAM Performing Groups Annual Concert 68 Dublin & Dun Laoghaire ETB Festival of Music 68 Artane School of Music - Annual Showcase 70 RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Heroes in Hollywood 70 The Unthanks 71 The Singing Harp 84 RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Song Of Summer 71 Céilí House Live in Concert 72 The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child 73 The Kilfenora Céilí Band 74 A Tribute to Master Uilleann Piper Liam O’Flynn with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 75 RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Essential Classics 75 Verdi Requiem: The University of Dublin Choral Society 76 I’m Hip. A tribute to Blossom Dearie 84 PIPEWORKS: David Leigh, organ 76 RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Poetry & Mayhem 77 CDETB Music Centre Celebration Concert 77 RTÉ Concert Orchestra: Essential Classics 78 International Concert Series 2014/2015 79 Natalie Dessay, soprano; Philippe Cassard, piano

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MARCH 2015 Fri 27 JFR Fri 27 MA Sat 28 JFR Sat 28 EL Sat 28 JFR Sat 28 MA Sat 28 EL Sun 29 MA Mon 30 JFR JFR Tue 31

Piano Recital by Melissa Jennings RTĂ&#x2030; National Symphony Orchestra 2014-2015: Voices To Thrill West Cork Comes to Dublin Henning Kraggerud, violin; Krzysztof Chorzelski,viola; Natalie Clein, cello West Cork Comes to Dublin Artis Quartet West Cork Comes to Dublin Mairead Hickey, violin; Gary Beecher, piano West Cork Comes to Dublin West Cork Comes to Dublin Vanbrugh Quartet; Paavali Jumppanen, piano ESB Feis Ceoil Gala Love, Loss and Friendship A Chocolate Box of Song

MA Main Auditorium JFR John Field Room EL Engineering Library ML Medical Library

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January Highlight

Stars Of The Old School by Dick O’Riordan, Classical Music Columnist with The Sunday Business Post

John O’Conor, Benjamin Grosvenor and Paul Lewis are three of the most sought-after pianists today, yet they look back to past generations of musicians for their inspiration The National Concert Hall has chosen pianists of three different generations for its International Concert Series but whereas their ages may span different periods, their virtuosity has one thing in common - they are all pianists of the “old school” - musicians of great technical ability, but who also have a deep intellectual commitment bordering on musical spirituality. Ireland’s John O’Conor and England’s Paul Lewis and Benjamin Grosvenor are steeped in a traditionalist approach that precedes the rise in modern times of the so-called celebrity pianist. All three find inspiration and motivation in the interpretations and styles of maestros of the past - many with pedigree links to the teaching methods of the great composers themselves. O’Conor has been a leading world exponent of the “old school” and his triumphs and achievements at home during more than 40 years on the world stage has been more than matched with the fame and respect he has received abroad for his dedicated and scholarly approach. It is not difficult to find review quotes that are breathtaking in scope and observation: “A pianist of unbounding sensitivity” (Gramophone); “He represents a vanishing tradition that favors inner expression and atmosphere over showmanship and bravura” (Chicago Tribune) ; “Impeccable technique and musicality… it would be hard to imagine better performances” 6

(Sunday Times – London); “This artist has the kind of flawless touch that makes an audience gasp“ (Washington Post); “Exquisite playing” (New York Times). O’Conor is justifiably honoured at home as well, not least on the walls of the NCH where space is found for great international contemporaries - names such as Ashkenazy, Schiff and Barenboim. Beside them, you will find O’Conor with Beethoven looking over his shoulder - a tribute to the Irish pianist’s phenomenal reputation in the master’s repertoire. He has recorded all Beethoven’s sonatas and concertos with universal acclaim, even pushing the BBC’s prestigious CD Review to declare that “O’Conor should be now recognised as the world’s premier Beethoven interpreter”. Among a swathe of foreign government awards for services to music have been Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” in France, Ehrenkreuz fur Wissenschaft und Kunst in Austria and Order of the Rising Sun in Japan. Benjamin Grosvenor All three pianists are charismatic performers, but Benjamin Grosvenor also has an intriguing personality for a lad of just 22 who is one of the most important pianists to emerge on the international stage in the past decade. As with Paul Lewis, great concert hall notices are one thing, but worldwide celebrity stems from television and Grosvenor’s subdued retro approach has endeared itself to British audiences desperate to escape any whiff of X-factored phoniness. A prodigy son of a music teaching mother, he mopped up rakes of awards by being termed “old-fashioned” in his

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approach. The Times declared him “…almost from another age”. At ten, in 2003, he became the youngest ever winner of four major competitions. He soon followed by taking the keyboard section in the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year contest (losing out overall to the dazzling Scot, Nicola Benedetti. In 2011 he debuted at the BBC Proms as the youngest ever soloist. London’s Evening Standard even named him in its Top Ten Britons list. Grosvenor says he admires many great players today - fellow Englishman Stephen Hough in particular - but it is when he mentions old-world favourites, such as Romanian Dinu Lipatti and Russian Vladimir Horowitz, that achievement of tonal colour becomes paramount in his consideration. “I do have a pronounced interest in pianists of the past, both for the absolute merits of their performances and because one becomes exposed to potentially important musical expressive tools that may have disappeared from the modern lexicon,” he says. “Of course, you cannot give `sepia-tinted’ performances, as if seeking to re-invent a bygone era, but to ignore the recorded legacy of immensely talented musicians who worked with some of the great composers would be to miss out on a rich part of our artistic heritage.” This is Grosvenor’s third visit to the NCH, having played in 2013 and as guest soloist with the Ulster Orchestra in 2009. Paul Lewis Unlike Ben Grosvenor, Paul Lewis did not have the advantages of a music background when he became interested in music’. His father worked on the Liverpool docks, and Lewis recalls that there was only a crude electronic organ with a one-octave range in their home. “Occasionally, my dad would play one of his John Denver records, but that was about it, really.” However, this did not stop Lewis from getting involved at a school which taught cello only - “and I hated it,” he recalled. He took up the piano and became

self-taught, mainly thanks to a public music library nearby - a great facility but hardly a fast-track into the uber-competitive world of the pianoforte. He advanced well, but then had one massive stroke of good fortune - he was singled out for special tuition by the great Alfred Brendel at a master-class and became a favoured pupil. This did not prove easy, but a baptism of fire. “It took me a long time to learn how to deal with Alfred’s lessons. I couldn’t just imitate him, I had to internalise it and find my own way.” It was tough going, but Lewis was soon driving a successful career, winning many top competitions and taking second prize in the 1994 World Piano Championship in London. His deep-core passions have always been Beethoven and Schubert, whom he regards as one of the most unjustly undervalued composers of all time. Lewis, a subject for matinee-idol promotion, has always eschewed glitzy publicity in favour of deep-thinking musicianship. He admires pianists like his mentor Brendel and, earlier still, the Austrian Arthur Schnabel who avoided technical bravado and famously said he played “only music than is better than it can ever be performed.” Famously, also, Lewis’s career went stellar in the summer of 2010 when he became the first pianist to perform all five Beethoven concerts in a single season of The BBC Proms. His performances were praised for “strong physicality with playing of intellectual rigour and imaginative vigour.” NCH audiences will undoubtedly see much of that. Benjamin Grosvenor plays in the NCH International Concert Series on January 25, Paul Lewis on February 25, and John O’Conor on April 27. Prices ¤20-¤60. Tel 01 417 0000 or www.nch.ie

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VIENNESE WHIRLS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Insights

Anna Devin

THURSDAY 1 JAN 2:30PM/6:30PM

A series of talks given by respected figures in Irish music, each talk takes its theme from an upcoming concert in the International Concert Series. Tuesday 20 January 6:45 – 7:45PM Tuesday 10 February 6:45 – 7:45PM Wednesday 18 March 6:45 – 7:45PM Full Price: ¤8 Friends of the National Concert Hall: ¤6 More information on page 92

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Anna Devin soprano Robert Houlihan conductor Presented by George Hamilton, RTÉ lyric fm It wouldn’t be New Year’s Day without the melody-filled music of the Viennese masters. So travel back in time to celebrate in glittering style with some of the most entrancing and beautiful music ever written. Gems from the pens of the Strauss family, Suppé and Léhar include the unforgettable Blue Danube, swooning Roses from the South and the atmospheric Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna. Irish soprano Anna Devin joins us for the aching romance of Lehár (‘Meine Lippen, sie küssen’ and Vilja Lied), infectious giggling from Strauss (Laughing Song) and the magical anthem Vienna, City of My Dreams.

Tickets: ¤15, ¤24, ¤30, ¤35, ¤40 Concessions: ¤13.50, ¤22.60, ¤27, ¤31.50, ¤36 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

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THE WIZARD OF OZ

FRIDAY 2/SATURDAY 3 JANUARY 2PM/6PM Tony Finnegan The Lion • Michael Evans The Scarecrow • Jimmy Dixon The Tin Man Laura Kerr The Wicked Witch of the West • Annaliesa Evans Glinda Sean Corcoran The Wizard • The Festival Orchestra chorus and dancers Vivian Coates director • Aidan Faughey conductor Rebecca Leonard choreographer • John O’Donoghue set designer Alistair Kerr lighting designer The Wizard of Oz - the timeless story of Dorothy’s journey down the Yellow Brick Road the classic family musical. The Wizard of Oz is coming to the National Concert Hall this Christmas with the classic family musical by Festival Productions. This lavish production features a star-studded cast, spectacular costumes and sets, the wonderful Festival chorus, dancers and orchestra. From the people who brought you “The Sound of Music” and “Annie”. For the child in us all!

Tickets: ¤20, ¤29, ¤32, ¤36 Family ticket - ¤99 (4 seats, additional family seats ¤25 each) Group Discount Available Presented by Festival Productions NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

NYOI NEW YEAR GALA

Les Neish

THE FUREYS IN CONCERT

The Fureys

SUNDAY 4 JANUARY 3PM Les Neish tuba The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland Gearóid Grant conductor Tripp/Kleinsinger Tubby the Tuba, Williams Concerto for Bass Tuba in F minor, 2nd mvt Monti Czárdás Dvorˇák Symphony No. 7 in D minor. The 104-strong National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, conducted by Gearóid Grant, presents Vaughan Williams’ Concerto for Bass Tuba in a spectacular New Year celebration! Les Neish, one of the leading tuba players of his generation, also joins the orchestra as soloist for Monti’s Czardas and family favourite Tubby the Tuba!

THURSDAY 8 JANUARY 8PM Hear legends of Irish music and song The Fureys, perform all their hit songs including I will love you, Sweet 16, Green fields of France, The old man, Red rose café, Clare to here, Her father didn’t like me anyway, Leaving Nancy, Steal away and more. A Fureys concert is always a night to remember.

National Youth Orchestra of Ireland Ceolfhoireann Náisiúnta Óige na hÉireann

Tickets: ¤18 (Children under 18: ¤9) Concessions: ¤13 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall. 10% group discount available 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Sponsored by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon Presented by The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland 10

Tickets: ¤30, ¤32.50, ¤35 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only Sponsored by VW Commercials Presented by Joe McCadden Management

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THE MUSIC MAKERS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

DUBLIN YOUTH ORCHESTRAS ANNUAL CONCERT

RTÉ Philharmonic Choir

FRIDAY 9 JANUARY 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Hugh Tinney piano • Imelda Drumm mezzo-soprano • RTÉ Philharmonic Choir (chorus master Mark Hindley) Andrew Litton conductor Elaine Agnew Everyone Sang RTÉ commission/world premiere Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466 Elgar The Music Makers Marking the 30th anniversary of the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir with the premiere of Elaine Agnew’s setting of Siegfried Sassoon’s moving poem of unexpected beauty and hope and Edward Elgar’s tender and beautiful work inspired by Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s Ode. One of Mozart’s best-loved piano concertos follows.

SATURDAY 10 JANUARY 7PM The Junior Strings Orchestra Vanessa Sweeney conductor Intermediate Orchestra Philip Thomas conductor Concert Orchestra Ronan O’Reilly conductor Symphony Orchestra Fergus Sheil conductor Dublin Youth Orchestras consists of four separate orchestras with a total of 400 young players between the ages of 9 and 21, providing them with an orchestral musical education and opportunities to perform.

Soundings, 7pm In Conversation: Elaine Agnew & Mark Hindley

Tickets: ¤12, ¤20, ¤26, ¤32, ¤35 (Concessions: ¤10, ¤18, ¤23.40, ¤28.80, ¤31.50) Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

Tickets: ¤25 (Children, students and concessions: ¤15) Presented by Dublin Youth Orchestras

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REELING IN THE SHOWBAND YEARS

LIFE IS A WAVE… RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HORIZONS 2015: GRÁINNE MULVEY

Gráinne Mulvey

SUNDAY 11 JANUARY 8PM

TUESDAY 13 JANUARY 1:05PM

Roly Daniels • Eileen Reid • Paddy Cole The Conquerors Showband Lorraine McDonald • Tommy Swarbrigg Jimmy Swarbrigg • Ronan Collins host

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Martin Johnson cello Gavin Maloney conductor Presented by Bernard Clarke, RTÉ lyric fm David Bremner Gap Static (2014) world premiere Gráinne Mulvey Diffractions (2014) world premiere Nicola Lefanu Threnody (2014) world premiere Gráinne Mulvey Cello Concerto: Excursions and Ascents (2014) RTÉ commission / world premiere

Reeling In the Showband Years is back, starring Roly Daniels, a living legend of showbiz for the past 40 years and Eileen Reid, the biggest female vocalist of the Showband era, whose hits include Are you teasing me? and I gave my wedding dress away. Paddy Cole returns by overwhelming popular request. Lorraine McDonald sings The Showband Ladies and don’t miss The Conquerors Showband, one of the greatest of them all and Eurovision stars Tommy and Jimmy Swarbrigg! The show’s exciting finale is an all cast salute to the Showband Era.

Tickets: ¤30, ¤35 (Choir Balcony: ¤25) 10% concession available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 10% group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Tommy Swarbrigg promotions 12

LIFE IS A WAVE…‘Four world premieres. Three generations of composers. I explore Alpine glaciers and the mysteries of light with John Tyndall in both my cello concerto Excursions and Ascents and in Diffractions for orchestra.’ Gráinne Mulvey Composer in conversation 12.30pm: CMC Director Evonne Ferguson with Gráinne Mulvey

FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

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the

Fureys NEW CD ed

lud song words inc

Legends of Irish music & song The FUREYS, renowned for their hit songs ‘I will love you’, ‘Sweet 16’, ‘The Green fields of France’, ‘The old man’, ‘Red rose café’, ‘Clare to here’, ‘Her father didn’t like me anyway’, ‘Leaving Nancy’, ‘Steal away’ etc return to the National Concert Hall for another night of music and song. Along with all their hits, they will also be including songs from their new album ‘The Times they are a changing’

A FUREYS concert is always a night to remember.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL

THURSDAY 8th JANUARY 2015 Tickets €25, €30, €32.50 and €35 (no booking fee) Show 8pm Bookings: Telephone: (01) 4170000 or www.nch.ie Ideal s Christma Gift

www.thefureys.com

Commercial Vehicles

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THE BURREN BACKROOM SERIES CONCERT AND CD LAUNCH

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA SIGNATURE SERIES: DANIELLE DE NIESE

Danielle de Niese

WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY 8PM

THURSDAY 15 JANUARY 8PM

An evening of traditional and contemporary Celtic music, song and dance with Sharon Shannon, Dervish, Sean Keane, Lúnasa, Andy Irvine, Jim Murray, Seamus Begley, Tommy, Louise and Rose McCarthy, Jacqueline McCarthy and Tommy Keane, Johnny Ringo McDonagh, celebrating the release of the CD, Live from the Burren Backroom, Volume 1. This special concert will celebrate the power of live traditional music in strengthening bonds between Ireland and America.

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Neil Thomson conductor Danielle de Niese soprano

Supporting the Walk in My Shoes Campaign, part of St Patrick’s Mental Health Foundation.

Prepare to be spellbound as Danielle de Niese takes the stage for a gorgeous programme that will show the true range of her vocal talent and why The New York Times remarked that her voice was ‘seductive enough to woo gods as well as mortals’.

Tickets: ¤35 Presented by Burren Productions 14

Having stolen the hearts of the audience during her last visit, Danielle de Niese returns to launch the RTÉ Concert Orchestra Signature Series 2015. A ‘sweet, gleaming soprano’ with ‘phenomenal musicality’, de Niese breathes new life into opera.

Tickets: ¤20, ¤35, ¤45 (Concessions: ¤18, ¤31.50, ¤40.50) Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

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PIPEWORKS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

CLOWN & PHILOSOPHER RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Maxim Rysanov

FRIDAY 16 JANUARY 6:45PM

FRIDAY 16 JANUARY 8PM

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Mark Duley organ

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Maxim Rysanov viola • John Finucane clarinet • Alan Buribayev conductor R Strauss Till Eulenspiegel lustige Streiche Bartók Viola Concerto Bruch Double Concerto for Clarinet and Viola in E minor R Strauss Tod und Verklärung Strauss the rollicking clown (Till Eulenspiegel) and Strauss at his most philosophical and profound (Tod und Verklärung) frame Bartók’s potently lyrical Viola Concerto - with the charismatic young violist Maxim Rysanov as soloist - and Bruch’s romantic Double Concerto with the orchestra’s own Principal Clarinettist John Finucane.

JS Bach Messiaen JS Bach

Prelude in E flat BWV 552i Combat de la mort et de la vie (Le Corps Glorieux) Fugue in E flat BWV 552ii

A mystical take on the theme of Strauss’ Tod und Verklärung (to be heard in the 8pm symphony concert) can be found in Olivier Messiaen’s monumental meditation on the battle between life and death. Framing it is one of JS Bach’s most exultant works linking the human and the divine, the prelude an earthly dance transfigured and the fugue a heavenly glimpse of the Trinity.

Soundings, 7pm In Conversation: Maxim Rysanov & John Finucane

Tickets: FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by Pipeworks in association with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the National Concert Hall

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THE ESSENTIAL FINBAR WRIGHT CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

Finbar Wright

HIDDEN VISIONS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HORIZONS 2015: DAVID COONAN

David Coonan

SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 8PM

TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 1:05PM

Finbar Wright and His Musicians

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Kristine Balanas violin Gavin Maloney conductor Presented by Bernard Clarke, RTÉ lyric fm

Finbar Wright returns to the National Concert Hall with an array of top class musicians to perform his greatest hits and all your favourites and to mark twenty-five years of making heart-warming music, not only on this legendary stage but also on stages around the world. Regarded as one of the finest voices of modern times and Ireland’s best loved tenor, this will be a night of beautiful songs, some laughter, lots of smiles and excellent entertainment!

Joseph Davies Byzantium for orchestra (2012) Irish premiere David Coonan Träumerei for violin and orchestra (2011) Irish premiere David Coonan Sarcasms for orchestra (2014) RTÉ commission / world premiere. ‘The transcendent worlds of Yeats, Brahms’ unseen love-letters, and the two-sided sardonicism of Sergei Prokofiev; all lie interwoven in the hinterlands of the three works on this programme.’ David Coonan Composer in conversation 12.30pm: CMC Director Evonne Ferguson with David Coonan

Tickets: ¤30, ¤35, ¤39 (Choir Balcony: ¤25) 10% Concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall Group discount available 10% All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Pat Egan Sound Ltd 16

FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

Opera & Ballet International presents two Ellen Kent productions with international soloists, full orchestra & chorus

WINNER ‘BEST OPERA AWARD’ LIVERPOOL DAILY POST THEATRE AWARDS

‘This is a Butterfly to cherish’ MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

Starring the beautiful Korean soprano Elena Dee* & Japanese soprano Miki Mori*.

The love story that gripped Paris Starring Elena Dee and Alyona Kistenyova.* This striking production boasts sumptuous sets and costumes. All productions sung in Italian with English surtitles.

‘First-rate singing’ THE STAGE *Cast subect to change

The National Concert Hall Butterfly Sat 18 April 7.30pm Traviata Sun 19 April 7.30pm Tickets from €25 Box Office 01 4170000 www.nch.ie NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

DIT CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AND DRAMA BREAKING NEW GROUND

Mini Music is an action-packed music workshop experience for babies and young children aged 3 months to 5 years old. 30-minute workshops take place on Saturdays at the National Concert Hall. Carefully designed to suit each of the age groups, workshops are fun and accessible with foot-tapping, memorable tunes!

Young Maestros

Join our Young Maestros today and receive a 20% discount on up to 2 tickets for Mini Music workshops! For more information see our Education Events on page 94 or visit www.nch.ie

TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 8PM Andrew Synnott conductor, composer Keith Pascoe conductor Singers and Orchestra of DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama Synnott Breaking New Ground Grand Symphony in D Alday Breaking New Ground is an opera about the human struggle with mind and body, and the darker impulses that lurk within us. It is also an opera about art. The story follows three performance artists divided in time and space attempting to perform a ground-breaking work. Breaking New Ground celebrates the 125th Anniversary of DIT Conservatory and the launch of the new DIT MMus in Opera/Repetiteur, the first of its kind in Ireland.

Tickets: ¤20 (Concessions: ¤15) 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 20% group discount available 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

PERSPECTIVES 2015 PUNCH BROTHERS

Punch Brothers

WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY 8PM Support Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Dan Trueman’s: Laghdú Punch Brothers are the New York City-based quintet of mandolinist Chris Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjoist Noam Pikelny, and violinist Gabe Witcher. Vanity Fair hailed their 2012 album, Who’s Feeling Young Now? as ‘their most expressive work yet as an ensemble; sophisticated, pop-y, kinetic and profound, all at once.’ Its debut disc for Nonesuch Records, Punch, was released in 2008, followed by the Jon Brion-produced Antifogmatic (2010). Punch Brothers have been featured on the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis. The band perform tracks from their upcoming album. ‘Their songs glitter and soar, capable of pushing beyond traditional bluegrass into alternative rock.’ The Times The acclaimed new collaboration of Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and U.S. composer Dan Trueman brings fiddle playing into a new dimension. Their album Laghdú has been widely acclaimed.

Tickets: ¤25 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The National Concert Hall NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA SIGNATURE SERIES: DAVID ARNOLD

David Arnold

NORDIC GIANTS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Howard Shelley

THURSDAY 22 JANUARY 8PM

FRIDAY 23 JANUARY 8PM

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Nicholas Dodd conductor David Arnold piano, vocals, guitar

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Howard Shelley piano/conductor

He scored a whopping five James Bond films: Casino Royale, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day and Quantum of Solace as well as Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, Sherlock and the music for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Now, Grammy Award winner David Arnold performs his adored film, TV and Olympic music with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, in this brand new concept, only once before performed by him in London in July 2014.

Tickets: ¤20, ¤35, ¤45 (Concessions: ¤18, ¤31.50, ¤40.50) Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra 20

Sibelius Grieg Nielsen

Finlandia Piano Concerto in A minor Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments

Pianist-director Howard Shelley returns to celebrate the 150th anniversaries of the birth of two Scandinavian giants: Sibelius, with his vibrantly atmospheric epic-inminiature Finlandia, and Carl Nielsen, whose Second Symphony brilliantly evokes the contrasted moods of The Four Temperaments. Grieg’s perennially popular, tune-filled Piano Concerto is a glorious expression of youthful exuberance. Soundings, 7pm In Conversation Howard Shelley

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

JOHANN STRAUSS GALA

SATURDAY 24 JANUARY 3:15PM/8PM Johann Strauss Dancers & Orchestra Conducted & hosted by Rainer Hersch with Kristy Swift soprano Works to include Blue Danube Waltz, Radetzky March, Tales From The Vienna Woods, Thunder And Lightning Polka, Laughing Song From Die Fledermaus, Perpetuum Mobile, Roses From The South Waltz plus many more of your favourite waltzes and polkas from the Strauss family and friends. Imagine a ballroom, the guests have arrived and the celebration is about to begin… The candelabra twinkle, the conductor taps his baton, the dancers take their partners and the orchestra plays a sparkling assortment of much-loved music from the Strauss family. This is Raymond Gubbay’s Johann Strauss Gala, the show that has enchanted audiences across the UK and Ireland for 40 years with its whirls and twirls, billowing gowns and graceful elegance. Irrepressible showman Rainer Hersch returns to host this anniversary tour, guiding you, with a dash of comedy, through this frolicking show filled with music, laughter and dance. Tickets: ¤36.50, ¤44.50, ¤47.50 (Choir Balcony: ¤26) 10% concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 20% group discount available 12% discount for Irish Countrywomen’s Association members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Raymond Gubbay Ltd NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES 2014/2015 BENJAMIN GROSVENOR PIANO

Benjamin Grosvenor

SUNDAY 25 JANUARY 8PM Rameau Bach-Busoni Franck Chopin Chopin Chopin Granados

Gavotte and Variations in A minor Chaconne in D minor Prélude, choral et fugue Barcarolle Two Mazurkas Ballade No. 3 3 pieces from Goyescas

Acclaimed British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is internationally recognized for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations. An exquisite technique and ingenious flair for tonal colour are the hallmarks which make him one of the most sought-after young pianists in the world. Described by some as a ‘skill and talent not heard since Kissin’s teenage Russian debut’ (Gramophone Magazine), Benjamin is renowned for his distinctive sound, described as ‘poetic and gently ironic, brilliant yet clear-minded, intelligent but not without humour, all translated through a beautifully clear and singing touch’ (The Independent). “A ‘Golden Age’ pianist” American Record Guide “almost from another age” The Times

Tickets: ¤30, ¤35, ¤40, ¤45 (¤20 Choir Balcony) Supported by The Irish Times Presented by The National Concert Hall 22

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

PIANO CENTRE STAGE RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HORIZONS 2015: PHILIP HAMMOND

THE THREE TENORS & SPECIAL GUESTS

Philip Hammond

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 1:05PM

THURSDAY 29 JANUARY 8PM

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Michael Mchale piano Gavin Maloney conductor Presented by Bernard Clarke, RTÉ lyric fm

Declan Kelly, Ray O’Hare, Dominic McGorian Star violinist Maria Mason RTÉ Cór na nÓg Children’s Choir, Music Director Mary Amond O’Brien.

Philip Hammond ‘...the starry dynamo in the machinery of night...’ (2001) Miniatures and Modulations (2011) Piano Concerto (2014) ‘My music is the result of many influences, and this Horizons concert enjoys the context of the imagery of the black and white movie, the historical Belfast Harp Festival of 1792, and the poetry of the French symbolists.’ Philip Hammond

Declan Kelly, Ray O’Hare and Dominic McGorian with their amazing voices and super personalities promise you a night to remember! This thrilling, fast-moving concert is packed with the world’s most beautiful, magical, uplifting songs. Hear songs made famous by Sinatra, Leonard Cohen, Pavarotti, The Dubliners and many more!

Composer in conversation 12.30pm: CMC Director Evonne Ferguson with Philip Hammond

FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 24

Tickets: ¤35, ¤32.50 10% concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 10% Group Discount available 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by John Conway for IME International.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

GALLIC CHARMS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Craig Ogden

ANTON & ERIN ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT’

Anton du Beke & Erin Boag

FRIDAY 30 JANUARY 8PM

SATURDAY 31 JANUARY 8PM

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Craig Ogden guitar Takuo Yuasa conductor

Anton du Beke & Erin Boag Richard Balcombe conductor Lance Ellington star vocalist Six-world class Ensemble Dancers plus the full 25-piece Manchester Concert Orchestra live on stage

Bizet Rodrigo Saint-Saëns

Carmen Suite No. 1 Concierto de Aranjuez Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Organ

Rodrigo’s ever-popular love song to Spain, the Concierto de Aranjuez - with Craig Ogden the virtuoso soloist - boasts a glorious melody at its heart and forms the centrepiece for an evening of Gallic passion and romance. Bizet’s First Carmen Suite is a thrilling, colour-soaked opera in miniature; Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony an orchestral feast of dramatic contrasts. Soundings, 7pm In Conversation Craig Ogden & Takuo Yuasa

Ticket: ¤12, ¤20, ¤26, ¤32, ¤35 (Concessions: ¤10, ¤18, ¤23.40, ¤28.80, ¤31.50) Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

This dazzling new production for 2015 including classic hits such as That’s Entertainment, True Love, Make ‘Em Laugh, Steppin’ Out With My Baby and There’s No Business Like Show Business. Join the UK’s favourite dance couple as they combine the sophisticated elegance of their quick step, foxtrot, tango and waltz with the showbiz razzmatazz of hits and steps from stage and screen.

Tickets: ¤42.50, ¤49.50, ¤54.50 (Choir Balcony: ¤32.50) 10% concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 10% group discount available 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Raymond Gubbay Ltd

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

JOHN FIELD ROOM JANUARY

Wednesday 7 January 8PM CONOR LINEHAN-PIANO RECITAL Mozart Sonata in B flat K.570 Schumann Fantasy in C Major Op. 17 Fauré Nocturne no. 4 in E flat and no. 13 in B minor Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Conor Linehan performs a wide-ranging programme of Classical, Romantic and Impressionist piano music. Tickets: ¤20 (Concessions: ¤16) 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Conor Linehan

Friday 9 January 1:05PM SONGS YOU SHOULD HEAR (OR SHOULD HEAR AGAIN) Kathy Nugent and Seamus Brett Kathy Nugent and Seamus Brett return in their series of concerts with great songs you may know and love, and some you may not know but will love even more. Kathy, one of Irelands outstanding artists and the equally outstanding pianist Seamus Brett will deliver songs made famous by artists such Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland and from composers such as Berlin, Sondheim, Arlen, and more. Tickets: ¤16 (Friends of The National Concert Hall and Concessions: ¤14) Presented by Paul Black

Monday 12 January 7:30PM PIANO RECITAL BY ANGELA BROWNRIDGE Beethoven Sonata in F minor Op. 57. Liszt Sosalizio & Petrarch Sonnet 104. Debussy Suite Pour le Piano. Chopin Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor Op. 35. Scriabin Four Studies from Op. 8. Nos. 1, 2, 11, & 12. Hailed as “a star in classical music & one of the world’s finest pianists” by the New York Times Angela presents a programme of some of the greatest works by the composers featured in her recital. “an artist of the highest calibre. Hers was playing of the highest order”. Tickets: ¤20 (Concessions: ¤17) Presented by Angela Brownridge

Tuesday 13 January 8PM OF LADIES LOST AND FOUND Karen Underwood Arranged and accompanied by John O’Brien on piano Of Ladies Lost and Found is an exploration of love and loss by Karen Underwood as witnessed in the songs of artists such as Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Whitney Houston, Edith Piaf, and Amy Winehouse. It is directed and arranged by John O’Brien who was the inspiration behind Pagliacci (Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Opera 2012), Orpheus, and Der Vampyr. Tickets: ¤20 (Concessions: ¤18) 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 10% group discount available 12%discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Gerry Barnes Promotions

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

JOHN FIELD ROOM JANUARY Friday 16 January 1:05PM TRIO GERBERA WORLD CULTURES SERIES Trio Gerbera: Anne Phelan violin, Sokol Koka cello, Svetlana Rudenko piano E. Granados Trio in C Major, op. 50 G. Martucci Trio N2, op. 62 (2 movements) Trio Gerbera returns with an exploration of world cultures. Tickets: ¤18 (Concessions: ¤15) 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only. Presented by Trio Gerbera

Friday 23 January 1:05PM JAZZ SKETCHES ON SONDHEIM Stella Bass voice Cian Boylan piano Jazz singer Stella Bass performs a concert of the music of Stephen Sondheim, probably the greatest living Broadway composer… with a jazz twist. Featuring beautiful new jazz arrangements by top Irish arranger and jazz pianist Cian Boylan, the programme features Sondheim’s most iconic and best-loved songs, bridging the worlds of musical theatre and jazz. Tickets: ¤15 ( Concessions: ¤12) 15% discount for friends of The National Concert Hall. 10% group discount 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only. Presented by Stella Bass

Monday 26 January 8PM JOHN MCCORMACK’S LIFE AND SONGS Philip Scott tenor Orla Culleton soprano Philip Scott, The Kildare Tenor, draws you into the world of the celebrated Irish tenor, Count John McCormack. The evening consists of such favourites as I hear you calling me, Macushla, The Kerry dance, She is far from the land and a selection of Italian arias plus many more.

Tuesday 27 January 8PM SERGEY SCHEPKIN, PIANO Sergey Schepkin is a Boston-based classical pianist and is especially renowned for his performances and recordings of Bach. He has performed on many distinguished stages worldwide, from America to Russia to Japan to New Zealand. This programme will include works from Bach, Debussy and Mussorgsky. Tickets: ¤18 (Concessions: ¤15). Presented by Dublin Master Classes

Friday 30 January 1:05PM PIANIST DAVID SYME IN CONCERT This programme includes the most thrilling masterpieces from the classical piano repertoire including Chopin’s Polonaise, Debussy’s Clair De Lune, Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue and Monti’s Czárdás. Internationally renowned American pianist David Syme, now living full-time in Ireland, has become one of our country’s most beloved classical musicians. He has a legion of devoted followers who embrace his heartfelt interpretations. This piano master has performed to critical acclaim in 21 countries. A Juilliard alumnus, he was recently awarded an honorary diploma by the Royal Irish Academy Of Music for his contributions to cultural life in Ireland. Tickets: ¤20 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by JB Records Inc.

Tickets: ¤18 (Concessions: ¤15) Groups: ¤14 euros 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Sponsored by Kildare Farm Foods. Presented by Philip Scott NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

February Highlight

Perspectives Spring 2015 by Tony Clayton-Lea, Irish Times music critic

Some claim that variety is the spice of life; some say that mixing the popular with the esoteric enriches the enjoyment of each; and several others say that you can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs. What this brief preamble means is that you really can’t beat a good rummage through the closets and drawers of contemporary music, and so to say that the National Concert Hall’s schedule of events for its Perspectives Spring 2015 programme is revelatory is surely one of the understatements of the year. Bringing out the big guns first, there is a rare-as-hen’s-teeth performance (Monday May 4) from acclaimed American minimalist composer, Philip Glass. In the company of pianists Maki Namekawa and Timo Andres, Glass will perform his now complete 20 Études for Piano, which collectively constitutes the composer’s personal and creative expression of dynamics and emotion. Another rare performance takes place three months earlier (Sunday February 1st) when Nashville-based band, Lambchop, perform their highly praised (and 28

landmark) 2000 album, Nixon. Arguably the most consistently brilliant and unique American group to emerge during the 1990s, it has been many years since Lambchop set foot on Irish soil – and there’s a double cause for celebration, as the evening’s special guest is Irish singer Adrian Crowley, whose latest album, Some Blue Morning, is up there with the best music released in 2014. Staying with the unconventional – and performing at the NCH on Wednesday June 17 – we have Berlin-based composer/pianist, Nils Frahm, who elegantly fuses classical with electronic music in an unconventional way that not only defies expectations but also pleases fans of Arvo Pärt and Brian Eno.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

April Jazz, meanwhile, is the title given to a three-day festival (April 10-12; co-presented with Note Productions) featuring the trio of Ernst Reijseger (cello), Harmen Fraanje (piano) and Mola Sylla (vocals, multi-instrumentalist), the Tomasz Stanko Quartet, the Sue Rynhart Duo, oud player Anouar Brahem and his Quartet with guest saxophonist, Sean Mac Erlaine, and The Bad Plus, the latter of which will be joined by a trio of musicians from three generations of jazz (Ron Miles, Tim Berne, Sam Newsome) to recalibrate Ornette Coleman’s masterwork, Science Fiction. Special guests for the Bad Plus event are Dublin electro improvisers, OKO (‘if you like your sonic fields wide and cerebral, then this is the band for you’ notes The Irish Times). If all of this isn’t enough to give you the right kind of chills, Perspectives 2015 opens (on Wednesday, January 21) with a performance (presumably of the knock-out variety) from The Punch Brothers. A New York City-based five-piece, featuring mercurial mandolinist Chris Thile, they are highly respected by Rolling Stone magazine (‘you’ve got to admire a crew that aspire to be a string-band version of Radiohead – the acoustic framework dazzles… virtuosity used for more than just virtuosity’), and have been described by The Guardian as ‘exciting, wildly original’. The Punch Brothers bring along special guests Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

and Dan Trueman, whose latest album, Laghdú, was praised on its release by the likes of Martin Hayes (“a spacious and luscious soundscape”) and Iarla Ó Lionaird (“one of the most fulsome and beautiful recordings I have ever heard”). So there you have it: Perspectives Spring 2015. Something for everyone in the audience. Something for everyone on stage. A few eggs broken, with not a cracked or jagged shell in sight. What’s not to love? Tickets for Perspectives 2015 on sale from ¤20. Tel 01 417 0000 or www.nch.ie

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

PERSPECTIVES 2015 LAMBCHOP PERFORMING THEIR ACCLAIMED ALBUM NIXON IN FULL

SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY 8PM Support Adrian Crowley. Long-standing Nashville-based music pioneers Lambchop return to Europe to perform the landmark album, Nixon. Nixon was released in early 2000. Starting with the swell of horns in the middle of album opener “The Old Gold Shoe,” Nixon glides easily from one unexpected grace note to the next, peppering in funk, R&B, gospel, country, vintage folk—and integrating them all, not presenting them discretely. Lambchop has always taken its Nashville origins seriously, making use of the wide variety of talented musicians who live and work in Music City. Choice Music Prize-winner Adrian Crowley who marks the release of the stunning Some Blue Morning on Chemickal Underground. Crowley is a man literally haunted by music; his ability to capture these dreams in such a disciplined manner is astoundingly rare.

Tickets: ¤30 10% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall Presented by The National Concert Hall

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

MIRRORS OF LIGHT RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HORIZONS 2015: JOHN BUCKLEY

John Buckley

IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WORLD PREMIÈRE

Irish Chamber Orchestra

TUESDAY 3 FEBRUARY 1:05PM

WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 8PM

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Gwendolyn Masin violin Gavin Maloney conductor Presented by Bernard Clarke, RTÉ lyric fm

Irish Chamber Orchestra Katherine Hunka director, violin Istvan Vardai cello

Elliott Carter Sound Fields (2007) Irish premiere John Buckley A Mirror into the Light (1999) Jerome De Bromhead A Lay for a Light Year (2014) world premiere John Buckley Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2008) Irish premiere ‘The serenely luminous Sound Fields, composed in his ninety-ninth year by Elliott Carter, and A Lay for a Light-Year by Jerome de Bromhead are juxtaposed with my own works, which seek to balance a calm reflective lyricism with gestures of explosive energy’. John Buckley Composer in conversation 12.30pm: CMC Director Evonne Ferguson with Philip Hammond

FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

Shostakovich Schumann Sam Perkin Shostakovich

Prelude and Scherzo Cello Concerto in A minor World Première Chamber Symphony Op. 110a (the 8th string quartet)

The ICO has commissioned up-and-coming composer, Sam Perkin, to write a work for String Orchestra. Schumann’s great Cello Concerto demands a broad palette of colours, lighteness of touch, flexibility and expression from Vardai. Shostakovich’s Prelude and Scherzo encompass an almost symphonic range of expressive states. His 8th String Quartet is one of the most powerful and personal works of the twentieth-century. Tickets: ¤20 (Concessions: ¤18) (Students and unwaged: ¤10) 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 10% discount for groups of 10 or more 10% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The Irish Chamber Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES 2014/2015 THE KING’S SINGERS

The King’s Singers

THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY 8PM David Hurley countertenor • Timothy Wayne-Wright countertenor Julian Gregory tenor • Christopher Bruerton baritone Christopher Gabbitas baritone • Jonathan Howard bass Striggio Eran ninfe e pastori Gibbons Long live fair Oriana Marenzio Leggiadre ninfe e ] pastorelli amanti Cavendish Come, gentle swains Palestrina Quando dal terzo cielo Weelkes As Vesta was from Latmos Hill descending

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies House of Winter J.L. Rogers Hears not my Phyllis Stanford The Bluebird Stanford Quick, we have but a second Bridge The Goslings Sullivan The Long Day Closes Postcards from Around the World Songs from the Great American Songbook

Instantly recognisable for their spot-on intonation, impeccable vocal blend, flawless articulation of the text and incisive timing, they are also consummate entertainers: a class act with a delightfully British wit. “The superlative vocal sextet.” The Times

Tickets: ¤40, ¤50, ¤55, ¤60 (Choir Balcony: ¤30) Supported by The Irish Times Presented by The National Concert Hall

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

HEAVENLY LENGTH RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Kurt Nikkanen

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Kurt Nikkanen violin Patrik Ringborg conductor Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 Mahler Blumine Korngold Violin Concerto in D Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C, The Great The dramatic Third Leonore Overture is a powerful prelude to Mahler’s lyrical Blumine, with its haunting trumpet solo and Korngold’s Violin Concerto, a work which borrows heavily from his romantic Hollywood film scores. Schumann famously described Schubert’s final symphony as being of ‘heavenly length’ and its drama, passion and eloquent anticipation of the Romantic era is equally deserving of its nickname, The Great. Soundings, 7pm In Conversation Kurt Nikkanen

Serving Afternoon teA Daily from 3pm to 5pm ¤18 per person

Tickets: ¤12, ¤20, ¤26, ¤32, ¤35 Concessions: ¤10, ¤18, ¤23.40, ¤28.80, ¤31.50 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

THE 20TH FESTIVAL OF YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY 3PM/8PM The 20th Festival of Youth Orchestras will see more than 500 young players from around Ireland perform original works and arrangements from the classical repertoire of composers such as Wagner, Dvorak’s 7, Symphonic Dances by Yosuke Fukuda and modern works by the contemporary Irish composer Sam Perkin. It is a family event not to be missed. 3pm Performance County Cork School of Music Junior Orchestra The High School Orchestra IAYO Festival Orchestra Irish Youth Wind Ensemble

8pm Performance Coole Music Youth Orchestra St Canice’s Senior Orchestra ConCorda National Youth Orchestra of Ireland

Celebrating 20 years of the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras, this special edition will see performances by the very best of young Irish musicians in the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and will include orchestras from primary and secondary schools and community based youth orchestras.

Tickets: ¤15 (Concessions: ¤10) Children: ¤7.50/Family Ticket: ¤40 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert 40% discount for groups of 10 or more. 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The Irish Association of Youth Orchestras 34

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

64th Festival 21 October – 1 November 2015

Koanga Frederick Delius 21, 24, 27, 30 October

Guglielmo Ratcliff Pietro Mascagni 22, 25, 28, 31 October

Le Pré aux clercs Ferdinand Hérold 23, 26, 29 October / 1 November

General Booking opens on Saturday 28 March 2015, but to enjoy the best seats in the house, why not take advantage of Friends’ Priority Booking? Priority Booking opens on Saturday 28 February 2015, offering all our Friends the chance to choose their preferred seats. Become a Friend of the Festival through Wexfordopera.com/friends or for more information contact our Membership Development Executive Lucy Durack on +353 53 916 3525 or email lucy@wexfordopera.com

Wexfordopera.com ` t y v

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

VANBRUGH QUARTET SCHUBERT AND HAYDN SERIES

Vanbrugh Quartet

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY 3PM UNIVERSITY CHURCH, ST STEPHEN’S GREEN Gregory Ellis violin Keith Pascoe violin Simon Aspell viola Christopher Marwood cello Haydn Schubert

String Quartet No. 53 in D major (“The Lark”), Op. 64, No. 5 String Quartet No. 14 in D minor “Death & the Maiden”

Winner of the 1988 London International String Quartet Competition and now in its twenty-fourth concert season, the Vanbrugh Quartet is one of Europe’s most successful ensembles internationally recognised for its beauty of sound, clarity of texture and integrity of interpretation within an unusually wide and varied range of repertoire. The Quartet enjoys a thriving international career with past appearances including concerts in Berlin (Konzerthaus), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Hungary (Liszt Academy). The quartet tours the USA on a regular basis with performances in Carnegie Hall, New York and The Kennedy Centre in Washington. Based in Cork as Artists In Residence at UCC and holding residencies at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and the National Concert Hall, the Vanbrugh Quartet has dedicated itself to bringing string quartet music to audiences throughout Ireland.

Tickets: ¤15 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the National Concert Hall 36

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

24 HOURS FROM TULSA REMEMBERING GENE PITNEY

Tommy Carey as Gene Pitney

ECO Ensembles

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY 8PM Tommy Carey as Gene Pitney with the Liberty Valance Big Band & Singers with guest vocalist Karen Black. musical director Eugene McCarthy The sudden death of Gene Pitney in April 2006 was a shattering blow to his many legions of fans. He had 16 top 40 US hits and 22 Top 40 UK hits. This special show will include all of Gene Pitney’s classic hits: Town Without Pity, 24 Hours From Tulsa, Backstage, Something Gotten Hold Of My Heart, True Love Never Runs Smooth and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, transporting fans back to the height of Pitney’s fame in the ‘60’s when Top of The Pops ruled the world!

Everybody should have the opportunity to participate in a musical ensemble; it is never too late! NCH: Sing Out! 8.00-9.30pm Wednesdays Percussion Lab 8.00-9.30pm Tuesdays Term starts the week of 24 January 2015 Ages 16 and up More information on page 93

Tickets: ¤27.50, ¤32.50, ¤37.50 (Choir Balcony: ¤20) 5% concessions available for Senior Citizens, unwaged, students Group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Pat Egan Sound Ltd NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

AN EVENING WITH ELAINE PAIGE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY & FAREWELL TOUR

Elaine Paige

TUESDAY 10 & THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY 8PM RESCHEDULED DATES FROM OCTOBER 2014 Elaine Paige & Her Musicians Elaine Paige, as an actress and recording artist, has made a major contribution to the modern musical that ensures and justifies the title “The First Lady of Musical Theatre”. She swept to fame with her award winning performance as Eva Peron in Evita in both the West end & on Broadway and followed that up with the role of Grizabella in Cats. She then appeared in a string of smash hit shows…Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Chess (with her global smash hit I Know Him so Well), Sunset Boulevard, The King & I and many more.

Full Price Tickets: ¤55, ¤60, ¤70 (Choir Balcony: ¤30) Concessions: ¤49.50, ¤54, ¤63 (Choir Balcony: ¤27) 10% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall Group discounts available Presented by Pat Egan Sound Ltd. 38

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

CÉILÍ HOUSE LIVE IN CONCERT

CELEBRATE

ST. PATRICK’S AT A T THE THE NATIONAL NATIONAL C CONCERT ONCERT H HALL ALL L

LIAM

14, 16, 17 March 8PM

THE KILFENORA CÉILÍ BAND O'FLYNN

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK OUT WWW.NCH.IE www.nch.ie 01 417 0000 NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

ROLLERCOASTER RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Adam Walker

FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Adam Walker flute RTÉ Contempo Quartet Damian Iorio conductor Elgar Introduction and Allegro Watkins Flute Concerto Irish premiere Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor London Symphony Orchestra principal flute Adam Walker gave the 2014 premiere of Huw Watkins’ Flute Concerto in what one critic described as ‘a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end’ (The Guardian). RTÉ’s new resident string ensemble, the RTÉ Contempo Quartet, joins the orchestra for Elgar’s sumptuous showcase for strings, the Introduction and Allegro. Brahms’ First Symphony is a work of mighty scale and scope justifying its description as ‘Beethoven’s Tenth’. Soundings, 7pm In Conversation Adam Walker & Damian Iorio

Ticket: ¤12, ¤20, ¤26, ¤32, ¤35 Concessions: ¤10, ¤18, ¤23.40, ¤28.80, ¤31.50 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: VALENTINE’S WITH DECLAN O’ROURKE

Declan O’Rourke

SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY 8PM RTÉ Concert Orchestra David Brophy conductor Declan O’Rourke Following his sold-out and astoundingly atmospheric concert with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra last year, Declan O’Rourke returns for Valentine’s Night 2015. One of the finest Irish performers of our time, this gifted multi-platinum artist’s astute song-writing abilities have won him international acclaim. His Galileo has been covered by everyone from Josh Groban to Paul Byrom. Don’t miss the rare chance to enjoy O’Rourke with the mighty weight of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, in Galileo, Be Brave and Believe and more.

Tickets: ¤15, ¤25, ¤35, ¤45 Concessions: ¤13, ¤23, ¤33, ¤41 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

VANBRUGH QUARTET SCHUBERT AND HAYDN SERIES

Vanbrugh Quartet

SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY 3PM UNIVERSITY CHURCH, ST STEPHEN’S GREEN Gregory Ellis violin Keith Pascoe violin Simon Aspell viola Christopher Marwood cello Schubert Schubert

String Quartet No. 59 in G Minor, Op. 74, No. 3, Hob.III:74, “The Rider” String Quartet No. 15 in G major, Op 161, D. 887.

Tickets: ¤15 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The National Concert Hall NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

AN EVENING WITH CURTIS STIGERS & HIS MUSICIANS

Curtis Stigers

SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY 8PM

Musical Stories Saturday 21 February, 12pm & 1.30pm An interactive musical story telling workshop aimed at children aged 6-10 years old. Full Price: ¤12.50 Young Maestros: ¤10 More information on page 94 42

With hit singles like You’re All That Matters To Me, I Wonder Why & Never Saw A Miracle and with millions of albums sold worldwide one might expect Curtis Stigers to be willing to rest on his laurels. Not a bit of it. Signed to Arista Records by the music mogul legend Clive Davis, Curtis Stigers continues to release a new album almost every year and continues to tour worldwide. With a new album out on the Concord Jazz label he brings his Hooray For Love Tour to the National Concert Hall for what promises to be an unforgettable evening.

Tickets: ¤40, ¤45 ( Choir Balcony: ¤30) 10% Concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall Group discount available 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Pat Egan Sound Ltd

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

PIANO

ADAM KURUC Themes from movies and musicals including The Godfather,

Music from

Dr. Zhivago,

Johannes Brahms,

as well as many sing-along favourites.

Antonio Vivaldi,

Fiddler on the Roof

J.S. Bach,

Johann Strauss...

th SAT 04 april National Concert Hall, 8.00pm Tickets: €25 / €22.50 concession w w w.v l a d v i o l i n .c o m

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

GREAT SYMPHONIES CLOSE UP WITH CHARLES HAZLEWOOD

Charles Hazlewood

TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 1.05PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Charles Hazlewood conductor/presenter Haydn Prokofiev

Symphony No. 100, Military Symphony No. 1, Classical

Charles Hazlewood dusts off and invigorates classical music, adding a youthful energy and modern twists to centuries-old masterworks. In this new series, the conductor takes audiences on a journey through the great symphonies. In the third event of the series, Hazlewood will discuss, explore and conduct excerpts the from ‘Military’ and ‘Classical’ symphonies before full performances of the symphonies.

Tickets : ¤10 Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the National Concert Hall 44

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

RISING STAR 2015: ALEX PETCU-COLAN, PERCUSSION

Alex Petcu-Colan

TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 8PM The National Concert Hall is delighted to announce Alex Petcu-Colan as its Rising Star for 2015. Playing over 50,000 notes on more than 80 instruments, Alex Petcu-Colan takes us on a journey through time and space with some of the most colourful and thrilling music composed for percussion. Joined by his sister Ioana Petcu-Colan (violin), and friends Chris Stynes, Maeve O’Hara and Caitriona Frost (percussion), the programme includes Donnacha Dennehy’s energetic Paddy and Xenakis’s powerful Psappha to a transcription of Debussy’s elegant Arabesque No.1 and Karl “Amadeus” Menke’s theatrical Eine Kleine Tischmusik. An Irish musician of Romanian origin, Alex is quickly establishing himself both nationally and internationally as a percussionist of the finest calibre. One of the few Irish percussionists to focus on solo and chamber music, Alex has championed and developed the existing repertoire by giving numerous recitals and working closely with composers.

Tickets: ¤15 (Concessions: ¤10) Admission free for Friends of The National Concert Hall (Limited to 2 per Friend and subject to availability) Group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The National Concert Hall NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: STRIKE UP THE BAND – THE GERSHWINS IN HOLLYWOOD

One Day

Interested in writing and recording songs, performing them in concert? Want to meet people who love music as much as you do? Come along for a taster session on Saturday 28 February, 10am-2pm! For students aged 8-12 years old Full Price: ¤20 20% discount for Young Maestros More information on page 95

WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY 8PM RTÉ Concert Orchestra John Wilson conductor Kim Criswell • Matthew Ford Prolific composers, brothers George and Ira Gershwin created some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. At a time when stars like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers graced the silver screen, the Gershwins penned some of the greatest hits that ever shaped Hollywood. John Wilson conducts the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in hits like Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, Shall We Dance?, I Got Rhythm, The Man I Love, Strike up the Band and more.

Young Maestros

All brought to life by Broadway and West End stars Kim Criswell and Matthew Ford, whose exceptional theatricality and flair never fails to bring pizzazz to everything they touch.

Tickets: ¤15, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35, ¤39.50 Concessions: ¤13, ¤23, ¤27, ¤32, ¤36.50 Group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra 46

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES 2014/2015 RAY CHEN, VIOLIN JULIEN QUENTIN, PIANO

Ray Chen

THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY 8PM Arvo Pärt Prokofiev Tchaikovsky Stravinsky

Fratres for Violin and Piano Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80 Souvenir d’un Lieu Cher, Op. 42 Divertimento for Violin and Piano

Winner of the Queen Elisabeth (2009) and Yehudi Menuhin Competitions (2008), Ray Chen is among the most compelling young violinists today. “Ray has proven himself to be a very pure musician with great qualities such as a beautiful youthful tone, vitality and lightness. He has all the skills of a truly musical interpreter,” said the great Maxim Vengerov. Ray has released two critically acclaimed albums on Sony: a recital programme Virtuoso of works by Bach, Tartini, Franck, and Wieniawski, and the Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky concertos with Swedish Radio Orchestra and Daniel Harding. Following the success of these recordings, Ray was profiled by The Strad and Gramophone magazines as “the one to watch”. “It’s hard to say something new with these celebrated works; however, Ray Chen performs them with the kind of authority that puts him in the same category as Maxim Vengerov.” Corriere della Sera “The tone he gets is almost human in its slight graininess and glow.” The Washington Post

Tickets: ¤45, ¤40, ¤35, ¤30 (Choir Balcony: ¤20) Supported by The Irish Times Presented by The National Concert Hall NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

PIPEWORKS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

MUSICAL PEAKS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Helena Wood

FRIDAY 20 FEBRUARY 6:45PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra David Adams organ Arr. David Adams After Henri Camer (1844) Potpourri sur ‘Fidelio’ based on Beethoven’s Fidelio, Op. 72 R Strauss from Schlichte Weisen Op. 21/3 (arr. David Adams) Reger from Schlichte Weisen Op. 76/52 (arr. David Adams) Reger P Phantasie über den Choral Halleluja, Gott zu loben bleibe meine Seelenfreud Op. 52/3 This programme explores the link between Richard Strauss and Max Reger, two nearcontemporaries who had an interesting relationship within the context of the Neudeutsche Schule. Reger, accepted neither by the conservatives nor within the new movement, was nonetheless courted by Strauss and encouraged to “make the final step” and join the progressives.

Tickets: FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by Pipeworks in association with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and The National Concert Hall 48

FRIDAY 20 FEBRUARY 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Helena Wood violin Alan Buribayev conductor Beethoven Beethoven R Strauss

Fidelio Overture Violin Concerto in D An Alpine Symphony

Concluding the survey of Beethoven’s Fidelio Overtures, the Fidelio Overture itself reveals a leaner, less intense solution to a problem described by the three dramatic Leonore overtures earlier this season. The serene eloquence of his only Violin Concerto provides an opportunity for RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Leader Helena Wood to shine. Richard Strauss’ mighty Alpine Symphony is a monumental homage to elemental and unchanging nature.

Tickets: ¤12, ¤20, ¤26, ¤32, ¤35 Concessions: ¤10, ¤18, ¤23.40, ¤28.80, ¤31.50 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

Jim Molloy ad 8_Layout 1 26/06/2014 10:56 Page 1

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TUESDAY 28TH / WEDNESDAY 29TH APRIL 2015 NATIONAL CONCERT HALL DUBLIN 8PM Tickets: €20 - €30 - €35 - €37.50 Booking: Tel 01 4170000 Email: Info@nch.ie Online Booking: www.nch.ie NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

PUCCINI BY CANDLELIGHT

Got a group? Get a deal! Group Booker Benefits • Priority information on forthcoming productions. • A flexible no-obligation reserve-now-pay-later scheme – no deposit required. • A dedicated Group Bookings phone line. • Pre-order your interval drinks Group discounts are available on most performances. The larger your group the more discount you could receive! If you would like to make a booking contact Audrey Brady on 01 417 0000 Full listings on www.nch.ie

SATURDAY 21 FEBRUARY 8PM Helena Dix soprano Neal Cooper tenor John Gibbons conductor Vivian J. Coates Director and Designer The Lyric Opera Orchestra Overtures, arias and scenes from Puccini’s operatic works to include La Bohéme, Tosca, Il Tabarro, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, La Fanciulla del West, Suor Angelica and Manon Lescaut. With standing ovations for Mozart by Candlelight last October, Lyric Opera brings heartfelt passion and emotion from some of Puccini’s best loved operas. Puccini captured the exotic, bringing East and West in a Kaleidoscopic fusion of passion which has enthralled the world for the last hundred years.

Tickets: ¤25, ¤38, ¤45, ¤48 (Choir Balcony: ¤18) 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Lyric Opera Productions

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

VANBRUGH QUARTET SCHUBERT AND HAYDN SERIES

Vanbrugh Quartet

SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY 3PM UNIVERSITY CHURCH, ST STEPHEN’S GREEN Gregory Ellis violin • Keith Pascoe violin • Simon Aspell viola Christopher Marwood cello • William Butt cello Haydn

String Quartet Quartet in C major “The Bird”, Hob.III:39 Op. 33 No. 3 String Quintet in C major (D. 956, Op. posth. 163)

KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING SONGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

A LEAVING CERTIFICATE GUIDE TO BERLIOZ’S SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE WITH THE RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

David Brophy

MONDAY 23 FEBRUARY 8PM The Key Notes Martin Brunsden double bass Simon Morgan tenor Niall O’ Sullivan trumpet Nigel Linden accordion Other Artists to be announced An evening of music and song from the First World War Era. Featuring both recreations of concerts from the Front and the soldiers experiences recounted through unaccompanied male voices in stunning harmony. During WW1, groups of established musicians presented concerts at the Front. We bring you one of these concerts interspersed with the songs of the soldiers, popular songs and rare musical gems of the WW1 era with unique new musical arrangements.

Tickets: ¤20 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Music Solutions 52

TUESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 10.30AM & 12.15PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra David Brophy conductor/presenter Focusing on The Ball and March to the Scaffold in this tailor-made concert presentation for Leaving Certificate music students, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra with conductor and DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama Lecturer David Brophy, will unlock some of its magic, revealing through selected excerpts, the masterful way in which the young Frenchman combined groundbreaking orchestration with breathtaking musical drama. The presentation will include big screen illustration, and full performances of both movements from this epic work.

Tickets: ¤10 per student - Sold Out. Complimentary for teachers.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

ISLA GRANT

WANT TO MAKE YOUR EVENT STAND OUT? Isla Grant

TUESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 8PM Isla Grant with her musicians and special guest Al Grant Isla Grant, Scotland’s favourite singer, returns to the National Concert Hall as part of her 2015 Greatest Hits Tour. Isla will perform all of her own hit songs including Mother’s Chair, A Dream Come True, Listen to The Children, A Single Yellow Rose, Will You Walk With Me and many more. Her special guest and husband, Al Grant will perform some of the all-time great Jim Reeves classic hits.

Tickets: ¤32.50 (Choir Balcony: ¤20) 10% concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall Group discount available 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Pat Egan Sound Ltd

Avail of the opportunity to advertise your event in the National Concert Hall’s Calendar of Events published every three months. With a print run of up to 60,000 copies, many of which are posted to our customers, this is the ideal opportunity to reach your target audience. To book in your advert please e-mail sinead.doyle@nch.ie or by phone on Tel: 01 417 0077

Box Office www.nch.ie 01 417 0000

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES 2014/2015 PAUL LEWIS, PIANO

Paul Lewis

WEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 8PM Beethoven Beethoven Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110 Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111

Paul Lewis is internationally recognised as one of the leading pianists of his generation. His concert performances and Harmonia Mundi recordings of the complete Beethoven Sonatas, Concertos and the Diabelli Variations have earned him unanimous acclaim from all over the world, culminating in 2010 with the honour of becoming the first pianist in the history of the BBC Proms to perform all five Beethoven Concertos in a single Proms season. His many awards have included the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year Award, the South Bank Show Classical Music Award, the Diapason d’or de l’année, two successive Edison awards, and three Gramophone awards, including Record of the Year in 2008 to name a few. “One of the most highly prized recording marathons of recent years… An un-missable benchmark.” Gramophone

Tickets: ¤35, ¤45, ¤55, ¤60 (Choir Balcony: ¤25 ) Supported by The Irish Times Presented by The National Concert Hall 54

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

mcd.ie proudly presents the return of

The Gloaming

Saturday 28 February 2015 T U Sunday 1 March 2015 O D 2015 Monday SO2LMarch

National Concert Hall

The Gloaming

debut album out now

***** “Exceptional” The Arts Desk

***** “Brilliant” MOJO

**** “Exquisite” The Guardian

***** The Irish Times

*****

****

Financial Times

Evening Standard

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: ESSENTIAL CLASSICS

MEXICAN WAVE RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Alondra De La Parra

THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY 8PM

FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY 8PM

RTÉ Concert Orchestra John Wilson conductor Geraldine O’Doherty harp

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Eriko Daimo marimba Alondra De La Parra conductor

Mozart Overture to The Marriage of Figaro Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor

May Chávez Rosauro Stravinsky

Despite living a relatively short life – he died at age 35 – Mozart, the child prodigy and genius, captured the popular imagination and remains one of the world’s favourite composers. Composing from the tender age of five, his classical staples are repeatedly borrowed for use in films, television and advertising. His Symphony No. 40, with its impossiblenot-to-recognise opening, is probably his best-loved work.

Sunlight and Shadow Symphony No. 2, Sinfonía india Marimba Concerto No. 1 Petrushka

Opening the Embassy of Mexico in Ireland’s 2015 programme to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, esteemed Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra conducts a programme including works by Irish and Mexican composers. The intense beauty of Frederick May’s Sunlight and Shadow perfectly contrasts Ney Rosauro’s rhythmically hypnotic Marimba Concerto. Soundings, 7pm | In Conversation Eriko Daimo

The masterpieces that everyone should hear.

Tickets: ¤11, ¤22, ¤27, ¤33, ¤38 Concessions: ¤10, ¤20, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra 56

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

THE GLOAMING

The Gloaming

SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY 8PM SUNDAY 1 MARCH 8PM MONDAY 2 MARCH 8PM RETURNS ONLY The Gloaming return to the National Concert Hall to perform a remarkable run of three sold out shows. The shows were one of the fastest selling events in the history of the Concert Hall with overwhelming demand to see one of the most lauded live acts of recent times in concert. Comprised of Iarla Ó Lionaird, Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill The Gloaming are a group of extraordinary and virtuosic musicians each with successful individual careers. The music they make is ephemeral yet furious, pairing memorable, yearning melodies with a progressive style.

SOLD OUT. Returns Only Tickets: ¤30 (Choir Balcony: ¤26) Presented by MCD Productions NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

JOHN FIELD ROOM FEBRUARY

Tuesday 3 February 8PM CHAMPIONS OF BARBERSHOP 4 in a Bar return to the John Field Room as the three-time winner of the IABS Gold medal (national male barbershop quartet). New music for their 2015 season includes favourites from the Mamas and the Papas, the Beatles, Sting, Bill Withers, Plain White Ts and a beautiful new version of Bring Him Home. In addition, the guys present some Early and Renaissance music in discussing the development of vocal harmony from earliest times. Tickets: ¤15 20% discount for Senior Citizens, unwaged, students All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by 4 in a Bar

Friday 6 February 1:05PM LUNCHTIME WITH THE SCHUMANNS Elizabeth Pink contralto Veronica McSwiney piano A celebration of the work of Robert and Clara Schumann, including many of their best-loved Lieder, plus some lesser known songs and the Song Cycle “Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart” [“Poems of Mary, Queen of Scots”] op. 135. Elizabeth and Veronica are excited to be joining forces for the first time, and look forward to sharing with you this lunchtime feast of delicious musical morsels by Robert and Clara Schumann. Tickets: ¤12 20% discount for concessions: (Senior Citizens, unwaged, students) 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert 20% group discount available 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Elizabeth Pink 58

Friday 13 February 1:05PM PIGALLE - THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF EDITH PIAf Derby Browne & Café de Paris Ensemble Chanteuse Derby Browne performs her personal tribute to The Little Sparrow - Edith Piaf, with performances of La Vie En Rose, No Regrets, Autumn Leaves and Under The Bridges of Paris. New Pigalle CD now available, due to popular demand! Tickets: ¤18 (Concessions: ¤16) 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall: Group discount available. All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Derby Browne

Friday 20 February 1:05PM MORE GOOD OLD DAYS OF DUBLIN’S THEATRE ROYAL Dara MacMahon mezzo-soprano Gerry Noonan baritone Conor Doyle narrator accompanied by Pauline Cooper Following on from their highly successful earlier shows, , Dara MacMahon and Gerry Noonan with Pauline Cooper, pianist and Conor Doyle, narrator, return to the John Field Room with More Good Old Days of Dublin’s Theatre Royal. Using previously unseen photographs and archival footage, enjoy songs and stories about the Royal. The Jimmy Campbell Orchestra overture starts at 12.55pm. Concert begins at 13.05pm Tickets ¤16 (Concessions: ¤13). Presented by All Era Music

Friday 27 February 1:05PM WE’RE OLD-FASHIONED Honor Heffernan, Jim Doherty and the trio Honor Heffernan, Jim Doherty and the trio bring you a lunchtime of great movie tunes written by Jimmy Van Heuson including Oscar- winners All The Way and Swinging On A Star. Tickets: ¤18 (Friends of The National Concert Hall and Concessions: ¤16) 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only. Presented by Paul Black

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

Sunday Matinée SeriesSpring Vanbrugh Quartet Schubert And Haydn Series University Church, St Stephen’s Green

Gregory Ellis, violin • Keith Pascoe, violin Simon Aspell, viola • Christopher Marwood, cello

Sunday 8 February 3pm Haydn String Quartet No. 53 in D major (“The Lark”), Op. 64, No. 5 Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in D minor “Death & the Maiden” Sunday 15 February 3pm Schubert String Quartet No. 59 in G Minor, Op. 74, No. 3, Hob.III:74, “The Rider” Schubert String Quartet No. 15 in G major, Op 161, D. 887. Sunday 22 February 3pm Haydn String Quartet Quartet in C major “The Bird”, Hob.III:39 Op. 33 No. 3 String Quintet in C major (D. 956, Op. posth. 163) Tickets ¤15

www.nch.ie 01 417 0000

March Highlight

What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music by David Lang

I am very happy to have been given the chance to program this year’s edition of New Music Dublin. I found programming this festival to be an awesome responsibility. A festival will have several composers and ensembles made happy because they got booked and many, many more who are miserable because they didn’t, and I hate making anyone unhappy. Plus I am coming from very far across the sea, and I don’t know much about the Irish scene, and yet I am the one making decisions about who gets on and who doesn’t. In New York we have a word for this. CHUTZPAH. Do you have this word in Gaeilge? You really should. As I said, it’s an awesome responsibility. To solve it I thought that I might think of something that the composers I hang around with in New York might share with the composers I know in Dublin. One thing that might link us is our relationship to minimalism. Minimalism in music was a reaction against the rigorous hyper-braininess of much music in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and many of the major composers involved in its creation live or lived within a few blocks of my apartment in New York – Philip Glass, Steve Reich, La Monte Young, Meredith Monk. (Actually it’s a great neighborhood for composers. 60

John Cage lived a few blocks uptown. I’m a 5 minute walk from the homes of Varese and Carter and Ives. But that is another story…) Bang on a Can, the composer collective I founded with Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe, has a special relationship with the composers who are younger than Glass and Reich and Young and Monk – the children and grandchildren of minimalism. My idea for New Music Dublin was to put some of our grandchildren next to some of yours - music by composers who have been influenced by minimalism but who are young enough and brash enough not to follow all the rules. (And I threw in a few composers from other places as well.) I am not going to go over all the highlights, because, in truth, every piece on every program is great, but I want to say something about how the festival starts and how it ends. In the early years of minimalism we all learned about what music was new from the Village Voice, the newspaper of record for the counterculture of downtown New York. I am pretty sure that I was the only pimply high school student in Los Angeles – 3000 miles away from New York – who would rush to the mailbox each week to get my copy, so I could read about the latest developments in the downtown music

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

scene. The critic who wrote about the scene was Tom Johnson, himself a downtown composer, whose own, idiosyncratic approach to minimalism was to try to set loose the music that is hiding in mathematics and patterns. His piece Nine Bells is a high water mark of formal elegance – nine bells are set up in a grid, and various patterns control how a percussionist walks among them, striking them as he goes. The piece is almost like an object, generating music as a byproduct of its objectness. Very, very beautiful. The festival ends with two very different masterpieces, both so

important that I barely need to say anything about them – Brian Eno’s ambient classic Music for Airports and Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. Generations of composers around the world have been changed forever by these two pieces. And I can prove it. This festival is full of them. Thanks again to New Music Dublin for letting me curate this festival. It is going to be amazing. What? Wow! David Lang’s Festival of Music takes place on the 6/7 March. Tickets from ¤15. www.nch.ie 01 417 0000

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

WALTONS WORLD MASTERS HABIB KOITÉ

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: DISCO INFERNO!

Habib Koité

TUESDAY 3 MARCH 8PM

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 8PM

Habib Koité guitar, lead vocals Issa Koné guitar banjo backing vocals Abdoul Wahab Berthé bass, kamale ngoni Charly Coulibaly keyboard, backing vocals Mama Koné percussion, backing vocals

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Andy O’Callaghan conductor Celebration Singers

Waltons World Masters welcomes back the great Malian guitarist, composer and singer Habib Koité, after his extraordinary 2009 concert. Koité’s unique blending of traditional rhythms and melodies with modern influences such as blues, jazz and rock has endeared him to fans around the world and placed him firmly among the leading figures in contemporary world music.

Tickets: ¤24, ¤30, ¤34 (Choir Balcony: ¤16) Concessions: ¤21.60, ¤27, ¤30.60 (Choir Balcony: ¤14.40) Group discount available 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Waltons New School of Music 62

Disco mania has hit town and it’s impossible not to join the party. It has been known to make 1,200-strong audiences lose their inhibitions and dance in the auditorium aisles, like no-one’s watching. You can expect the best hits from the Bee Gees, Abba, Isaac Hayes, Elton John, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand and more - in Andy O’Callaghan’s catchy arrangements - fabulously executed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Celebration Singers. But whatever you do, do NOT buy a ticket, or you’ll catch disco mania too!

Tickets: ¤11, ¤22, ¤27, ¤33, ¤38 Concessions: ¤10, ¤20, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by RTÉ Concert Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

DAVID LANG’S FESTIVAL OF MUSIC RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND SO PERCUSSION

So Percussion

FRIDAY 6 MARCH 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra with So Percussion Jamie Phillips conductor Anna Clyne Irene Buckley David Lang John Luther Adams

Rewind Stórr man made (with So Percussion) Become Ocean

The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra joins forces with So Percussion under the baton of rising star, conductor Jamie Phillips, to perform works by some of the most influential and exciting composers of our times. Described as “… the loveliest apocalypse in musical history” by Alex Ross in The New Yorker, John Luther Adams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean receives it’s European première. Another Pulitzer Prizer-winner and festival curator David Lang brings his latest concerto man made. Described as “dazzlingly inventive” by Time Out New York, Anna Clyne’s Rewind and Irish composer Irene Buckley’s Stórr are also performed.

Tickets: ¤20 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by New Music Dublin NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

DAVID LANG’S FESTIVAL OF MUSIC BANG ON A CAN MARATHON: AFTERNOON

So Percussion

SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2.30PM Bang on a Can All-Stars; So Percussion; Crash Ensemble; RTÉ Contempo Quartet Music by Donnacha Dennehy, Kate Moore, Bryce Dessner, Sean Clancy, Andrew Hamilton, George Crumb; Linda Buckley. The first session in Bang on a Can’s first Marathon in Dublin, sees the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Crash Ensemble, So Perscussion and the RTÉ Contempo Quartet amongst others take you on a journey through some of the most exciting new music from New York and Ireland. Featuring works by Bryce Dessner of The National (European première), Donnacha Dennehy, Kate Moore, Linda Buckley (World première), George Crumb.

Tickets: ¤15 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by New Music Dublin 64

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

DAVID LANG’S FESTIVAL OF MUSIC BANG ON A CAN MARATHON

Bang On A Can All-Stars

SATURDAY 7 MARCH 8PM Bang On A Can All-Stars • Crash Ensemble • Voices of Chamber Choir Ireland Brian Eno Steve Reich

Music for Airports Music for 18 Musicians

The climax of the 2015 Festival brings together musicians and singers from Bang on a Can All-Stars, So Percussion and two of Ireland’s leading ensembles, Crash Ensemble and Chamber Choir Ireland, to perform two classics by Steve Reich and Brian Eno that Bang on a Can have made their own. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the definitive version of these masterworks live in Dublin.

New Music Dublin presents

National Concert Hall 6/7 March 2015

Friday 6 March 3pm MEDICAL LIBRARY Tom Johnson: Nine Bells (Festival Opening)

To open the 2015 Festival percussionist Olaf Pyras performs Nine Bells by Tom Johnson. A classic work from the 1970s this work is scored for nine alarm bells, suspended from the ceiling in a grid and struck in a pre-determined pattern. Taking place in the old Medical Library this piece will open your eyes and ears for the weekend of new music ahead. Free Admission (Limited)

Friday 6 March 6pm ENGINEERING LIBRARY Bang on a Can All-Stars and Trio Mediæval: Steel Hammer

Julia Wolfe Steel Hammer Inspired the legends and music of Appalachia, Steel Hammer is the story of John Henry - a man wielding a steel hammer, facing the onslaught of the industrial age as his super human strength is challenged in a contest to out dig an engine. Composer Julia Wolfe calls on the Bang on a Can All-Stars to expand out from their usual instrumentation to include the likes of dulcimers and bones and accesses Trio Mediæval’s extensive work in their native vocal traditions in this not-to-be-missed performance.

Tickets: €15 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall. 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

Friday 6 March 8PM MAIN AUDITORIUM RTE National Symphony Orchestra and So Percussion

Jamie Phillips conductor Anna Clyne Rewind Irene Buckley Stórr David Lang man made (with So Percussion) John Luther Adams Become Ocean The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra join forces with So Percussion under the baton of rising star, conductor Jamie Phillips, to perform works by some of the most influential and exciting composers of our times. Described as “…the loveliest apocalypse in musical history” by Alex Ross in The New Yorker, John Luther Adams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean receives it’s European Premiere. Another Pulitzer Prizer-winner and festival curator David Lang brings his latest concerto man made. Described as “dazzlingly inventive” by Time Out New York, Anna Clyne’s Rewind and Irish composer Irene Buckley’s Stórr are also performed. Tickets: €20 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members

Friday 6 March 10:30PM ENGINEERING LIBRARY Dublin Guitar Quartet première new Michael Gordon piece

Dublin Guitar Quartet-Brian Bolger, Pat Brunnock, David Creevy, Tomas O’Durcain World Première of a new work by Michael Gordon The Dublin Guitar Quartet perform a new work by New York composer Michael Gordon for four electric guitars. Internationally renowned for their arrangement and performance of works for guitar quartet, DGQ have previously performed Philip Glass and Steve Reich classic works, Mishima and Electric Counterpoint. Hear this World Première by a composer who’s work has been described in The New Yorker as embodying “the fury of punk rock, the nervous brilliance of free jazz and the intransigence of classical modernism” in the atmospheric surroundings of the old Engineering Library. Tickets: €15 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members

Saturday 7 March 2PM MAIN AUDITORIUM Bang on A Can Marathon: Afternoon

Bang on a Can All-Stars; So Percussion; Crash Ensemble; RTÉ Contempo Quartet Music by Donnacha Dennehy, Kate Moore, Bryce Dessner, Sean Clancy, Andrew Hamilton, George Crumb; Linda Buckley. The first session in Bang on a Can’s first Marathon in Dublin, sees the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Crash Ensemble, So Percussion and the RTÉ Contempo Quartet amongst others take you on a journey through some of the most exciting new music from New York and Ireland. Featuring works by Bryce Dessner of The National (European Première), Donnacha Dennehy, Kate Moore, Linda Buckley (World Première), George Crumb. Tickets: €15 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members

Saturday 7 March 8PM MAIN AUDITORIUM Bang on a Can Marathon

Bang On A Can All-Stars, Crash Ensemble, Voices of Chamber Choir Ireland Brian Eno Music for Airports Steve Reich Music for 18 Musicians The climax of the 2015 Festival brings together musicians and singers from Bang on a Can All-Stars, So Percussion and two of Ireland’s leading ensembles, Crash Ensemble and Chamber Choir Ireland, to perform two classics by Steve Reich and Brian Eno that Bang on a Can have made their own. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the definitive version of these masterworks live in Dublin. Tickets: €20 25% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members

Weekend Pass €50 (Limited to 100 Passes) www.nch.ie 01 417 0000

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

RIAM PERFORMING GROUPS ANNUAL CONCERT

DUBLIN & DÚN LAOGHAIRE ETB FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

Liz Nolan

SUNDAY 8 MARCH 6PM

MONDAY 9 MARCH 7:30PM

RIAM RIAM RIAM RIAM RIAM RIAM RIAM

Liz Nolan presenter

Intermediate Orchestra Concert Band Jazz Band Junior Strings Junior Wind Band Junior Choirs Recorder Ensemble and GuitaRIAM

An evening of classical, popular and Traditional Music performed by students from Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board.

Join over 300 musicians from the Royal Irish Academy of Music for a veritable feast of music-making on stage of the National Concert Hall. A spectacular showcase of young talent from tiny tots to seasoned performers playing an array of music from the classical, jazz, film, rock and pop worlds.

Tickets: ¤10 (Concessions: ¤5) 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall Group discount available 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by Royal Irish Academy of Music 68

Tickets: ¤10 Presented by Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

The National Concert Hall and RTÉ Concert Orchestra present

and

Sunday 15 March 12:30pm/3pm/5pm

We venture into the deep dark wood with the acclaimed animated films based on the books The Gruffalo and its delightful companion The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Watch the cunning and resourceful little mouse outsmart the hungry Gruffalos as this enchanting double bill is shown on the big screen with live orchestral accompaniment from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. A magical music event for families and young people. Full Price Ticket: ¤22 (adult) ¤17 (child) • Family Ticket: ¤73 (2 adults and 2 children) Friends of the National Concert Hall ¤18 • Young Maestros: ¤15 Groups of 10 or more: ¤19.80 per ticket

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

ARTANE SCHOOL OF MUSIC ANNUAL SHOWCASE

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: HEROES IN HOLLYWOOD

Ronan O’Reilly

TUESDAY 10 MARCH 8PM

WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 8PM

Various ensembles of the Artane School of Music including the world famous Artane Band.

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Richard Kaufman conductor

A fantastic showcase from the Artane School of Music ensembles with a little something for everyone. Over the years the Artane Band has produced some of Ireland’s top musical talent. Come and see for yourself what it’s all about!!!

Everyone needs a superhero. Emmy-nominated movie maestro Richard Kaufman has drawn on his career at MGM to bring Hollywood’s boldest and bravest heroes to life. Featuring music by film-composing legends like John Williams, Danny Elfman, Dimitri Tiomkin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein. The themes that many were raised on, from Star Trek, Spiderman, Batman, The Pink Panther, Young Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Mary Poppins, The Magnificent Seven, 633 Squadron, Dances with Wolves, Austin Powers and more.

All seats one price: ¤15 Family ticket – 2 Adults and 2 Children: ¤40.00 Presented by The Artane School of Music 70

Tickets: ¤11, ¤22, ¤27, ¤33, ¤38 Concessions: ¤10, ¤20, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

THE UNTHANKS

The Unthanks

SONG OF SUMMER RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Martin Johnson

THURSDAY 12 MARCH 8:30PM “The Unthanks seem to regard folk music the same way Miles Davis regarded jazz: as a launch pad for exploring the wider possibilities.” Uncut “Intimate, epic, overflowing with feeling and musical intelligence” The Independent Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and the only British folk representation in The Guardian’s and Uncut’s best albums of last decade. Their National Concert Hall debut marks the release of their new album.

Tickets: ¤26 Presented by Harmonic

FRIDAY 13 MARCH 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Martin Johnson cello Kenneth Montgomery conductor Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture Frank Corcoran Cello Concerto world premiere Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F, Pastoral The sprightly, colourful fantasy of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture and Beethoven’s exquisite orchestral love song to nature, the Pastoral Symphony, provide a frame for Frank Corcoran’s Cello Concerto, a work that ‘sings and soars’ with powerful emotions, with RTÉ NSO’s Principal Cellist Martin Johnson, for whom it was written. Soundings, 7pm In Conversation Martin Johnson & Kenneth Montgomery

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

RTÉ RADIO 1’s CÉILÍ HOUSE LIVE IN CONCERT

Peter and the Wolf

Interactive show with the WhistleBlast Quartet Saturday 21 March 12.00 & 1.30pm Slip on your paws, wear animal masks and enter the story of Peter and the Wolf! Full Price: ¤12.50 Family Ticket (family of 4 with at least 1 child): ¤44 20% discount for Young Maestros

TRIAD

SATURDAY 14 MARCH 8PM TRIAD (Dónal Lunny, Pádraig Rynne, Sylvain Barou) Karan Casey Fidil Céilí House All-Stars Band Presented by RTÉ Radio 1’s Kieran Hanrahan St. Patrick’s Festival and RTÉ Radio 1’s Céilí House present a gala concert of the best of traditional music, song and dance. The evening will feature exceptional celtic music maestros, Dónal Lunny’s TRIAD group; soulful traditional Irish singer, Karan Casey; and exhilarating Irish fiddle trio, Fidil; all in the spectacular setting of the National Concert Hall.

Tickets: ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 (Choir Balcony: ¤18) 15% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall Group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by St. Patrick’s Festival & RTÉ Radio 1

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

THE GRUFFALO AND THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

SUNDAY 15 MARCH 12:30PM/3PM/5PM RTÉ Concert Orchestra Terry Davies conductor We venture into the deep dark wood with the acclaimed animated films based on the books The Gruffalo and its delightful companion The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Watch the cunning and resourceful little mouse outsmart the hungry Gruffalo as this enchanting double bill is shown on the big screen with live orchestral accompaniment from the RTE Concert Orchestra conducted by Terry Davies. Small children will be entranced as their favourite storybook characters come to life before their eyes. Hearing René Aubry’s wonderful scores performed live is the perfect informal introduction to the orchestra and concert hall. A magical music event for families and young people.

Full Price: ¤22 (Child Ticket: ¤17) Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 Children): ¤73 Friends of the National Concert Hall: ¤18 Young Maestros: ¤15 Group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The National Concert Hall NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

THE KILFENORA CÉILÍ BAND

The Kilfenora Céilí Band

MONDAY 16 MARCH 8PM A brand new album is on the way from the Kilfenora. After an obvious musical gear-change arising from the appointment of Kevin Crawford as producer of Chapter 8, their eagerly-awaited ninth collection, is about to hit the shelves. As expected, given the Lúnasa connection, this iconic century-old band has evolved towards a more contemporary sound. Artistic tension between the rich dance music heritage and their big new soundscape has added spice to their large-scale theatre shows complete with slick dancers Michael Donnellan and Kickin Crew and talented Don Stiffe on vocals. As always, performance is woven mainly from the threads of raw local dance melodies native to their stomping ground in the barren (yet rich) Burren hills of North Clare. However, the inclusion of viola, cello, bass and Don Stiffe’s new licence to roam further afield for songs promises many novel possibilities and exciting times ahead for this most dynamic trad supergroup.

Tickets: ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 (Choir Balcony: ¤20) 10% discount for students, senior citizens & unwaged 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall and Young Maestros Group discount available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The National Concert Hall 74

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

MASTER UILLEANN PIPER LIAM O’FLYNN: A ST PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION WITH THE RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Liam O’Flynn

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: ESSENTIAL CLASSICS

Eldbjørg Hemsing

TUESDAY 17 MARCH 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Liam O’Flynn uilleann pipes David Brophy conductor/presenter In celebration of Liam O’Flynn’s 70th birthday, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is joined by the master piper himself and some very special guests. Performing the ground-breaking work for orchestra and uilleann pipes, ‘Newfoundland’ from Shaun Davey’s The Brendan Voyage and musical tributes to Seamus Heaney and Ciarán Mac Mathúna interspersed with tales from Liam’s illustrious career, this St. Patrick’s Day promises a night to remember!

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH 8PM RTÉ Concert Orchestra John Wilson conductor Eldbjørg Hemsing violin Weber Overture to Oberon Delius Summer Night on the River Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Enigma Variations Elgar Stunning 24-year-old Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing is on a journey to stardom. Tonight she performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, arguably the greatest of them all, described as the ‘heart’s jewel’. Another favourite on this programme is Elgar’s often-sampled Enigma Variations, the most famous of which, Nimrod, is often heard at memorial services and ceremonies. The masterpieces that everyone should hear.

Tickets: ¤15, ¤27, ¤35, ¤42.50 (Concessions ¤13.50, ¤24, ¤31.50, ¤38) Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

Tickets: ¤11, ¤22, ¤27, ¤33, ¤38 Concessions: ¤10, ¤20, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

VERDI REQUIEM

PIPEWORKS RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

The University of Dublin Choral Society

THURSDAY 19 MARCH 8PM

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 6:45PM

The University of Dublin Choral Society David Leigh conductor

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra David Leigh organ

Giussepe Verdi Messa da Requiem

Cochereau Duruflé

UDCS presents Verdi’s ever popular Requiem, a work which, as much as any of his operas, traverses the gamut of human emotion, from the terrifying and blood-curdling vision of the day of judgement to the consolation of eternal peace and rest. The Society is joined in this performance by orchestra and soloists drawn from the best of Ireland’s young singers.

Tickets: ¤15, ¤20, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 10% concessions available 10% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by The University of Dublin Choral Society 76

Boléro Improvisée Suite

Works by Poulenc and Ravel to be heard in the RTÉ NSO’s 8pm concert are alluded to both implicitly and explicitly in this recital. The French music scene of the first half of the twentieth century is encapsulated in Duruflé’s Suite, which pays homage to Paul Dukas through many quotations from the latter’s music. The legendary improviser Pierre Cochereau’s take on Ravel’s Boléro consists of an extended and virtuosic crescendo-diminuendo, and features a snare drum obbligato.

Tickets: FREE TICKETED EVENT Presented by Pipeworks in association with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and The National Concert Hall

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

POETRY & MAYHEM RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

CDETB MUSIC CENTRE CELEBRATION CONCERT

Pascal & Ami Rogé

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 8PM RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Pascal & Ami Rogé pianos Jean-Luc Tingaud conductor Berlioz Roméo et Juliette Love Scene Mozart Concerto for Two Pianos in E flat, K.365 Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos in D minor Ravel Boléro Husband-and-wife piano duo Pascal and Ami Rogé bring two bravura piano concertos for four hands to an evening framed by the sumptuous romance of Berlioz’s star-crossed lovers and Ravel’s percussively hypnotic Boléro. Though centuries apart, the influence of Mozart’s exuberant, poetic and playful concerto can clearly be heard amidst the madcap mayhem of Poulenc’s excitable, exotic and delightfully knockabout concerto.

MONDAY 23 MARCH 7.30PM Join students from City of Dublin ETB Music Centre, Kylemore College, plus special guests from St Michael’s NS, Ballyfermot and St Ultan’s NS, Cherry Orchard for a celebration concert, showcasing the many excellent musicians of the Kylemore College music centre.

Tickets: ¤10 Euro ( Concession: ¤5) 12% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall 12% Discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members Presented by Kylemore College Music Parents

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

International Education Series

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA: ESSENTIAL CLASSICS

WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 8PM RTÉ Concert Orchestra John Wilson conductor Jean-Efflam Bavouzet piano RTÉ Contempo Quartet

In Conversation with… Benjamin Grosvenor (piano) Sunday 25 January, 12pm Join us for a guided question and answer session with Benjamin ahead of his evening performance – don’t forget to have your questions ready! Tickets:¤5

Eric Coates Dancing Nights Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Gershwin An American in Paris Ravel’s jazz-tinged Piano Concerto in G Major, with its sublimely beautiful slow movement, is brought to life tonight by multi-award-winning French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Vaughan Williams’ ‘Tallis Fantasia’ has been borrowed time and again for films and TV shows and was voted third in Classic FM’s 2014 Hall of Fame. We end the night with Gershwin’s vivid musical portrait of a bustling boulevard. The masterpieces that everyone should hear.

Tickets: ¤11, ¤22, ¤27, ¤33, ¤38 Concessions: ¤10, ¤20, ¤25, ¤30, ¤35 Group discounts also available All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES 2014/2015 NATALIE DESSAY, SOPRANO PHILIPPE CASSARD, PIANO

Natalie Dessay and Philippe Cassard

THURSDAY 26 MARCH 8PM Clara Schumann Liebst du um Schönheit (Rückert) Geheimes Flüstern hier und dort (Rollet) Sie liebten sich beide (Heine) Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen (Rückert)

Fauré Après un rêve (Bussine) Clair de lune (Verlaine) Prison (Verlaine) Mandoline (Verlaine) En sourdine (Verlaine)

Brahms Lerchengesang Op.70 (Candidus) Meine Lieder Op.106 (Frey) Geheimnis Op.71 (Candidus)

Poulenc Fiançailles pour rire (Louise de Vilmorin) La Dame d’André Dans l’herbe Il vole Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant Violon Fleurs

Duparc L’Invitation au voyage (Baudelaire) Extase (Lahor) Strauss Ich schwebe (Henckell) Wasserrose (Dahn) Frühlingsgedränge (Lenau) Die Nacht (Gilm)

Debussy Apparition (Mallarmé) Romance d'Ariel (Bourget)

French soprano Natalie Dessay is one of the biggest stars of today’s operatic world, thrilling audiences as both a singer and an actress in her dramatic roles. The six-time Victoires de la Musique and 2008 Laurence Olivier Award winner is admired as an interpreter of bel canto and lyric heroines such as Violetta (La Traviata), Lucia di Lammermoor, Pamina (Die Zauberflote) and others. In her International Concert Series recital at the National Concert Hall she focuses on the works of Poulenc, Strauss, Debussy, Fauré, Duparc, Schumann and Brahms and will be accompanied by French pianist Philippe Cassard .

Tickets: ¤35, ¤45, ¤55, ¤60 (Choir Balcony: ¤25) Presented by The National Concert Hall NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

VOICES TO THRILL RTÉ NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2014-2015

Tara Erraught

WEST CORK COMES TO DUBLIN EVENING CONCERT

Natalie Clein

FRIDAY 27 MARCH 8PM

SATURDAY 28 MARCH 8PM

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Celine Byrne soprano Ailish Tynan soprano Tara Erraught mezzo-soprano Alan Buribayev conductor

Henning Kraggerud violin Paavali Jumppanen piano Krzysztof Chorzelski viola Vanbrugh Quartet Artis Quartet Natalie Clein cello

Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor Mozart Exsultate Jubilate R Strauss Der Rosenkavalier, Final trio Three stunning Irish voices - sopranos Celine Byrne and Ailish Tynan and mezzo Tara Erraught - come together for the ravishingly beautiful final trio from Richard Strauss’ masterpiece Der Rosenkavalier. Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, an exhilarating marriage of the operatic and the sacred, sparkles with coloratura splendour. A more epic struggle is to be found in Brahms’ Fourth Symphony, the very apex of his imposing large-scale style.

Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor Grieg Mozart String Quintet in D major K.593 Schubert Quintet in C major D.956 The long-standing and reputable West Cork Chamber Music Festival, who celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2014, makes its mark on Dublin when it stages a full day of concerts featuring award-winning cellist Natalie Clein, violinists Henning Kraggerud and Krzysztof Chorzelski, and the Artis and Vanbrugh Quartets.

Tickets: ¤25 Day ticket available - see all 5 concerts for ¤65 Presented by The National Concert Hall

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

ESB FEIS CEOIL GALA ECO Ensembles

SUNDAY 29 MARCH 7:30PM A number of outstanding winners from ESB Feis Ceoil 2015 will be selected to perform at this Gala Showcase which will round off the 2015 Festival. The concert will feature choirs, orchestras, ensembles and soloists representing a variety of disciplines and genres.

Beginners Gamelan Ensemble Tuesday evenings from January 20, 2015 Learn to play the Javanese gamelan percussion orchestra!

Tickets: ¤15 Concessions: ¤12.50 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children under 18): ¤40. 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall Group discount available 12% discounts to Irish Countrywoman’s Association Members All discounts apply to full price tickets only Presented by ESB Feis Ceoil

No previous musical experience is necessary, just a willingness to sit on the floor, take off your shoes and have fun. More information on pg 93

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

(L to R) Natalie Clein, Krzysztof Chorzelski and Henning Kraggerud

West Cork Comes to Dublin Saturday 28 March 2015 The long-standing and reputable West Cork Chamber Music Festival, who celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2014, makes its mark on Dublin when it stages a full day of concerts (28 March) featuring award-winning cellist Natalie Clein, violinists Henning Kraggerud and Krzysztof Chorzelski, and the Artis and Vanbrugh Quartets. The day begins with a unique arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations as part of the 11am coffee concert; other highlights include Saint-Saën’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Op. 28, Mozart’s String Quintet in D.K593 and Schnittke’s Piano Quintet.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

Saturday 28 March 11am JOHN FIELD ROOM

Saturday 28 March 4PM JOHN FIELD ROOM

West Cork Comes to Dublin Coffee Concert

West Cork Comes to Dublin Young Musicians Concert

Henning Kraggerud violin Krzysztof Chorzelski viola Natalie Clein cello

Mairead Hickey violin, Gary Beecher piano

J.S.Bach Goldberg Variations (arr. Sitkovetsky) The long-standing and reputable West Cork Chamber Music Festival, who celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2014, makes its mark on Dublin when it stages a full day of concerts featuring award-winning cellist Natalie Clein, violinists Henning Kraggerud and Krzysztof Chorzelski, and the Artis and Vanbrugh Quartets. The day begins with a unique arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations as part of the 11am coffee concert; other highlights include Saint-Saën’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Op. 28, Mozart’s String Quintet in D.K593 and Schnittke’s Piano Quintet. Tickets: ¤15 Day ticket available - see all 5 concerts for ¤65 Presented by The National Concert Hall and West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Saturday 28 March 1PM ENGINEERING LIBRARY

West Cork Comes to Dublin Lunch Concert Artis Quartet Zemlinsky Quartet No. 4 Op. 25 Dvorák Quartet No. 12 in F major Op. 96 ‘American’ Tickets: ¤15 Day ticket available - see all 5 concerts for ¤65 Presented by The National Concert Hall and West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Corelli Prokofiev Saint-Saëns

Violin Sonata in D major Op.5/1 Violin Sonata in F minor Op.80 Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Op.28

Tickets: ¤10 Day ticket available - see all 5 concerts for ¤65 Presented by The National Concert Hall and West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Saturday 28 March 8PM MAIN AUDITORIUM

West Cork Comes to Dublin Evening Concert Henning Kraggerud violin, Paavali Jumppanen piano Krzysztof Chorzelski viola Vanbrugh Quartet Artis Quartet Natalie Clein cello Grieg Mozart Schubert

Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor String Quintet in D major K.593 Quintet in C major D.956

Tickets: ¤25 Day ticket available - see all 5 concerts for ¤65 Presented by The National Concert Hall and West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Saturday 28 March 10:30PM ENGINEERING LIBRARY

West Cork Comes to Dublin Evening Concert Vanbrugh Quartet Paavali Jumppanen piano Kraggerud Preghiera Schnittke Piano Quintet Tickets: ¤10 Day ticket available - see all 5 concerts for ¤65 Presented by The National Concert Hall and West Cork Chamber Music Festival

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

JOHN FIELD ROOM MARCH Friday 13 March 1:05PM The Singing Harp Claire Roche, Harp and Song Claire presents her setting of poems by W.B. Yeats sung with Harp and song compositions which were inspired by her childhood home: once a small farm. It is the wellspring of her work even still. John Willmott, ‘Woodland Bard’ will join Claire as Special guest. Tickets: ¤14 (Concessions: ¤12) 12% discount for Irish Countrywoman’s Associate Members Presented by Claire Roche

Friday 20 March 1:05PM I’m Hip, A tribute to Blossom Dearie Susannah de wrixon with Phil Ware, Dave Fleming and Dominic Mullan I’m Hip is a gorgeous tribute to the first lady of Jazz Cabaret, Blossom Dearie, sung by Susannah de Wrixon. Hits include Rhode Island is famous for you, When in Rome , I won’t dance and many more. Tickets: ¤16 Presented by Susannah de Wrixon

Friday 27 March 1:05PM Piano Recital by Melissa Jennings J.S. Bach Capriccio BWV 992 Fauré Thème and Variations, Opus 73 Chopin Polonaise in F sharp Minor, Opus 44 Manuel de Falla Fantasia Baetica Melissa, winner of numerous awards and scholarships here and abroad is currently completing a Masters in Performance Piano at the Conservatory of Music (DIT). Tickets: ¤15 (Concessions ¤12) Presented by Melissa Jennings

Monday 30 March 8:00PM Love, Loss and Friendship Nadene Fiorentini Piano • Rachel Croash Soprano David Tobin Violin Programme: A selection of Lieder by Brahms and Clara Schumann Robert Schumann Three Romances for Violin and Piano Op.94 Brahms Sonantensatz Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor Nadene Fiorentini, the National Concert Hall’s Rising Star of 2014, is delighted to present an evening of chamber music featuring the works of Brahms and both Robert and Clara Schumann. The story behind the music is of great interest; the relationship between Brahms and the Schumanns being one of love, tragedy and deep friendship. Nadene will join forces with the award winning soprano, Rachel Croash and internationally based Irish violinist, David Tobin to share some of the most expressive works in the repertoire. Tickets: ¤15 ( Concession: ¤12) Presented by Nadene Fiorentini

Tuesday 31 March 7:30PM A Chocolate Box of Song The Singing Students of Maire Ledwith Butler Singing Studio A beautiful programme of solo and choral music including favourites by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Gershwin, Porter, Lloyd Webber, Rodgers and Hammerstein performed by award winning students and Classicus, our own special youth choir. Tickets: ¤20 (Children, Students, Senior Citizens: ¤15) Presented by Maire Ledwith Butler

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

T hank You The National Concert Hall would like to acknowledge with appreciation and gratitude the generous support of our Patron Circle Members • John Field Society Members • American Friends

PATRON CIRCLE Frank & Ivy Bannister • Tom Bryant • Sharon Burke • Tom & Maura Carey Denis & Gráinne Cremins • Veronica Dunne • Donagh McDonagh • Brian McElroy Deirdre O’Grady • Richie Ryan • Clive Shannon • Stephen Vernon JOHN FIELD SOCIETY Frank & Ivy Bannister • Niall Browne • Sharon Burke • Denis & Gráinne Cremins Sir James & Lady Jeanne Galway • Francis Ludlow • Kieran Tobin AMERICAN FRIENDS Cormac Brady • Tom Bryant • Peter Hooper Theresa Murtagh • Robert Pedersen • Mark H.Tuohey AMERICAN PATRONS Tom Moran • Mutual of America

We also gratefully acknowledge those patrons who have requested to remain anonymous. For further information contact the National Concert Hall on 01 417 0077

FORTHCOMING EVENTS April-June APRIL Fri 3 Sat 4 Thu 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Tue 14 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Tue 21-Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra presents The Easter Passion Vladimir and Anton Jablokov Richard Clayderman Perspectives 2015: April Jazz: Reijseger - Fraanje - Sylla Perspectives 2015: April Jazz: Tomasz Stanko Quartet Perspectives 2015: April Jazz: Anouar Brahem Quartet: Souvenance Perspectives 2015: April Jazz: The Bad Plus performs the Ornette Coleman Masterpiece Science Fiction RTE Concert Orchestra The International Concert Series 2014/2015 New York Philharmonic; Alan Gilbert, conductor; Joyce Di Donato, mezzo soprano RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Season 2014-2015: A Touch Of Frost Madama Butterfly La Traviata Sister Act - A Divine Musical Comedy! Siansa Gael Linn CraobhComortas/Final The International Concert Series 2014/2015 John O’Conor, piano Maritana; The Bohemian Girl; The Lily of Killarney Maritana; The Bohemian Girl; The Lily of Killarney RTÉ Concert Orchestra

MAY Fri 1 Fri 1 Sun 3 Mon 4 Thu 7 Fri 8 Wed 13 Thu 14 Fri 15 Tue 19

PIPEWORKS RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Season 2014-2015: Horn Of Plenty The International Concert Series 2014/2015 Latvian Radio Choir & Sigvards Klava, conductor Perspectives 2015: Philip Glass: The Études RTE Concert Orchestra RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Season 2014-2015: Dissonance & Resolution Songs in The Key of D RTÉ Concert Orchestra RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Season 2014-2015: Approaching Night Great Symphonies Close Up with Charles Hazlewood

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

FORTHCOMING EVENTS April-June Thu 21 Fri 22 Fri 29 Sat 30

The International Concert Series 2014/2015 Ulster Orchestra, Alisa Weilerstein, cello Rafael Payare, conductor RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Season 2014-2015: Chariot Of Fire RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Season 2014-2015: Russian Rites RTÉ Concert Orchestra

JUNE Thu 4 Tue 9 Thu 11 Fri 12 Tue 16 Wed 17 Fri 19 Sat 20 Tue 23 Wed 24 Fri 26 Tue 30

RTÉ Concert Orchestra Lunchtime: RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra RTÉ Concert Orchestra RTÉ NSO Summer Evening Concert Series Lunchtime: RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Perspectives 2015: Nils Frahm RTÉ NSO Summer Evening Concert Series RTÉ Concert Orchestra Lunchtime: RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra RTÉ Concert Orchestra RTÉ NSO Summer Evening Concert Series Lunchtime: RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

FRIENDS MEMBERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL Membership means you experience more As a Friend of the National Concert Hall our members are at the core of our programming and upcoming projects. Our Friends members receive fantastic benefits throughout the year with an ever-changing diverse programme of exclusive events, talks and tours designed specifically to enhance their National Concert Hall experience. Our membership programme also contributes directly to the work of our Education, Community and Outreach department meaning Friends make an impact in shaping the positive projects we can drive forward at the National Concert Hall, now, and in the future.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Priority Booking

Ticket Discounts

Exclusive Events

Talks and Tours

Music Clubs and Courses

Coffee Mornings

Access to the heart of the Hall

Why not join as a member to avail of this priority booking periods and special events! Call the Box Office for further information 01 417 0000.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 â&#x20AC;˘ www.nch.ie

FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL EVENTS JANUARY/MARCH

Starting Tuesday 27 January 2015, 11am–12.30pm FRIENDS MUSIC CLUB The Friends Music Club returns this spring with Professor Gerard Gillen discussing CDs and repertoire featured in upcoming concerts at the National Concert Hall. Each session takes place over tea and coffee in the Iveagh Room of the Terrace Café. The Music Club is very popular and has limited availability so get in early. The course takes place on the following Tuesdays: 27 January • 3, 10, 17, 24 February • 4 March €90 (6 sessions with tea/coffee and the first sessions CD) Booking opens November 20th 2014

Wednesday 24 February 2015 5pm THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (LIVE) SUPPER & SCREENING Join us for a delicious one-course supper with a glass of wine and tea/coffee at the Roly Saul in Dundrum before making the short walk over to Movies@Dundrum for the performance of Die Fliegende Hollander, screened live from the Royal Opera House. Starring Bryn Terfel and Adrianne Pieczonka, Supper is at 5pm followed by the screening that commences at 7pm. Meeting at Roly Saul independently. Friends €45 (non-members €50) Booking Opens December 3rd 2014

20-23 March 2015 – Booking now FRIENDS INTERNATIONAL TOUR 2015: Friends Opera and Art Tour to Nice and MonteCarlo. Our specialised Friends tour this spring will take in some of the great Musical and Artistic highlights of this glamorous southern French region. This relaxing, long-weekend perusing fine art, attending stunning musical venues and sharing good times with good Friends in the sunshine is not to be missed. Highlights of this special tour include: • Rossini’s opera ‘Semiramide’ in Nice’s classic 19C opera house • Sibelius’s Les Oceanides and Symphony no 3 performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo in the Auditorium Rainier III • A morning visit to the superb collections and gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on the exclusive peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat • An afternoon visit to Monaco including the Cathedral and the Belle Epoque Casino de Monte Carlo, home of the world famous Casino and Salle Garnier Opera House • Guided visits to several of the Riviera’s celebrated art galleries, including the Musée Chagall, the Musée Matisse and Renoir’s former home and studio upthe Provencal hills. For further information or to reserve your place please contact the Membership Office on 01 417 0067, or email friends@nch.ie. Places Limited. For more information on all Friends events, Friends membership or to book your tickets call the Box Office line on 01 417 0000 NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH EDUCATION, COMMUNITY AND OUTREACH PROGRAMME The National Concert Hall’s Education, Community and Outreach (ECO) programme seeks to engage people with music, to enhance people’s understanding and appreciation of music and music making, and to encourage personal, community and social development through music. Built on the twin pillars of excellence and inclusivity, the ECO programme aims to contribute to national musical citizenship through a wide range of quality, accessible, and socially relevant initiatives.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION SERIES

The International Education series offers unprecedented access for Irish music students to some of the best musicians in the world by linking with the International Concert Series, the National Concert Hall’s flagship performance series. Selected master classes and other educational activities from each of the strands of the International Concert Series provide our students with the opportunity to work with the best orchestras, choirs, singers, pianists and other instrumentalists.

Sunday 25 January 12PM Kevin Barry Room IN CONVERSATION WITH…BENJAMIN GROSVENOR British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is internationally recognised for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations. Described by some as a ‘skill and talent not heard since Kissin’s teenage Russian debut’ (Gramophone Magazine), Benjamin is renowned for his distinctive sound, described as ‘poetic and gently ironic, brilliant yet clear-minded, intelligent but not without humour, all translated through a beautifully clear and singing touch’ (The Independent). Join us for a guided question and answer session with Benjamin ahead of his evening performance – don’t forget to have your questions ready! Tickets: ¤5. Advance sales only

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH

Thursday 5 February 2:30 – 4PM Kevin Barry Room THE KING’S SINGERS CHORAL WORKSHOP Acclaimed for their life-affirming virtuosity and irresistible charm, The King’s Singers are in global demand. Their work synonymous with the best in vocal ensemble performance appeals to a vast international audience. On the afternoon before their return to the stage of the National Concert Hall The King’s Singers will work on the ultimate a cappella sound with pre-formed ensembles or chamber choirs. With their very own sense of understatement the King’s Singers will combine the art of singing in a group with the essential fun you need for singing a cappella. This choral workshop will allow each ensemble to work directly with two members of The King’s Singers on their prepared unaccompanied work and have the opportunity to observe the King’s Singers working with the other ensembles. Contact education@nch.ie for further details. Tickets: ¤15 per person

Friday 20 February 2-4PM Kevin Barry Room RAY CHEN MASTERCLASS Ray Chen is one of the world’s most exciting young violinists. He has won the Queen Elizabeth and Yehudi Menuhin competitions, released critically acclaimed recordings, and performs “with the kind of authority that puts him in the same category as Maxim Vengerov” (Corriere della Sera). Committed to expanding the classical audience by increasing its appeal to young people, Ray Chen embraces the use of social media, blogs about his life as a touring musician, and has a following of over 1.5 million on SoundCloud. This commitment to the development of young people is reflected in Ray’s willingness to participate in educational activity. We are delighted to present this master class, which offers a unique opportunity for our young violinists to benefit from one of the top performers of the day, and promises to be insightful and beneficial for both participants and observers. Please contact education@nch.ie to be considered to take part in this master class. Observer tickets: ¤5

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH INSIGHTS

Insights is a series of talks given by respected figures in Irish music education and performance, and is loosely based on the International Concert Series. Each talk takes its theme from an upcoming concert, and as such will be of particular interest to those attending, but will also have much to offer anyone with an interest in expanding their understanding of classical music.

Tuesday 20 January 6:45 – 7:45PM Carolan Room INSIGHTS BACH-CHORALE TO BARCAROLLE: PIANO AND SONG David Mooney – Head of Department of Keyboard Studies, DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama In the first talk of the Insights series, David Mooney will focus on the relationship between piano and song. Using repertoire from the upcoming Benjamin Grosvenor recital, David will explore the theme in a general way, before focusing on specific works for illustration, such as Bach-Busoni (Chaconne), Franck (Chorale), Chopin (Barcarolle), and the song elements of Granados’ Goyescas.

Tuesday 10 February 6:45 – 7:45PM Carolan Room INSIGHTS DAVID AND GOLIATH, THE BALLET OF UNEQUALS: A STRADAVARI AND MODEL D STEINWAY RECITAL Keith Pascoe – Violinist with the Vanbrugh Quartet In this talk, inspired by the Ray Chen (violin) and Julien Quentin (piano) recital, Keith Pascoe will ask the question: How has the violin and piano duet format survived? In the light of the modern concert grand piano’s increased power, able to dominate a symphony orchestra, how and why has the violin, hardly altered since the eighteenth century, managed to hold its own? Keith will explore the roles of the two instruments, and how composers and performers have adjusted to the ‘Frankenstein’s monster’, which the piano has become. Full Price: €8 Friends of the National Concert Hall: €6

Wednesday 18 March 6:45 – 7:45PM Carolan Room INSIGHTS ON WINGS OF SONG: MUSIC AND THE LYRIC POET Virginia Kerr – Celebrated Irish Soprano and faculty member of the Royal Irish Academy of Music and NUI Maynooth. Using as inspiration the upcoming performance by Natalie Dessay (soprano) and Philippe Cassard (piano), Virginia Kerr will explore the world of Art Song. Lyric poetry has inspired composers throughout the centuries. The Art Song strives to be the perfect combination of music and literature, based on four elements: the poet, the composer, the singer and the accompanist. The poet inspires the composer and the result is interpreted by the singer and the accompanist. It is one of the most communicative and important musical genres. Full Price: ¤8 Friends of the National Concert Hall: ¤6

Full Price: €8. Friends of the National Concert Hall: €6 92

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH ECO ENSEMBLES

A frequent regret expressed by many adults is that of never having played music. It is our belief that that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in a musical ensemble, and that everyone will benefit from doing so at some point of their lives. We also believe that it is never too late and never too early to begin performing, and that people should be encouraged to do so regardless of experience, training or musical background. The ECO ensemble programme provides a range of ensembles where the emphasis is on participation and enjoyment. Discover your inner musician! 8 -9.30pm Wednesdays NCH: SING OUT! NCH: Sing Out! is a singing group for ages 16 and up where the motto is: Come together and find your voice! Using a wide range of songs and styles, participants will develop their singing in a supportive and encouraging environment. The voice is the instrument that we all possess, and there is no other instrument that encapsulates human emotion to the same extent. We encourage you to experience the joy of group singing, and to release the voice that is within us all. There are no auditions or other criteria for enrolment, other than an open mind and the will to sing! NCH: Sing out! Will start on 25 January, term cost: €65

8-9.30pm Tuesdays PERCUSSION LAB Percussion Lab is a drumming ensemble for ages 16 and up where you are encouraged to join in and experience the rhythms of the world. Focusing on the rich traditions of Africa, Brazil and Cuba, Percussion Lab will have you up and drumming in no time (but hopefully in time!). There are no entry requirements, and no previous experience is required – all you need to bring is your enthusiasm! Percussion Lab will start on 24 January, term cost: €65. BLOW THE DUST ORCHESTRA The Blow the Dust Orchestra is designed to encourage older people, who once played instruments, to take them out of their cases, dust them off, and join fellow musicians in forming an orchestra. The ensemble is open to players of any level, instrument or style and aims to empower older people to rise to the artistic and physical challenges of playing their instruments while creating a musically orientated social community, with the National Concert Hall as its own ‘clubhouse’. The orchestra is now at full capacity but we would still like to hear from you! We can either add you to the waiting list, or recommend other organisations that run music projects for older people. email blowthedust@nch.ie for further information. GAMELAN ENSEMBLE The National Concert Hall was privileged to receive a gift of a full Gamelan Orchestra from the Sultan of Yogyakarta in 2014. This fascinating instrument consists of a wide variety of gongs, bells, and xylophone-type instruments, and produces a magical sound when played. The Gamelan is a terrific instrument for both learning and performing, and we currently have two ensembles working on a variety of education and performance activities. Term starts January 20 2015, term cost: ¤80 limited places available

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH

MINI MUSIC Mini Music is an action-packed music workshop experience for babies and young children aged 3 months to 8 years old. 30-minute workshops take place on Saturdays at the National Concert Hall. Carefully designed to suit each of the age groups, workshops are fun and accessible with foot-tapping, memorable tunes! Mini Minors 10.20 3-12 months Mini Majors 11.00 1-2 years Mini Mezzos 11.40 2 -3 years Mini Muchos 12.20 3-4 years Mini Maxis 13.00 & 13.45 4-5 years Term 3: Term 2: 10, 17, 24, 31 January 11, 18, 25 April 7, 14, 21, 28 February 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 21, 28 March 13, 20 June Full Price: ¤120 per 10 week term Young Maestro & second child: ¤96

Mini Maestros workshops for 5 -8 year olds from 1.30 – 2.15pm Full Price: ¤155 per 10 week term Young Maestro: ¤130 Presented by the National Concert Hall Education, Community and Outreach Department 94

Saturday 21 February 12PM/1:30PM Kevin Barry Room MUSICAL STORIES Here the children take centre stage in a fully interactive musical story telling workshop. Guided by the National Concert Hall’s ECO Band (a hybrid classical / jazz education ensemble), the children and musicians co-create their own versions of popular children’s stories. With plenty of hands-on musical interaction through the use of percussion, chimes, whistles and other sounds, the children develop the musical soundscape to accompany the story developed throughout the event. Full Price: ¤12.50 Young Maestros: ¤10 Up to two complimentary tickets for accompanying parent/guardian, additional parent/guardian ¤12

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH

Saturday 28 February 10am-2pm Kevin Barry Room ONE DAY SONGSCHOOL Junior Songschool is for students aged 8 -12 years old who are interested in writing and recording songs, performing them in concert, learning about music technology, and meeting people who love music as much as they do... not to mention forming bands and having fun! Free concert at 2pm for friends and family to hear the amazing songs written on the day! Full Price: ¤20 20 % discount for Young Maestros

MUSIC WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOLS These workshops are geared towards school trips and outings, and focus on fun and participation. Participants will learn much from these events that will link into many other areas of their music education. Whole classes are invited to participate in the workshop of their choice – options include percussion, singing, song-writing, Gamelan, and improvisation. Please contact us for booking and further details education@nch.ie

MUSIC IN THE WORKPLACE

Saturday 21 March 12:00PM/1:30PM Kevin Barry Room PETER AND THE WOLF INTERACTIVE FAMILY CONCERT WITH THE WHISTLEBLAST QUARTET Slip on your paws, wear animal masks and enter the story of Peter and the Wolf! Learn about the WhistleBlast’s instruments and join in with rhythm, song and hear other musical animals involving elephants and the like! Guaranteed to make you smile. Tickets: ¤12.50. Family Ticket (family of 4 with at least 1 child): ¤44 20% discount for Young Maestros All Young Maestros are entitled to 2 tickets per Young Maestro event unless otherwise stated.

Many companies now realise the benefits of providing a range of social and recreational activities to their employees. Music in the Workplace provides a menu of workshop options to companies wishing to offer development opportunities to their employees in the area of music. Such activities can improve employee wellbeing, reduce stress levels, and contribute to group cohesiveness and team building. Options include Office Band, Song-writing, Office Choir, and Percussion Ensemble. Please contact us for booking and further details education@nch.ie

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

EDUCATION EVENTS JAN-MARCH We are proud of our activities in the healthcare sector, and we are constantly striving to increase our reach in this area. Our activities are geared towards enriching the lives of those suffering from long-term health conditions, enhancing the musical experience of those unable to attend, and promoting both on-site and off-site activities for special education needs (SEN) groups. To date, our activities have brought musicians and music programmes into all parts of the country, and in a wide variety of settings. When you support the Education, Community and Outreach programme, you are supporting the following additional projects in the healthcare sector: KIDS’ CLASSICS Kids’ Classics brings music out from the National Concert Hall and into Ireland’s children’s hospitals. The programme offers distraction and relaxation for young patients undergoing stressful treatment, and helps to improve the quality of life for patients, families and staff. By providing regular workshops and ward visits, Kids’ Classics brings a musical component and live music experience into a healthcare setting, where it had previously not existed. Kids’ Classics is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland, Brackaville Investments, and Michael O’Brien. HEALTH AND HARMONY Health & Harmony is an outreach music programme specially developed to meet the needs of those individuals and their families living with dementia. In partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, this programme brings professional musicians into nursing homes and care settings around Ireland for bi-monthly performances, enhancing the quality of life for over 200 patients, careers and their families. MUSIC IN MIND We believe in the benefits of music participation for people with mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. Music in Mind is a new initiative for 2015 designed to bring music participation to people with such concerns. In partnership with Mental Health Ireland, the programme provides percussion and choir workshops to inpatients in mental healthcare facilities, and to clients of support centres in Dublin and beyond.

ST. DECLAN’S SCHOOL St. Declan’s School is a school for children with behavioural and emotional difficulties. The work of the National Concert Hall here involves engaging the talents of sound artist and composer Slavek Kwi. Slavek’s particular expertise focuses on the development of children’s communication skills through the medium of music, enabling them to give a creative response through music/sound making. NATIONAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL Pursuing our mission to provide music to those unable to attend the National Concert Hall, the ECO programme provides monthly music workshops, concert performances and ward visits facilitated by a dedicated team of professional musicians in the National Rehabilitation Hospital. The National Rehabilitation Hospital provides a comprehensive range of specialist rehabilitation services to patients who have acquired a physical or cognitive disability and who require specialist medical rehabilitation. JEROME HYNES YOUNG COMPOSERS AWARD This award is for the commission of a new work for mezzo-soprano and piano. As part of the commissioning process, the composer has the unique opportunity to work collaboratively with the 2014 Bernadette Greevy Bursary Awardee on this new work. The new work will be premiered during the Bernadette Greevy Bursary Recital in autumn 2015, giving the young composer a platform to showcase their talent. Application form will be available from late January 2015. STUDENTS Students can avail of a ‘Student Standby Scheme’ – on production of suitable identification at the Box Office, subject to the discretion of the Box Office Manager. Where available, tickets can be purchased for ¤5 one hour prior to a performance. One ticket per student only. Please check with the Box Office on the day of the concert for possible availability.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

STUDEN

DISCOUNTT

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOOKING & GENERAL INFORMATION BOOKING IN PERSON OPENING HOURS Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm

GIFT CARDS • Gift Cards can be used online, in person or over the phone. • Please quote the Gift Card number and Redemption Number when booking

Cheques should be made payable to “The National Concert Hall”

TELEPHONE BOOKINGS +353 1 417 0000 Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm (open two hours prior to concerts on Sundays & Bank Holidays for one hour) Tickets purchased by phone can be posted out for a charge of ¤1 (postage and packaging)

ONLINE BOOKING www.nch.ie All major credit/debit cards accepted. CONDITIONS OF SALE • Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged. • Programme & artist are subject to change

CONCESSIONS • Concessions are available on selected concerts to patrons who produce suitable identification • Concessions not requested at time of booking cannot be allocated later • All discounts apply to Full Price tickets only • Only one discount per ticket applies • Discounted tickets cannot be purchased in conjunction with any other offers or concessions

€5

THIRD LEVEL STUDENT STANDBY SCHEME On production of suitable identification at the Box Office, third level students can avail of tickets for a5 one hour prior to a performance. Please contact the Box Office on the day of the performance for possible availability of this offer. One ticket per student only. GROUPS Got a Group? Get a Deal. Contact the Box Office Booking Line on +3531 417 0000 or email groups@ nch.ie Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm CHILD ADMITTANCE Patrons are advised that children under the age of 5 will not be admitted to events which are unsuitable for children. Please contact the Box Office for recommendations regarding age admittance. BABES-IN-ARMS • For family & children’s events, babes-in-arms (children under 12 months) will be admitted to the concert provided that they can be seated throughout the performance on the accompanying adult’s lap. • Please inform the Box Office at time of booking to receive the free infant ticket.

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE • Seats are available at the back of the stalls (downstairs) for wheel chair users & their companions • An induction loop system for hard of hearing patrons has been installed in the MAitorium • An Infra Red Assistive Listening System is available for events throughout the MAitorium and in the John Field Room. To avail of this system please contact our reception desk on the night. Instructions on how to use this system are available on www.nch.ie NATIONAL CONCERT HALL ETIQUETTE • There is no smoking in The National Concert Hall • Cameras, video equipment and recording devices are not permitted • Please ensure all mobiles devices are switched off before entering the Auditorium • Please arrive early. There is no guarantee of late seating. Where possible, patrons will only be admitted when there is a suitable break, if any, in the performance • Please leave all coats, bags and umbrellas in the Cloak Room in the John Field Room. There is no charge incurred for this facility DATA PROTECTION • When you book tickets with the National Concert Hall, your details will be held on our database • From time to time, we may send you information about The National Concert Hall and its programme of events. If you do not wish to receive this information, please tell a member of the Box Office Team at time of booking or amend your preference online • The National Concert Hall complies with the principles of good data handling. For details, please see our privacy policy on www.nch.ie or contact us on +3531 417 0077

THE MUSIC BOX The Music Box at The National Concert Hall features a selection of CDs, DVDs, books and more. Open one hour prior to concerts, during intermission and after performances. FINE DINING AT THE TERRACE CAFÉ AT THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL • For reservations call + 353 1 417 0090 or email nch@withtaste.ie KEEP UP TO DATE AND IN TOUCH WITH THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL Sign up to receive our free e-zines Join our online mailing list and stay informed about concerts, special offers and much more. Join us on Facebook Be part of The National Concert Hall Facebook community. Get the latest news & exclusive offers, see videos of your favourite performers and chat to other members of our community. JOIN TODAY! www.facebook.com/ nationalconcerthall Follow us on Twitter Why not follow our daily musings on Twitter – be the first to know about upcoming concerts and get exclusive Twitter follower deals. www.twitter.com/NCH_Music Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Watch videos of upcoming performers and rehearsals at our Youtube Channel www.youtube.com/user/MusicNCH Digital Calendar of Events View our Digital Calendar of Events online at www.nch.ie

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

YOUR VISIT GETTING HERE AND PARKING

DISTANCES M50 Motorway: 9km Dublin Airport: 17km Dublin Busáras Station: 3.4km Dublin Connolly Station: 3.5km Dublin Heuston Station: 4.9km

BY TRAIN Pearse Street Station is the nearest DART station to us. Some commuter trains also stop here while others will terminate at Connolly Station For more information on timetables, log on to www.irishrail.ie

BY CAR The National Concert Hall is located in the centre of the city beside St. Stephen’s Green. Please be aware that there is a one-way system in place on St Stephen’s Green so please follow the instructions below.

BY LUAS Harcourt Street is within five minutes’ walk of the National Concert Hall and runs regularly: every five minutes at busy periods and every fifteen minutes at less busy periods

• • • • • •

DUBLIN BIKES Why not keep it green and use one of the Dublin Bikes available at various points around the city. There is a Dublin Bikes station directly outside The National Concert Hall. There are also two stations on St Stephen’s Green, both of which have credit card terminals. For more information, log on to www.dublinbikes.ie

Follow the signs to the City Centre From O’Connell Street, head south over the River Liffey, down D’Olier Street, past Trinity College onto Nassau Street From Nassau Street, take a right turn onto Kildare Street This will lead you onto St. Stephen’s Green. Continue down towards Baggot Street, take the first right onto Pembroke Street, straight past Fitzwilliam Square until you come to a set of traffic lights Turn right onto Leeson Street and at the next set of traffic lights take the left onto Earlsfort Terrace where The National Concert Hall is situated on the right-hand side

CAR PARKING FACILITIES Limited parking is available in the grounds of the National Concert Hall. There are also a number of car parks within a short walk of the Hall: The Royal College of Surgeons Car Park, Dawson Street Car Park, Schoolhouse Lane, BY BUS As we are centrally located, there are plenty of Drury Street Car Park, Park Rite Car Park, options for buses to bring you to The National St. Stephen’s Green Car Park Concert Hall. Setanta Place For more information on routes and timetables, It is also possible to park on Adelaide Road, log on www.dublinbus.ie Hatch Street, Fitzwilliam Square, St. Stephen’s If you are travelling directly from Dublin Airport Green, all within walking distance of the Nato The National Concert Hall, the Aircoach can tional Concert Hall. Please check for parking be used as it will leave you on Lower Leeson restrictions and notices for Pay & Display areas. Street which is just around the corner from The National Concert Hall. For more information or routes and fares, log on to www.aircoach.ie

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL SEATING PLAN CHOIR BALCONY Y D ON RE LC BA E D SI

SI D GR E BA EE LC N O N Y

STAGE STALLS

CHOIR BALCONY 136 SEATS UNRESERVED VIEW FROM YELLOW BALCONY

EXIT EXIT

18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

EXIT

49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19

RED SIDE BALCONY

45 46 47 48 40 41 42 43 44 31 30 29 28 36 35 34 33 32

37 38

21 21 21 21 21

29 31 30 29 31 30 29 31 30 29 31 30 29 31 30 29 31 30 29 31 30 29 29

28 28 28 28

27 27 27 27

28 2 7 28 2 7 28 2 7 28 2 7 28 2 7 28 2 7

26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26

25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4 25 2 4

23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2 23 2 2

ENTRANCE/EXIT

21 21

GREEN SIDE BALCONY

21 21

ENTRANCE TO CHOIR BALCONY

21 21

21 21 2 21 22 21 22 21 21

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

ENTRANCE/EXIT ENTRANCE TO STALLS 1-15

STALLS A B C D E F G H J K

EXIT

21 21

EXIT

ENTRANCE/EXIT

6 25 24 2 3 26 2 5 24 23 25 2 4 23 2 2 25 2 4 23 22

21 21

48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

X Y

0 29 28 2 31 3 7 0 29 28 2 7 26 27 2 6

3 B 5 4 3 2 7 6 9 8 5 4 C 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 2 1 7 6 3 8 9 1 D 5 4 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 4 8 5 9 1 E 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 7 6 3 2 9 8 1 F 5 4 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 1 G 5 4 9 8 2 6 0 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 1 7 4 3 9 8 2 1 H 6 5 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 4 3 8 7 1 J 5 9 2 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 7 6 4 3 9 8 2 1 K 6 5 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 4 3 8 7 L 1 5 9 3 2 7 6 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 1 M 5 4 9 8 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 4 8 N 1 5 9 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 5 4 9 8 2 1 P 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 7 6 4 3 9 8 2 1 Q 6 5 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 7 4 8 5 9 2 1 R 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 7 6 4 3 9 8 2 1 S 6 5 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 4 3 8 7 1 T 5 9 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 1 U 5 4 9 8 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 4 8 1 V 5 9 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 1 W 9 8 5 4 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 7 6 4 8 9 6 5 1 X 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 3 2 8 7 Y 9 4 5 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 7 6 9 8 6 5 11 10 7 9 8 10 SOUND DESK

52 51 50 49 57 56 55 54 53 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23

A 29 B 30 28 27 26 29 2 25 2 8 27 4 23 C 31 30 26 2 22 5 24 29 23 2 D 31 30 28 27 26 2 29 2 25 2 8 4 2 2 3 22 7 26 E 31 30 25 2 29 4 23 F 31 30 28 27 26 2 2 29 2 G 31 30 28 27 26 5 24 23 22 29 25 H 31 30 28 27 26 24 23 22 29 2 2 5 24 2 8 27 J 31 30 3 22 26 2 29 K 31 30 28 27 26 5 24 23 22 29 2 L 31 30 28 27 26 5 24 23 22 29 2 M 31 30 28 27 26 5 24 23 2 2 29 2 N 31 30 28 27 26 5 24 23 2 2 29 2 25 P 31 30 2 8 27 26 24 23 22 25 9 Q 31 30 28 27 26 24 23 22 29 2 2 5 24 2 8 27 R 31 30 3 22 26 2 29 5 S 31 30 28 27 26 24 23 22 29 25 T 31 30 28 27 26 24 23 22 29 2 U 31 30 28 27 26 5 24 23 22 29 25 V 31 30 28 27 26 24 23 22 29 2 25 2 8 27 4 23 W 31 3 2 2

EXIT

STAGE

ENTRANCE TO STALLS 16-31

21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17 21 20 19 18 17

16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12 16 15 14 13 12

9 8 11 10 9 8 11 10 8 9 11 10 9 8 11 10 8 9 11 10 9 8 11 10 9 8 11 10 9 8 11 10 9 8 11 10 8 9 11 10

YELLOW BALCONY

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ORGAN

3 5 4 7 6 H 5 H H 7 6 H 5 7 6 H 5 H H 7 6 5 H 6 7 4 3 5 3 7 6 5 4 3 7 6 5 4 3 7 6 5 4 7 6 4 5 6 7

H H H H H H 2 2

H H 1 1

2 1

A B C D E F G H J K

ENTRANCE/EXIT ENTRANCE TO YELLOW AND RED BALCONIES

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL BOX OFFICE TEL: 01 417 0000 • www.nch.ie

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2015

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01.02.15

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Tickets from ¤70

Thursday 5 February 2015 The King’s Singers Programme includes Striggio, Gibbons, Cavendish, Weelkes Stanford & many more.

Monday 27 April 2015 John O’Conor Programme includes Schubert & Beethoven.

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Tickets from ¤20

Thursday 19 February 2015 Ray Chen violin Julien Quentin piano Programme includes Arvo Pärt, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky & Stravinsky

Sunday 3 May 2015 Latvian Radio Choir Sigvards Kl¸ava conductor Programme includes Rachmaninov, Bach/Nystedt, Eriks Ešenvalds, Anders Hillborg, Ligeti, Peteris Vasks.

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Wednesday 25 February 2015 Paul Lewis Programme - all Beethoven Tickets from ¤25

Thursday 26 March 2015 Natalie Dessay soprano Philippe Cassard piano Programme includes Schumann Brahms, Duparc & more. Tickets from ¤25

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Thursday 21 May 2015 Ulster Orchestra Rafael Payare conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Programme includes Wagner, Elgar & Shostakovich.

©Uwe Arens

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Thursday 16 April 2015 New York Philharmonic Alan Gilbert conductor Joyce DiDonato mezzo-soprano Programme includes Ravel, Strauss & Esa-Pekka Salonen.

THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL JANUARY-MARCH 2015 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sunday 25 January 2015 Benjamin Grosvenor Programme includes Rameau, Bach-Busoni, Franck, Chopin and Granados.

Ray Chen

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JANUARY-MARCH 2015

Tickets from ¤20

Box Office www.nch.ie 01 417 0000 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2