The National Concert Hall Press Release Archive 2012

THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL Press Release Archive 2012

Japanese Drummers KODO bring dynamic drumming extravaganza to The National Concert Hall to celebrate their 30th anniversary Media Release 4 January 2012 Irish audiences will be treated to the spectacular drumming extravaganza that is Kodo, otherwise known as the world’s most notable Japanese Drum Ensemble. Celebrating 30 years Kodo make a welcome return to The National Concert Hall, on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February 2012 8pm as part of their One Earth Tour.

Children aged 3+ and their families will also be invited to hear Kodo drummers talk about their way of life in Kodo Village on Sado Island and demonstrate their music and the techniques in as special informal concert on Sunday 12 February at 1pm.

Since the group’s debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 3400 performances on all five continents, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third resting and preparing new material on Sado Island.

30 years later and Kodo are still striving to bring their music around the world. Their new album ‘Akatsuki’ is an ambitious work in which young Kodo performers play a central role as they strive to make a Kodo standard for the next generation. The 11 tracks include Stride (composed by Mitsuru Ishizuka), which debuted on tours throughout Japan and Europe last year, and Sora (composed by Shogo Yoshii), which thoroughly enlivened last year's Earth Celebration and December Concert audiences. It also includes Ogi Oiwake, a folk song from Kodo's home, Sado Island, and selected Kodo stage compositions captured in true performance style.

Kodo strives to both preserve and re-interpret traditional Japanese performing arts.

In Japanese the word "Kodo" conveys two meanings: Firstly, "heartbeat" the primal source of all rhythm. The sound of the great taiko is said to resemble a mother's heartbeat as felt in the womb.

Secondly, read in a different way, the word can mean "children of the drum," a reflection of Kodo's desire to play the drums simply, with the heart of a child Tickets: €35, €45 (Choir Balcony €25) 20% Discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall 10% Discount for Groups of 10 or more Family Concert Tickets: €10 (Concessions €8) 20% Discount for Young Maestros National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Antonio Pappano to conduct world-class London Symphony Orchestra in first concert of New Year as part of The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series '11/'12 Media Release 5 January 2012 Antonio Pappano, who received a knighthood in the 2012 New Year Honours List for his services to music as Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, will conduct one of the world’s great orchestras The London Symphony Orchestra at The National Concert Hall on Monday 13 February 2012, 8pm.

The London Symphony Orchestra are set to make their mark on The National Concert Hall's International Concert Series in this eagerly awaited performance, the first in the New Year. The programme features Rachmaninov’s ‘The Isle of the Dead’, Bartòk’s Concerto for Orchestra and Korngold’s Violin Concerto to be performed by guest violinist Roman Simović.

Currently serving as Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Orchestra of the Accademia Natzionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Pappano's 30 years of conducting operas, concert performances and recordings has ensured his postion as one of the leading conductors of his generation.

He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Israel Philharmonic. He has conducted in all the great opera houses of the world including the Vienna Staatsoper, the English National Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, Berlin Staatsoper and at the Metropolitan Opera New York.

As well as being knighted in 2012 by Queen Elizabeth 11 for his services to music, Pappano’s recent awards also include being a winner at the recent 2011 Gramophone Awards which took place on October 6th in London. In 2008 he was made a 'Commendatore of the Republic of Italy'.

It is no surprise that such a prolific conductor would cross paths with the great London Symphony Orchestra; widely regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras. Resident at the Barbican in the City of London presenting over 70 concerts a year, the orchestra also complete a further 70 concerts abroad as well as taking up residencies annually at the Lincoln Centre New York and is the international resident orchestra of La Salle Pleyel in Paris. Adding to the already impressive schedule the London Symphony Orchestra has established its own label, LSO Live, which is currently the most successful label of its kind in the world. Their recordings have been widely acclaimed attracting numerous Grammy, Grammophone and Classical Brit Awards.

Guest violinist for their Irish performance, is Roman Simović who currently serves as concertmaster for London Symphony Orchestra and has been described as a ‘supreme violinist’ and praised for his ‘exceptional musicality’. As well as performing in Europe, America and Russia, Simović has earned his reputation as master violinist and has been awarded prizes at numerous International competitions to include the ‘Premio Rodolfo Lipizer (Italy) where along with a Gold Medal he was awarded twelve 3

special prizes placing him among the foremost violinists of his generation. Highlights of his 2011/2012 season include performances with Mariinski (Kirov) Orchestra under Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra.

The London Symphony Orchestra has performed at The National Concert Hall as part of its International Concert Series with conductor Valery Gergiev on 15 May 2010 as part of the ‘09/’10 Season; with Gergiev again on 14 March 2008 as part of the ‘07/’08 Season and with conductor Myung-Whun Chung on 22 May 2007 a part of the ‘06/’07 Season.

PROGRAMME Rachmaninov The Isle of the Dead Korngold Violin Concerto Concerto for Orchestra Tickets: €50, €60, €70, €80 (Choir Balcony €40) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The National Concert Hall pays homage to Irish Polar Heroes in celebratory concert with special guest The Hon. Alexandra Shackleton Media Release 10 January 2012 On Monday 6 February 2012, The National Concert Hall will play host to special guest speaker The Hon. Alexandra Shackleton as well as famed Irish writers, actors, and musicians in a special evening honouring the Irish Polar heroes Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean and Francis McClintock.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall, said: ‘Sir Earnest Shakleton gave an illustrated lecture about his polar expeditions in this very hall in December 1909, so it will be a particular pleasure to welcome the great explorer’s grand-daughter to this special event, which celebrates the remarkable contribution of Irishmen to polar exploration and also marks the centenary of the final conquest of the south pole and the tragic end of Scott’s expedition in February 1912’ The celebrations, presented in two parts will begin with a series of short illustrated lectures by Jonathan Shackleton, Dermot Somers and author Michael Smith on the polar heroes from 5-7pm in the Kevin Barry Room.

The main event, at 8pm in the Main Auditorium, will feature The Hon. Alexandra Shackleton as guest speaker along with the renowned actor Barry Mc Govern narrating and reading poetry with songs by Gerry Cullen. And always that wind composed by Michael Holohan in memory of Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott will receive its world premiere and be performed by the virtuoso flautist Brian Dunning. Finally, the evening will conclude with a moving piece of musical theatre about Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition entitled Where a single footprint lasts a thousand years also composed and devised by Michael Holohan. The piece features actor Donal O‘Kelly as Shackleton, Brian Dunning, flute, Breifne Holohan, guitar and Michael Holohan, keyboards and percussion. This piece was commissioned by The National Concert Hall for the Shackleton Centenary in December 2009. This event follows the sell-out show in the Rotunda Pillar 2011 and the previous sell-out show at the National Concert Hall in 2009.

Irish Polar Heroes is presented by The National Concert Hall in association with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, with the support of Create Louth and Poetry Ireland Tickets: €20 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall. 10% discount for senior citizens, students and the unwaged.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Portuguese pianist Artur Pizarro joins RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet at The National Concert Hall as part of the International Concert Series 2011/2012 Media Release 13 January 2012 On Thursday 16 February 2012, 8pm the prize-winning Portuguese pianist Artur Pizarro will perform withThe RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet in his International Concert Series 2011/2012 debut at The National Concert Hall. The pianist whose talent lies in the performance of German and French repertoire will indulge Irish audiences in a performance of Brahms’ Piano Quintet with the Quartet for this eagerly-awaited chamber music recital.

Also joining the Quartet for Schubert’s String Quintet will be the renowned cellist Robert Cohen who has been described by the New York Stereo Review has someone who ‘plays like a God.’ A former pupil of the famed cellists Jacqueline du Pré and Mistislav Rostropovich, Cohen’s career as a consummate musician and communicator is best summed up by ‘The Guardian’ who observed ‘Cohen can hold an audience in the palm of his hand’.

Both Pizarro and Cohen have developed musical careers that have seen them perform in concerto performances with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors to include Sir Simon Rattle, Charles MacKerras, Michael Tilson Thomas, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Andrew Davis and many more. Both are also avid chamber musicians who regularly perform at various chamber music festivals around the world.

Pizarro, who won first prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition which marked the beginning of his international concert career, went on to perform many of the great concert halls around the world, both in recital and in concerto performances. He also formed the Pizarro Trio in 2005 and performs as a piano duo with Vita Panomariovaite.

Marking the 200th Anniversary of Chopin’s birth in 2010, Pizarro performed an epic cycle of the complete solo piano works of Chopin at St. John’s Smith Square London, a cycle he repeated at the Belem Cultural Centre Lisbon, where he is Artist in Residence. His love of Chopin’s works was also evident in his recordings of Chopin’s Piano Sonatas in 2006 and Chopin’s best loved works for solo piano in 2005 for Linn Records. While his most recent release is that of Goyesecas and the complete Iberia, (2010), his earlier recordings saw him performing Beethoven’s 3rd, 4th and 5th piano concertos with Sir Charles MacKerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (2009); and The Complete Piano Works of Maurice Ravel, throughout 2005-2006, all for Linn Records and released to outstanding critical acclaim.

Robert Cohen, a cellist of international renown has over the course of his career been invited to perform concertos world-wide by conductors Claudio Abbado, Sir Mark Elder, Mariss Jansons, Sir Chalres MacKerras, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Muti, and many more.

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He has had several compositions written and dedicated to him, most recently The Sally Beamish Cello Concerto No. 2 ‘The Song Gatherer’ which had is debut with Minnesota Orchestra and Osmö Vänskä, in November 2011. A Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London and at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano Cohen has also been the subject of many TV documentaries and has created special projects for City of London Festival ‘Les Six’ – poetry, literature and film –Royal Ballet School ‘Collaborations; ‘Robert Cohen’s Cello Clinic’ and ‘Cohen Pod Talks’.

Pizarro and Cohen’s partnership with the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet for this concert will ensure an outstanding performance. Now in their twenty fourth concert season the quartet are described as ‘one of Europe’s most successful ensembles internationally recognised for its beauty of sound, clarity of texture and integrity of interpretation…’. The RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet although based in Cork as Resident Quartet to RTÉ, are regular visitors to many UK festivals and perform at London’s Wigmore Hall and South Bank Centre as well as being broadcast frequently for BBC Radio 3. The quartet enjoys an international career with tours to the USA on a regular basis with performances in Carnegie Hall, New York and The Kennedy Centre in Washington.

PROGRAMME Brahms Piano Quintet Schubert String Quintet Tickets: €15, €20, €25, €30 (Choir Balcony €10) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Celebrated British Composer Thomas Adès to perform with Britten Sinfonia at The National Concert Hall Media Release 23 January 2012 For its first major tour of 2012 one of the most dynamic and innovative chamber orchestras in Europe, Britten Sinfonia, will perform at Ireland’s National Concert Hall on Tuesday 28 February 8pm. It will be joined by Musical America’s ‘Composer of the Year 2011’ Thomas Adès as both pianist and conductor.

The orchestra, renowned for its imaginative and organic programming, presents Adès’s unique arrangements of works by the 18th century French composer Couperin alongside Adès’s own 2005 Violin Concerto Concentric Paths (with Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto) as well as Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin and works by Stravinsky, another key influence on Adès.

Sir Simon Rattle has said of the British composer, conductor and pianist “Even as the UK is brimming with wonderful young composers, I think few would dispute that Tom Adès may be the most extravagantly gifted of them all...’

Adès’s 40th birthday was celebrated around the world last year with performances of two new works Polaris and The Four Quartets. EMI also released a retrospective double album Thomas Adès: Anthology featuring some of the most high profile works from his illustrious career to date.

Simon Taylor, Chief Executive of The National Concert Hall, said ‘The collaboration between an orchestra of this quality one of the most exciting young violinists around and a world-renowned figure in contemporary music will make this an extraordinary and memorable concert.’

Regularly performing in many of the finest concert halls around the world, Britten Sinfonia has recently announced that it is to join the London Barbican’s outstanding roster of international performance partners when the orchestra becomes Associate Ensemble there from the 2012-13 Season. This will be marked in October 2012 with a day of events that celebrates Britten Sinfonia’s 20th birthday. The orchestra also performs a concert series at London’s Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall and has residencies in Cambridge and Norwich. Its recent highly acclaimed tours of South America and the Netherlands have added to its growing international stature.

This unique concert is part of The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2011/2012 ABOUT THOMAS ADÈS, CONDUCTOR, COMPOSER AND PIANIST Renowned as both a composer and a performer, Thomas Adès works regularly with the world’s leading orchestras, opera companies and festivals. His recordings of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Nancarrow, Kurtág, Ruders and Barry have been critically acclaimed.

The many orchestras he has conducted include City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; the Chamber Orchestra of Europe; the Philharmonia Orchestra; the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra; London Symphony Orchestra; the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; the BBC, Finnish and Danish Radio Symphony Orchestras; and ensembles including 8

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (whose Music Director he was between 1998 and 2000), the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, and the Athelas Ensemble. A number of international festivals have chosen to present special focuses on his music. Among these were Helsinki’s Musica Nova (1999), Salzburg Easter Festival (2004), Radio France’s Festival Présences (2007), the Barbican’s ‘Traced Overhead’ (2007), the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Horizons Festival in St Petersburg (2007) and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra’s Composer’s Festival (2009).

ABOUT PEKKA KUUSISTO, VIOLIN Internationally renowned both as a soloist and director, Kuusisto is best-known for his fresh approach to repertoire and his love of new music. He regularly collaborates with composers of today, including Sebastian Fagerlund and Nico Muhly for whom he gave the world premiere of Impossible Things alongside tenor Mark Padmore and the Britten Sinfonia in February 2010 as well as the performance of Muhly’s Drones & Violin in January 2011.

He champions the use of accompanying art forms in his performances, including light, electronics, film and dance. He is Artistic Director of ‘Our Festival’, based in the home town of Sibelius, which takes place every summer. He regularly works with such ensembles as the Australian, London, Scottish and Irish Chamber Orchestras as well as the Münchener Kammerorchester. His most recent CD features the complete works for violin and piano by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara with pianist Paavali Jumppanen (Ondine). His recording of Lindberg’s Violin Concerto will be released on the Ondine label this year. Pekka also featured in 4, a DVD documentary about Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, presenting inter in the snowscapes of Lapland PROGRAMME Couperin Les Barricades Mysterieuses Couperin (Arr. Adès) Les Barricades Mysterieuses Thomas Adès Three Studies from Couperin Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Stravinsky Air du Rossignol and Marche Chinoise Stravinsky Suites Nos. 1 & 2 for Small Orchestra Thomas Adès Violin Concerto: Concentric Paths Tickets: €20, €25, €30, €40 (Choir Balcony €15) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDs For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The National Concert Hall pays homage to a Musical Super Hero: Danny Elfman in special concert as part of Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Media Release 2 February 2012 On Saturday 25 February 2012, 8pm, The National Concert Hall and RTÉ Concert Orchestra pay tribute to the American musical super-hero, composer Danny Elfman in a special concert entitled Batman: Danny Elfman Film Music presented in association with the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.

Featuring some of his most well-known music from the movies, the orchestra, conducted by David Brophy and accompanied by New Dublin Voices, will perform extracts from Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Batman, Alice in Wonderland, Mars Attacks as well as music from those who influenced Elfman including Bernard Herrmann, Philip Glass and Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

The American composer, who for over three decades now, has been entertaining movie-goers with his distinctive and mystical themes, has in all composed more than 60 motion-picture scores of every genre. His most recent film credits include the smash hit, Alice In Wonderland, and Reel Steel directed by Shawn Levy, Gus Van Sant’s Restless, Frankenweenie, and Dark Shadows.

Although he has admitted to being self-taught when it comes to writing music, the award-winning movie composer had his first full-length orchestral commission, Serenada Schizophrana premièred at Carnegie Hall in 2004 and in 2008, his first composition for ballet Rabbit and Rogue had its American Ballet Theatre World Première at The Metropolitan Opera House at New York’s Lincoln Centre. His Cirque du Soleil show, Iris opened as a permanent show at Hollywood’s Kodak Theater in 2011.

Danny Elfman has earned numerous honours, including a Grammy Award®, an Emmy Award®, three Golden Globe® nominations, and four Academy Award® nominations. In 1998, he was honoured with dual Oscar® nominations for Best Original Score for his work on Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black and Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting. He received his third Oscar® nomination for the score for Tim Burton’s acclaimed fantasy Big Fish. Elfman earned his most recent Oscar® nomination for his score for the acclaimed biopic Milk, directed by Gus Van Sant and his most recent Golden Globe® nomination for his score to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

Tickets: €25, €30, €35 15% group discount available 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Supreme British pianist Stephen Hough to perform Irish première of his piano sonata ‘broken branches’ to audiences at The National Concert Hall Media Release 17 February 2012 Supreme British pianist Stephen Hough makes a welcome return to The National Concert Hall stage on Sunday 11 March 2012, 8pm to perform a recital of piano sonatas by Beethoven, Scriabin & Liszt as well as his own sonata ‘broken branches’ as part of The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2011/2012.

The award-winning pianist who performed the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 to rave reviews with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and conductor Ivan Fischer at The National Concert Hall in January 2010 is widely regarded as one of the most important and distinctive pianists of his generation.

Having made over 15 concerto appearances at the BBC Proms as well as performing with most of the major European and American orchestras, Hough has received numerous awards in recognition of his achievements including the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (2001), the Northwestern University School of Music's Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance (2008) and most recently the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist Award (2010).

A successful recording artist with numerous Grammy nominations, Hough can also be seen regularly in recital in the major halls and concert series around the world. Recent and future highlights includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Czech Philharmonic Orchestras; the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and a worldwide televised performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle as well as recitals at Carnegie Hall and London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Adding to his already hectic schedule of recording and concert performances Hough has also developed a career as a successful composer. His cello concerto ‘The Loneliest Wilderness’ was premièred by British cellist Steven Isserlis and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in 2007, and his two choral works –Mass of Innocence and Experience and Missa Mirabilis – were performed at London’s Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral respectively. Was mit den Tränen geschieht was written in 2009 for his trio commissioned by members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and a string sextet entitled Requiem Aeternum; after Victoria commissioned by the National Gallery was written

by Hough for their major autumn 2009 exhibition.

Apart from love of performing and writing music, Hough has also put pen to paper on the subject of theology. His book ‘The Bible as Prayer’ was published in 2007 by Continuum and Paulist Press. He also contributes regularly to The Guardian, The Times and The Daily Telegraph, where he has one of the most popular cultural blogs

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PROGRAMME Beethoven Sonata in C sharp minor ‘Moonlight’ Stephen Hough Sonata for piano ‘broken branches’ Scriabin Sonata No. 5 Liszt Sonata in B minor *please note that Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 4 which was previously advertised as part of this programme is no longer being performed.

Tickets: €30, €40, €45, €55 (Choir Balcony €20) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The National Concert Hall announces Irish soprano Claudia Boyle as its ‘Rising Star’ recitalist for 2012 Media Release 20 February 2012 Irish soprano, Claudia Boyle, who made her debut on opening night at the Wexford Festival Opera just last year, is The National Concert Hall’s ‘Rising Star’ for 2012.

Accompanied by pianist Mairéad Hurley, Claudia will give her Rising Star recital on Wednesday 7 March 8pm to include a programme of arias by Handel, Mozart, Debussy, Bellini, Thomas and Verdi.

CEO of The National Concert Hall Simon Taylor says “It is our great pleasure to present the Rising Star Award to such an accomplished and talented young Irish soprano. The National Concert Hall takes pride in providing opportunities for Irish musicians to perform on our stage and this award is one such way in which we support and applaud their talent”.

The Irish Times wrote of Claudia Boyle’s performance in the role of ‘La Comtesse’ in La Cour de Célimène at the Wexford Opera Festival in 2011 as “coolly commanding Comtesse, fluttering with graceful ease through acrobatic demands”.

An Opera Theatre Company Young Artist who later went on to take part on the prestigious 'Young Singers Project' at the Salzburg Opera Festival Claudia has since gone on to sing the role of Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. She was also cast by renowned conductor Riccardo Muti, Director of the Whitsun Festival, and sang as soprano soloist in his final concert.

Claudia is no stranger to The National Concert Hall stage having performed with Lyric Opera in the productions of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Bellini’s Norma and Mozart’s The Magic Flute in 2008; Puccini’s La Bohème and Bizet’s Carmen in 2009. More recently she has performed the title role of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata in 2010 and Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 2011. She has also performed with the Glasnevin Musical Society in its acclaimed Dublin première of Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (2008) and in The Pirates of Penzance (2010).

A Dublin native, Claudia graduated with masters from the Royal Irish Academy of Music with first class honours where she studied with Mary Brennan, Suzanne Murphy and Mairéad Hurley. In September 2010 she travelled to the Netherlands where she won the opera category at the International S’Hertogenbosch Opera Competition and in July 2009 was awarded third prize at the Belvedere International Singing Competition in Vienna.

The National Concert Hall Rising Star Award, which is presented annually to a promising young Irish artist, allowing audiences and fellow artists to recognise and applaud publicly the wealth of talent that exists in Ireland.

Previous recipients of The National Concert Hall Rising Star Award include 2011 winner Fiachra Garvey (piano), 2010 winner Tara Erraught (mezzo-soprano), 2009 winner Redmond O’Toole, (guitar), 2008 winner Michael McHale (piano), 2007 winner Emer McDonough (flute), 2006 winner Elizabeth Cooney (violin) and 2005 winner Cathal Breslin (piano).

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PROGRAMME Handel Da tempeste Giulio Cesare Mozart Vado ma dove, K.583 Mozart Nehmt meinen dank, K.383 Debussy Quatre chansons de jeunesse arr. Walton Three Edith Sitwell poems Bellini Qui la voce Xavier Montsalvatge Cinco canciones negras Mozart Non mi dir Thomas Que voulez-vous a mes genoux?

Verdi E strano….sempre libera Tickets: €15 (Concessions: €10) 20% discount for Groups of 10 or more Admission free for Friends of The National Concert Hall (limited to 2 per Friend and subject to availability) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Sir James Galway celebrates St. Patrick’s weekend at The National Concert Hall with an evening of Irish music and song featuring guest soprano Ailish Tynan Media Release 1 March 2012 One of Ireland’s greatest musical ambassadors, flautist Sir James Galway makes a welcome return to The National Concert Hall this St. Patrick’s weekend, Sunday 18 March 2012, 8pm. He will be joined on stage for an evening of Irish music and song by another of the country’s most distinguished and highly acclaimed musicians, soprano Ailish Tynan. Performing a programme entitled ‘In Ireland’ they will be accompanied by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Brophy.

Simon Taylor, CEO of The National Concert Hall says “Both Ailish and Sir James have made, and continue to make, a remarkable impression on the classical music world at home and abroad and we are delighted to have them back in Ireland for this special concert for St. Patrick’s Weekend.”

The evening is a musical celebration of Ireland and includes a unique work written for Sir James Galway by the renowned American conductor Lorin Maazel, based on Irish traditional songs, in which soloist and orchestra will be joined by the actors Caoimhe O’Malley and Aonghus Óg McAnally. Sir James will also perform Hamilton Harty’s ‘In Ireland’ and newly commissioned arrangements of Irish airs, whilst Ailish Tynan performs arias from ‘The Irish Ring’ and much-loved songs by Herbert Hughes. There’s even a suite from ‘The Quiet Man’ to celebrate its 60th birthday!

The illustrious career of the Belfast born flautist is celebrated worldwide with a schedule of concerts that take him from Korea to the USA. Recognised as one of Ireland’s foremost musical ambassadors, Sir James Galway is regarded as a consummate entertainer whose appeal crosses all musical boundaries. Through his extensive touring, over 30 million albums sold and his frequent international television appearances, Sir James has endeared himself to millions worldwide.

Highlights of his 2012/13 season sees Galway appearing all over the world in concert, a tour of the UK with the Orchestra of St. John’s, and onto China for a collaboration with guitarist Xuefei Yang, including concerto performances at the Beijing Festival and in Hong Kong. Another highlight will be a New Year’s Eve televised concert with the NY Philharmonic “Live from the Lincoln Centre”. European engagements include a tour of Italy and Austria; concerts in Russia with Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists. Sir James, who celebrated his 70th Birthday in 2009 with the release of a special celebratory CD by Sony BMG titled ‘James Galway Celebrates 70 – A collection of personal favourites’ also more recently released a 12 CD box set entitled ‘James Galway – The Great Flute Concerto Edition’ by Sony for their ‘Sony Classical Masters’ series.

Ailish Tynan, an Irish musician who has firmly established herself as a prolific concert, opera and recording artist of international renown was recently engaged in a variety of lead roles including Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) at the Royal Opera House, Tigrane Radamisto for English National Opera, Papagena (Die Zauberflöte) at La Scala, Despina (Cosí fan Tutte) at the Théâtre du Capitol de

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Toulouse and Hero (Béatrice et Bénédict) for Houston Grand Opera, Opera Comique and the Grand Théâtre de a Ville de Luxembourg.

Ailish’s 2011/12 season includes Mahler Symphony No. 8 with the Philharmonia under Lorin Maazel and Accademia Nazionale de Santa Cecilia under Sir Antonio Pappano, a Haydn concert with pianist András Schiff and various recitals at the Wigmore Hall.

Her latest discography includes An Irish Songbook for Signum Classics, with pianist Iain Burnside with whom she regularly performs in recital.

PROGRAMME: An Evening of Irish Music and Song Herbert Overture: Eileen Harty In Ireland (Sir James Galway) Wallace Scenes that are brightest (Maritana) Balfe I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls (The Bohemian Girl) Lorin Maazel Irish Vapours & Capers (with narrators Caoimhe O’Malley & Aonghus Óg McAnally) Young The Quiet Man: Suite The Salley Gardens O Men From the Fields The Stuttering Lovers arr. Paul Campbell Suite of Irish airs - new arrangement Tickets: €35, €45, €55 (Choir Balcony €20) Friends of The National Concert Hall receive a 20% discount. Groups of 10 or more receive at 10% discount.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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One of the finest French orchestras, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, will give their Irish debut at The National Concert Hall with an all-French programme Media Release 8 March 2012 Hailed as one of France’s finest orchestras, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse will perform an all-French programme at The National Concert Hall, Monday 26 March 2012, 8pm as part of The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2011/2012.

Under the baton of their Music Director Tugan Sokhiev, they will perform a French themed programme to include Debussy’s ‘Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune’; Saint-Saëns’s Violin Concerto No. 3 (performed by guest violinist Alina Ibragimova) and Hector Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique.

The orchestra have been experiencing something of a rebirth since their collaboration with maestro Tugan Sokhiev as Music Director in 2008 leading Le Monde to coin the phrase ‘Sokhievmania’ and Le Figaro describing their partnership as ‘at the centre of French musical life.’ The Russian conductor who spent three years as their Principal Guest Conductor and musical advisor before becoming Music Director can also boast close ties with the Mariinksy Theatre and is in demand from leading opera houses and orchestras worldwide.

Recent highlights for Tugan Sokhiev include debuts with Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics where critics hailed him ‘Dirigentenwunderwaffe’ (miracle conductor’). The 11/12 season will see Sokhiev and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse tour Germany and South America as well as completing their debut tour in the UK. Opera projects include Tosca at Théâtre du Capitole and Boris Godunov at Vienna State Opera.

Collaborating with the orchestra for their Irish debut at the National Concert Hall will be Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova. A recent Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award recipient and a former Classical BRIT award-winner, Alina has been making waves in the classical music world with her performances as soloist, chamber musician and with renowned orchestras such as: the London Symphony Orchestra, Hallé, BBC orchestras, Philharmonia and Seattle Symphony. The Times recently described Alina as being ‘destined to be a force in the classical musical firmament for decades to come’.

The orchestra have made four recordings with Tugan Sokhiev, the most recent being Shostakovich’s Festival Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 which was released in autumn 2011 for Naïve Classique. They continue to record works by Russian composers with their current recording project featuring Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird’ (1919) and ‘The Rite of Spring’ to be released this year.

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PROGRAMME DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après –midi d’un faune SAINT-SAËNS Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique Tickets: €40, €45, €55, €65 (Choir Balcony €30) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Korean Cellist Han-na Chang to dazzle audiences in recital with Irish pianist Finghin Collins at The National Concert Hall as part of their European Tour Media Release 30 March 2012 On Thursday 26 April 2012, 8pm Korean born cellist, Han-na Chang, renowned world-wide for her mesmerizing performances will make a welcome return to The National Concert Hall to perform a recital of works by Rachmaninov, De Falla and Piazzolla accompanied by Irish pianist Finghin Collins.

This concert forms part of their European tour which sees them perform in London, Genoa and Bologna, also in April. Both Han-na and Finghin have performed together in the past having completed extensive tours of Korea in 2009 and 2011 to critical acclaim.

A former child prodigy turned young virtuoso, Han-Na Chang has established an extraordinary international career, performing regularly on the most prestigious concert stages of Europe, North America and Asia. Her sensational rise to stardom began by winning the Rostropovich Competition in Paris at the tender age of 11, after which she went on to study with Rostropovich privately. Since then she has performed with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Staatskapelle Dresden, the Filarmonic Della Scala, Philadelphia Orchestra and many more. She has also collaborated closely with such conductors as Mariss Jansons, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, Christoph Eschenbach, Charles Dutoit and many more.

She continues to astound audiences throughout the world with her brilliant and mature playing and as a keen recitalist can be heard in the most prestigious recital series in the US, Europe and the Far East. In 2009 she founded her own annual summer festival ‘Absolute Classic’ which is devoted to bringing classical music to a wider audience and mentoring young musicians.

Now turning her focus more and more to the podium, Han-na who has been studying with Maestro Lorin Maazel, is looking forward to conducting engagements at the Philharmonia Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli. She has also made documentary series on the Beethoven Symphonies for MBC TV in Korea.

A Harvard Graduate of Philosophy, Han-na also makes time to complete her duties as a Roving Goodwill Ambassador for Korean Red Cross.

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PROGRAMME Rachmaninov Vocalise Rachmaninov Cello Sonata De Falla Siete Canciones Populares Españolas Piazzolla Le Grand Tango Tickets: €25, €30, €35, €45 (Choir Balcony €20) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDs For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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One of the world’s most celebrated ensembles THE KING’S SINGERS to serenade Irish audiences at the National Concert Hall Media Release 16 April 2012 On Saturday 5 May 2012, 8pm The King’s Singers, quoted as having ‘…voices of spun gold…’ by the BBC Music Magazine, will perform a mix of contemporary and traditional a cappella pieces for Irish audiences at the National Concert Hall as part of the International Concert Series 2011/2012.

Described as ‘a class-act with a delightfully British wit’ the King’s Singers are one of the world’s most celebrated ensembles recognised for their close harmonies, vocal blend, flawless articulation and timing. Made up of six members, the two-time Grammy award-winning ensemble are namely David Hurley (countertenor), Timothy Wayne-Wright (countertenor), Paul Phoenix (tenor), Christopher Bruerton (baritone), Christopher Gabbitas (baritone) and Jonathan Howard (bass).

Championing the work of young and established composers their concert repertoire ranges from works and arrangements by Gesualso and Charles Stanford to Billy Joel and Michael Bublé. They have also had over 200 works commissioned from an array of notable contemporary composers including John Tavener, John Rutter, Krzysztof Penderecki, Peter Maxwell Davies and Luciano Berio and many more.

As well as their National Concert Hall concert they will also be performing in some of the most prestigious and beautiful concert halls of the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, and the Berlin Philharmonie. They will also travel to Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout Europe.

The King’s Singers have also been busy in the recording studio and can boast a discography of over 150 recordings. In 2009 they were awarded a Grammy Award for ‘Simple Gifts’ recorded on the Signum label. More recently they released ‘Swimming over London’ in 2010 which features King’s Singers favourites with new songs and arrangements, as well as a world première recording of ‘Music for Vespers’ by Pachelbel with Charivari Agréable in 2010. Just last year they recorded ‘High Flight’ with the renowned Concordia College Choir, released in autumn and they released a DVD of Christmas repertoire. They were also featured on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concert which was broadcast on PBS across the US and is available on DVD. The chosen programme for their Irish debut takes its title ‘Will you, won’t you join the Dance?’ from the final words of György Ligeti’s setting of ‘The Lobster Quadrille’ by Lewis Carroll, composed by Ligeti as one of a set of six nonsense madrigals written for The King’s Singers between 1988 and 1993.

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PROGRAMME: Will you, won’t you join the dance?

Hans Leo Hassler Tanzen und Springen William Byrd Though Amaryllis dance in green Franz Schubert Zum Rundtanz Giovanni Da Nola Chi la gagliarda Thomas Ravenscroft A round of three country dances in one John Hilton Fair Oriana, beauty’s queen Thomas Morley Now is the month of maying Benjamin Britten Choral Dances from “Gloriana” Clement Janequin Au Joli jeu Camille Saint-Saëns Saltarelle Francis Poulenc Clic clac, dansez sabots György Ligeti The lobster quadrille Paul Drayton Masterpiece Close Harmony Selections from the lighter side of The King’s Singers’ repertoire to include folksongs, spirituals and contemporary pop pieces.

Tickets: €25, €30, €40, €50 (€20 Choir Balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The National Concert Hall announces its International Concert Series 2012/2013 with soprano Renée Fleming Media Release 26 April 2012 Today, Jimmy Deenihan, T.D. Minister of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht launches the National Concert Hall’s star-studded 2012/2013 International Concert Series.

Minister Deenihan commented: “The National Concert Hall is truly a cultural institution for the people of Ireland. The season unveiled today plays a part in inspiring Irish musicians and in growing the artistic reputation of Ireland on the world stage. This season’s programme is a wonderful eclectic mix of artists who will bring the very best of their talents to the Irish audience”.

The newly revised series consisting of 17 concerts and three individual strands [‘Great Artists’, ‘International Orchestras’ and ‘Piano Masters'] is the first of its kind for the National Concert Hall devised by the recently appointed CEO Simon Taylor, which sees world-renowned American soprano Renée Fleming performing for Irish audiences.

Simon Taylor (CEO of the National Concert Hall) gave details of the programme for the International Concert Series for the coming season noting: “It is a great pleasure for me to be announcing this very exciting series featuring some of the world’s greatest musicians. Welcoming such artists to Ireland is of huge importance to us not only in attracting audiences from all over the country but in ensuring we are constantly playing a key role in the development of music in Ireland. It is our on-going ambition to position the National Concert Hall as a première venue for classical music performance internationally and ensure we remain a cultural leader for this country.”

Highlights of the series also include the two hundred year old Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra with Riccardo Chailly, phenomenal pianist Evgeny Kissin, virtuoso British trumpeter Alison Balsom, the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Christoph von Dohnányi with acclaimed British pianist Paul Lewis and classical guitar’s new hero, Miloš Karadaglić.

The series which begins on the 2nd of September 2012 and runs until July 2013 opens with the multi award-winning Emerson String Quartet and Sir James Galway, flute performing the International Concert Series Opening Gala Concert. The series continues with performances from the Polish 23

National Radio Symphony Orchestra with Jacek Kaspszyk, conductor and Agata Szymczewska, violin; the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra with Pavel Kogan, conductor and guest cellist Nina Kotova playing an all-Russian programme; the outstanding Russian pianist Nikolai Lugansky as well as those artists who are at the height of their careers including the outstanding Maltese lyric tenor Joseph Calleja with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the Capuçon Trio (brothers Renaud, violin and Gautier, cello with Michel Dalberto, piano) from France performing an all-Fauré programme, the exciting Canadian violinist Lara St. John and the ‘the most important British pianist to emerge in decades’ Benjamin Grosvenor.

The series also features outstanding Irish musicians such as pianist and conductor Barry Douglas with Camerata Ireland; pianist Miċeál O’Rourke with Stephen Ackert, narrator (Head of Music at the National Gallery of Art Washington, USA) in a unique presentation of music and imagery entitled ‘Echoes –Artwork and Music’; and pianist Philippe Cassard, the very first winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition in a special 50th birthday celebratory recital.

Kieran Tobin, Chairman of the National Concert Hall said: “I am delighted as Chairman of The National Concert Hall to present such a diverse season with the breath of artists and programmes on offer. The calibre and popularity of the musicians performing makes the season appealing not only to Irish music lovers and audiences but also for Irish businesses who may wish to align themselves with cultural excellence and distinction.”

The International Concert Series has been one of the cornerstones of the National Concert Hall’s success in recent years. Last year saw a record number of events held at the venue (967 events) and audiences totalling just under 300,000.

The National Concert Hall acknowledges the support of its Patron Circle Members, Season Friends, Friends, and its Corporate Associates and Sponsors.

The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2012/2013 is supported by The Irish Times, as print media partner.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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American Jazz Trio, The Bad Plus, to perform re-working of Stravinsky’s Iconic Rite of Spring at the National Concert Hall Media Release 27 April 2012 American jazz trio The Bad Plus presents a novel re-working of the monumental and iconic Rite of Spring by Stravinsky at the National Concert Hall Dublin, 26 May at 8pm. Irish audiences will be treated to this unique presentation of the infamous ballet which, known for its rhythmic irregularities and dissonances, spurred a riot at its 1913 Paris debut.

The concert entitled On Sacred Ground also features a multimedia presentation developed by New York architect Cristina Guadalupe and filmmaker Noah Hutton in the form of a music video synchronized with the musical performance.

Over the past ten years The Bad Plus [pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King] have established themselves as a band with a reputation for reinvention and well as garnering acclaim for their eclectic style and repertoire. While the bulk of their work to date has been original music, the trio is equally at home reproducing the works of Blondie, Bacharach, Nirvana and Aphex Twin.

The Guardian quotes “If the Coen Brothers put together a jazz trio, perhaps it would be like this, the comic and the dramatic rolled together” while Time Out New York comments "By turns cerebral, visceral, and disarmingly emotive, The Bad Plus boast a rare onstage magnetism that transcends genre."

The Bad Plus’ ‘On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring’ had its world première in the Bryan Center at Duke University on March 26 2011. It was co-commissioned by New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Duke University, where the band has committed to three, week-long residencies during which they critiqued, even recorded and performed the work of graduate student composers.

On Sacred Ground; Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring is presented by The National Concert Hall and Note Productions with support from the Arts Council.

ABOUT THE BAD PLUS The trio have been exchanging musical ideas since their teenage years. In the late '80s, Anderson and King were two Minnesota high schoolers playing in fledgling rock bands and digging records by Coltrane and The Police. Anderson met Iverson in 1989. All three played together on one occasion a year later before going their separate ways for ten years.

They reconvened for a gig in Minneapolis in 2000. Sparks flew, studio sessions for an indie release ensued, and suddenly The New York Times called their maiden voyage one of the best releases of 2001. The band signed with Columbia, where they released These Are the Vistas in 2003, followed quickly by Give and then Suspicious Activity? In 2007 they released Prog, an album which balanced originals with covers of Bowie, Bacharach, Tears for Fears and Rush. For All I Care, an intriguing 25

juxtaposition of rock and classical sensibilities followed in 2009. The band's most recent album, NEVER STOP, is their first which consists entirely of original compositions. Released in the fall of 2010, New York Magazine stated, "Their latest celebrates a decade on the road and makes it easy to see them for what they've always been: musicians blessed with an alchemist's blend of earnestness and wit, especially during their live shows." www.thebadplus.com Tickets: €20, €25, €30 (Students €15).

20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall.

15% Group Discount Available.

Pre-concert talk by Tim Thurston in the Carolan Room at The National Concert Hall at 7pm National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs an all-Beethoven programme for The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series Finale Media Release 1 May 2012 One of the world’s premier violinists and conductors Pinchas Zukerman will lead and perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Thursday 24 May 2012, 8pm for The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2011 2012 finale concert.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall says “The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s appearance at The National Concert Hall brings to a climactic finish the current International Concert Series which saw world-renowned orchestras performing sell-out concerts to include the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Toulouse Orchestra and we are delighted that such a prestigious orchestra as the RPO will be rounding off such as exciting series.”

The RPO’s performance in Ireland is a rare treat for audiences, particularly in its 65th season and with the RPO Principal Guest Conductor Pinchas Zukerman at the podium. He will be stepping forward to perform Beethoven’s epic Violin Concerto with the orchestra, on a programme that also includes Beethoven’s dramatic Egmont Overture and Symphony No. 5.

Equally respected as a violinist, violist, conductor, pedagogue and chamber musician Pinchas Zukerman is considered a ‘master of our time.’ He has remained a phenomenon in the world of music for four decades. His musical genius, prodigious technique and unwavering artistic standards are a marvel to audiences and critics.

In January 2012 the orchestra undertook a month long tour of the major cities of the USA with Charles Dutoit (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor), Pinchas Zukerman (Principal Guest Conductor) and pianist Jean –Yves Thibaudet. Later this year they will tour Spain and Eastern Europe.

As an international orchestra, the RPO has toured more than thirty countries in the last five years.

Recent tours have included performances in Japan, Egypt, Russia, Spain, Italy, Germany, Azerbaijan and China. The orchestra which boasts its own record label and is the first UK orchestra to stream its entire series of concerts live from Cadogan Hall, is widely acclaimed for award-winning recordings and concert tours around the globe. The London based RPO performs a prestigious series of concerts each year at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. They also perform regularly at their London Home, Cadogan Hall and in the Royal Albert Hall as well as committing to an extensive regional touring programme with five residencies.

PROGRAMME Beethoven Beethoven Beethoven

Egmont Overture Violin Concerto Symphony No. 5 27

Tickets: €50, €60, €70, €80 (€40 Choir Balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Hollywood Actor John Malkovich to perform in Dublin at the National Concert Hall Media Release 9 May 2012 On Sunday 27 May 2012, John Malkovich, best-known perhaps from the 1999 film Being John Malkovich, will play the role of Jack Unterweger, a real-life poet and convicted murderer from Austria in The Internal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer at the National Concert Hall.

The stage-play for a Baroque-Orchestra (the Orchester Wiener Akademie), conductor (Hartin Haselböck), two sopranos (namely Louise Fribo and Marie Arnet) and one actor (Malkovich), is centered on the plot which revolves around Unterweger in a real-life depiction of what happened to the man, as he becomes a suspect in a major trial involving 11 prostitutes that have been killed. He flees Vienna, where he had been living, but gets arrested in the US and extradited back to Austria where he must face his crimes.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall comments, “This is an exciting departure for The National Concert Hall to be presenting such an eclectic and raw musical theatre piece starring the internationally renowned and charismatic John Malkovich. Having played in more than 65 movies as well as directing and producing film, Malkovich is undoubtedly one of the most important actors on the screen today and we are thrilled that he will be performing on our stage.”

In this musical theatre production, Malkovich speaks to us from the afterlife, interacts with the audience and regales them with the not so charming past, depicting the ugly and sordid details of his former life as a murderer. The play is backed up by an exceptionally high calibre of music, with pieces by Gluck, Boccherini, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Weber all played throughout the show.

Malkovich previously captivated audiences in such films as In the Shadow of the Vampire, Of Mice and Men and Con Air, Dangerous Liaisons. Later, he was cast as the psychotic political assassin Clint Eastwood’s In the Line of Fire for which he was nominated for both Academy Award and Golden Globe.

Before film Malkovich was a true thespian having joined Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where he stayed for seven years before taking part in Sam Shepard’s play True West in New York. In 1984 he appeared with Dustin Hoffman in the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman which earned him an Emmy when it was later made into a TV movie the following year.

His big-screen debut would be as the blind lodger in Places in the Heart (1984), which earned him an Academy Award Nomination for best supporting actor. Other films would follow, including The Killing Fields (1984) and The Glass Menagerie (1987).

The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer had its first performance in Barnum Theatre, Santa Monica, California on May 3rd 2008 with the first performance of the fully stage version in 29

Vienna, 1st July 2009. Additional performances took place on 18th July 2009 at the Peralada Summer Festival in Spain.

The infamous stage play has been touring across the world from Mexico to Istanbul, Brazil to Poland and the USA ever since and in 2010 it was released as on DVD. John Malkovich as Jack Unteweger, Michael Sturminger, director Louise Fribo and Marie Arnet, sopranos Orchester Wiener Akademie Martin Haselböck, conductor Tickets: €45, €55, €60, €70 (Concessions: €40.50, €49.50, €54.00, €63.00).

20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The National Concert Hall presents Icarus at the Edge of Time as part of Dublin City of Science 2012, narrated by Louis Lovett Media Release 11 June 2012 On Saturday 14 July 2012, 3pm & 7pm, The National Concert Hall will host two family-friendly multimedia performances of Icarus at The Edge of Time as part of Dublin City of Science 2012. The mesmerizing recreation of Brian Greene’s board book for children (Icarus at the Edge of Time) will play out on a large screen with live orchestral accompaniment by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, performing the score by acclaimed American composer Philip Glass and conducted by Matthew Coorey.

The futuristic reimagining of the classic Greek myth set in outer space follows the adventures of a boy who challenges the awesome and mystifying power of the black hole. Narrated by Irish actor Louis Lovett, the story takes audiences on a whirlwind voyage through space and time.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall said “ We are particularly pleased that author and physicist Brian Greene will be in Dublin to introduce his work on stage at The National Concert Hall on the 14 July. Icarus at the Edge of Time started out as a novella by Greene in 2008 illustrated with images from the Hubble Space Telescope before being adapted into a 40-minute orchestral piece by Philip Glass with a film by AL and AL in 2010. This unique event as part of Dublin City of Science 2012 will no doubt fuel the imagination and fascination of Irish audiences with space and adventure.”

Continuing the theme of wonder and space, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra will also perform the much-loved Star Wars Suite by acclaimed film composer John Williams and Ceres by MarkAnthony Turnage, who was inspired to write the piece after reading Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Icarus at the Edge of Time, based on a children’s book by world-renowned physicist Greene, was adapted by award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang and was produced into a in a cutting-edge film by British film makers AL +AL. Greene is a Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University, and is recognized for a number of groundbreaking discoveries in his field of superstring theory. His books are widely read: The Elegant Universe was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and has sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Dublin City of Science 2012 The Dublin City of Science 2012 programme was developed to mark the honour of hosting one of the most prestigious international science events, the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) 2012, the largest general science event in Europe, taking place in Dublin in July.

Over the course of the year, the city will host a celebration of science with over 160 events and activities that cross the worlds of art and culture to entertain the public and bring science to life. The range of science related events include; photographic and art exhibitions, several theatre pieces, film festivals, tours, street performances, large scale interactive installations, public talks and a fashion show.

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For more information on Dublin City of Science please visit www.dublinscience2012.ie or contact: Breda O’Brien, Head of Communications, ESOF 2012 Tel: +353 (0)1 6073179 or +353 (0)87 3744190 or E-mail: breda.obrien@chiefscientificadviser.ie Tickets: ₏18. 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall and Young Maestros.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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National Concert Hall announce TWO major summer music festivals Headline performances by: Damien Dempsey ~ Horslips ~ Clannad ~ Jack L and many others.

Media Release 25 June 2012 This July and August, some of the finest musicians in Ireland, and some special guests from abroad, will perform in two exciting music festivals at the National Concert Hall. The announcement of this role call of talented musicians performing at ESB Live and the new Summer@NCH Festival, with tickets available for as little as €15, means that summer evenings just got a little bit brighter for everyone.

ESB Live The 3rd ESB Live Festival delivers 4 very special artists throughout July and August.

Pink Martini, Wed 4 July Clannad, Wed 25 & Thurs 26 July Anúna, Thurs 2 August The 27 Club with Jack L, Sat 18 & Sun 19 August Pink Martini, the 'little orchestra' from Portland, Oregon who cross genres of classical, jazz and oldfashioned pop, are returning to Dublin after two fantastic gigs in 2011. They will open the Festival on Independence Day, the 4th of July.

Clannad, the multi award-winning Irish family band make a rare appearance for two nights featuring music spanning their 40 year career.

Anúna, celebrate their 25th anniversary with a performance that will feature Anúna's trademark combination of movement and elegant staging with the choir using the entire space of the National Concert Hall.

Jack L, with his latest show The 27 Club which will feature the work of iconic artists who passed away at 27, such as Janis Joplin, the Doors, Robert Johnson, the Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, the Bunnymen, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana.

Summer@NCH The Summer@NCH series features an exciting lineup of artists, bands, films, singers and songwriters.

There are some very familiar faces and a few new ones too.

Damien Dempsey, Thurs 5 July Kilfenora Céilí Band, Sat 7 July The High Kings, Thurs 12 July Kila, Thurs 19 July Willie Reilly & His Colleen Bawn, Sat 21 July Paul Byrom in Concert, Thurs 9 August DÁN, Thurs 16 August 33

Horslips, Sat 25/Sun 26 August Damien Dempsey, the quintessential singer/songwriter described by The Times as “the Bob Marley of Ireland”.

Kilfenora Céilí Band, the oldest céilí band in Ireland.

The High Kings, the most exciting Irish ballad group to emerge since the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem.

Kíla one of Ireland’s most innovative, creative and exciting bands.

Willie Reilly & His Colleen Bawn – Screening with live performance of the original score, composed and conducted by Bernard O’Reilly.

Paul Byrom, the Celtic Thunder Star returns to the National Concert Hall after his recent success in America.

DÁN featuring Guidewires (Ireland), Kan (Scotland, England), Breton Quartet (France) and Alyth McCormack (Scotland), is a specially commissioned touring project that brings together some of the world’s most respected traditional and jazz musicians in a highly anticipated combination.

Horslips will close the series, in what is set to be a musical highlight of the summer. They’ll play two nights accompanied by the Orchestra of the National Concert Hall with stunning new arrangements

by Golden Globe nominee Brian Byrne.

For Further Media Information about ESB Live or Summer@NCH Christine Monk, 087 675 5329, christinemonk@eircom.net For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie Bookings National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees)

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18-century classic silent film Willy Reilly & His Colleen Bawn to show at The National Concert Hall with music by CineTheatre Ensemble Media Release 28 June 2012 On Saturday 21 July 2012 at 8pm The National Concert Hall and the Irish Film Institute present two of the few surviving Irish feature films from the silent era Willy Reilly and his Colleen Bawn and The Republican Dáil Bonds film on screen. The 11-piece CineTheatre Ensemble will accompany the 1919 silent film Willy Reilly and his Colleen Bawn with an original score from Irish composer Bernard Reilly.

The 70-minute film, shot on location in Dublin, is an Irish Romeo and Juliet set in the 18th Century during the Penal Laws. Directed by John MacDonagh, brother of the executed 1916 leader Thomas MacDonagh, the silent movie was filmed in St. Enda’s School, Rathfarnham alongside the historical Dáil Bonds Film which features Michael Collins, the then Minister for Finance, who was promoting sale of bonds for the state’s fledgling government in 1919.

The film tells the story of Willy Reilly, a Catholic gentleman in love with Helen Folliard - the 'Colleen Bawn'. She loves him in return but she is also the daughter of the local Protestant squire and their love is repeatedly thwarted by the plotting of the film’s villain, Sir Robert Whitecraft. Desiring the Colleen Bawn for himself, he tries to rob Willy Reilly of his ancestral lands and frames him for theft.

Despite this, the Colleen Bawn remains steadfast in her devotion to her one true love.

While filming in St. Enda's, John MacDonagh was asked by members of the First Dáil to make a short propaganda film to promote their Republican Loan Bonds. St. Enda’s offered the perfect backdrop. It was the former home of Patrick and William Pearse and two other executed leaders from the 1916 Rising – Thomas MacDonagh and Con Colbert. In addition Robert Emmet, the leader of the 1803 Rebellion, was said to have secretly met his sweetheart Sarah Curran within the grounds. The film features Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith, Patrick Pearse’s mother and sister, widows of some of the other men executed in 1916 and Joseph MacDonagh, then Sinn Féin T.D. for North Tipperary. Collins was filmed signing the Dáil Bonds on Robert Emmet’s execution block which is now on display in the Pearse Museum.

Bringing the silent movie to life will be CineTheatre Ensemble who will be performing the specially written score by Irish composer and studio musician Bernard Reilly. The Director of CineTheatre Ensemble Bernard Reilly has recorded with many international names, including the London Philharmonic, Andrew Lloyd Webber and The Corrs. As a composer his music features in number of acclaimed films and documentaries, including A Soldier’s Song, The Gamble and The State We’re In for RTÉ Television. Bernard has composed and orchestrated for the RTÉ Concert Orchestra including Gráinne performed in major venues across the USA. He also spent many years in London’s West End playing in shows including Blood Brothers (original company), Cats, Phantom and Starlight Express.

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Both Willy Reilly and His Colleen Bawn and The Dáil Bonds Film are now preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

Tickets: €20 Concessions €18 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall.

15% discount for Groups of 10 or more.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie NOTE On July 19th at 2pm at the IFI there will be a free informal discussion on this historically significant drama, and the art of creating music for silent film. IFI Curator Sunniva O’Flynn will be joined by composer Bernard Reilly and Dr. Kevin Rockett (TCD) for an event which gives context and an added layer of appreciation for those also attending the screening two days later.

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The National Concert Hall puts jazz, traditional, opera and popular classics on the menu for its August Lunchtime Concert Series Media Release 26 July 2012 This August, the National Concert Hall presents its ‘Summer Lunchtime Series 2012’ offering audiences an exciting choice of musical bites featuring popular classics from The Beatles performed

by Barbershop Quartet ‘4 in a Bar’ to jazz re-workings of Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit, by guitarist Chris Guilfoyle and more.

The series honours the talent and imagination of some Ireland’s leading young musicians who feature strongly in this uniquely devised series which starts on the 1st of August 2012 at 1.05pm.

The schedule of concerts sees Wednesday lunchtimes in July dedicated to ‘Young Irish Jazz Artists’, Thursday lunchtime concerts dedicated to ‘Young Irish Singers’ and Friday lunchtime concerts featuring the best of Instrumental music by award-winning musicians.

On Wednesday 1st of August jazz pianist and arranger So-Young Yoon takes inspiration from jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter to develop a unique project entitled ‘Shorter Stories. On Wednesday 8th guitarist Julien Colarossi and guests presents a selection of his original compositions inspired by the different travel experiences he has had in his musical career in ‘Traveller’s Tales’. On Wednesday 15th of August hear a jazz reworking of Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit presented and performed by guitarist Chris Guilfoyle, and band. On Wednesday 22nd of August jazz singer Rebecca Sinnamon and band explore ‘Two Portraits of Chet Baker’, with her own very special interpretation of his timeless and captivating music. On Wednesday 29th of August Bonnie Stewart presents a unique project entitled ‘Criss Cross’ in which she infuses Thelonius Monk’s bebop compositions with her own melodic rock style.

Young Irish singers will feature in the Thursday lunchtime concerts with The Opera Theatre Company Young Associate Artists sopranos Grace Bermingham and Jennifer Davis, exploring the compositional output on the subject of Love: Love Lost, Love Found on Thursday 2nd of August. Anna Brady, soprano and Patrick Hyland, tenor both Opera Theatre Company Young Associate Artists continue the theme on Thursday 9th of August. Tenor Ross Scanlon and accompanist David O’Shea perform ‘John McCormack Songbook' on Thursday 16th of August. A finalist in the 2011 National Concert Hall Dr. Bernadette Greevy Competition, mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly performs with accompanist Una Hunt on Thursday 23 August. On Thursday 30th of August, Ireland’ leading Barbershop Quartet ‘4 in a Bar’ present a programme of popular favourites from The Beach Boys to the Beatles and more.

The first of the Friday lunchtime concerts on 3rd of August features young musicians from Meitheal Summer School, Limerick. On Friday 17th of August, pianist Máire Carroll, a former Mabel Swainson Pianoforte Award winner at the 2012 ESB Feis Ceoil performs a programme of works by Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Breffni O’Byrne. Regarded as one of Ireland’s most prominent young musicians, violinist Patrick Rafter performs a recital of works to include Sarasate, Paganini and Ysaye as well as the incredible Beethoven Sonata with accompanist Lance Coburn on Friday 24th of August.

Patrick is a former National Concert Hall Young Musician’s Award Winner.

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Tickets: €10 (Concessions €9). 20% discount for Friends of The National Concert Hall. 10% Discount for Groups of 10 or more.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees)

ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie ‘YOUNG IRISH JAZZ ARTISTS’ Wednesday 1 August 1.05pm So-Young Yoon – Shorter Stories.

Wednesday 8 August 1.05pm Julien Colarossi –Traveller’s Tales.

Wednesday 15 August 1.05pm Chris Guilfoyle, Ravel Revisited: Gaspard de la Nuit.

Wednesday 22 August 1.05pm Rebecca Sinnamon Sings…Two Portraits of Chet Baker.

Wednesday 29 August 1.05pm Bonnie Stewart – Criss Cross.

‘YOUNG IRISH SINGERS’ Thursday 2 August 1.05pm Grace Bermingham, soprano and Jennifer Davis, soprano – Opera Theatre Company Young Associate Artists.

Thursday 9 August 1.05pm Anna Brady, soprano and Patrick Hyland, tenor –Opera Theatre Company Young Associate Artists.

‘INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTS' Friday 3 August 1.05pm Meitheal’s Young Traditional Musicians.

Friday 17 August 1.05pm Máire Carroll in Recital.

Friday 24 August 1.05pm Patrick Rafter Violin Recital.

Thursday 16 August 1.05pm John McCormack Songbook: Ross Scanlon, tenor. David O’Shea, accompanist.

Thursday 23 August 1.05pm Rachel Kelly, mezzo –soprano.

Una Hunt, accompanist.

Thursday 30 August 1.05pm ‘4 in a Bar’ Barbershop Quartet.

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America’s Greatest Quartet, The Emerson, to perform the opening gala concert of the National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2012/2013 with Sir James Galway Media Release 8 August 2012 Described by Time Magazine as "America's greatest quartet", the Emerson String Quartet will perform the opening concert in The National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2012/2013 joined by the renowned flautist Sir James Galway on Saturday 2nd September 2012 at 8pm.

The series of 17 concerts in three individual strands [‘Great Artists,’ ‘International Orchestras Series,’ and ‘Piano Master Series’] launches with the Emerson Quartet bringing their inimitable style and panache to the National Concert Hall stage with a programme that includes Mozart’s Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major, K 285, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Arthur Foote’s A Night Piece for flute and String Quartet as well as Debussy’s Syrinx for solo flute, Mozart’s Flute Quartet No. 4 in A Major, K 298 and Dvořák’s String Quartet in F major, Op. 96 American.

This is a meeting of musical legends. Sir James Galway is both an exemplary artist and a master showman, “a model of how to handle both a flute and an audience” (The Washington Post).

The supreme interpreter of the classical flute repertoire and a consummate entertainer whose appeal crosses all musical boundaries Sir James Galway has been privileged to perform for presidents and royalty during his illustrious career. Through his extensive touring, prodigious record sales (more than 30 million albums), and his frequent international television appearances, Sir James has endeared himself to millions worldwide. He joins the Grammy Award winning Emerson quartet for season opening concerts both in Ireland and Italy as part of a 2012/2013 season which also includes tours of the UK (with the Orchestra of St. Johns) and China (with Guitarist Xuefei Yang) as well as ‘The Legacy Tour’ which sees Sir James and friends performing in major cities throughout the US. The Emerson Quartet have also endeared themselves to millions worldwide through 35 years of extensive touring and recording and their continued commitment to performing with the same benchmark integrity and energy that it has demonstrated since it was formed in 1976. The quartet, which is named after American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, comprises of violinists Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer (alternating in the first chair position), Lawrence Dutton, viola and David Finckel, cello.

During their 2011/2012 season the quartet performed throughout North America with concerts in Boston, Vancouver, Denver, Washington DC , Houston and toured to Germany, Denmark, Austria and other European cities. It also continues its residency at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, now in its 32nd Season. In October 2011, Sony Classical released their debut album for the label, Mozart’s Prussian Quartets K. 575, K. 589 and K. 590 to coincide with a series of concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

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The quartet stands alone in the history of string quartets with an unparalleled list of achievements over three decades; more than thirty acclaimed recordings since 1987, nine Grammy® Awards, three Gramophone Awards and the coveted Avery Fischer Prize. The quartet has performed the complete Beethoven, Bartók, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich string quartet cycles in concert halls around the world.

Highlights of the National Concert Hall’s 2012/2013 International Concert Series also includes the two hundred year old Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra with Riccardo Chailly, Gewandhauskapellmesiter, phenomenal pianist Evgeny Kissin, virtuoso British trumpeter Alison Balsom, the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Christoph von Dohnányi with acclaimed British pianist Paul Lewis and classical guitar’s new hero, Miloš Karadaglić.

PROGRAMME Mozart Flute Quartet No. 4 in A major, K. 298 Debussy Syrinx for solo flute Dvořák String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 American Arthur Foote A Night Piece for flute and String Quartet Barber Adagio for Strings Mozart Flute Quartet No. 1 in D major, K. 285 Tickets: €40, €50, €60, €70 (Choir Balcony €30). Ticket holders will also be entitled to a complimentary glass of bubbly and a free concert programme to mark the opening concert of the Series.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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‘Best Selling Classical Violinist of all Time’ Nigel Kennedy to bring Bach and Fats Waller to The National Concert Hall Media Release 14 August 2012 British violinist Nigel Kennedy, best-known for his landmark recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling classical work of all time, makes a welcome return to the National Concert Hall, Wednesday 19 September 2012 8pm to perform his own unique arrangements of music by Fats Waller and works by Bach.

“Playing Bach and Fats Waller on one show is a dream for me – two amazing keyboard players, both masters of harmony and melody”. Nigel Kennedy Kennedy, whose accolades include Outstanding Contribution to British Music at the BRIT Awards in 1997 and Male Artist of the Year at the UK Brit Awards 2001, has never ceased to surprise audiences with his ingenious programming. For his National Concert Hall performance, Kennedy presents a typically maverick musical programme celebrating the music of Bach and Fats Waller, a repertoire which captivated a sold-out late night Proms audiences in 2011.

The concert begins with Bach for solo violin, after which Kennedy is joined on stage by an acoustic guitarist (Jarek Smietana), a drummer (Krzysztof Dziedzic) and a double bass player (Yaron Stavi ) to perform Kennedy's own arrangements of the music of the legendary Fats Waller.

His passion for jazz resulted in the 2006 album Blue Note Sessions, featuring a band of jazz giants such as Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette, amongst others. But it was A very Nice Album (2009) which saw Kennedy step up to the fore as a composer as well as an improviser. A year later, he released SHHH!, an album of mainly original Kennedy compositions which also featured Kennedy’s arrangement of Nick Drake’s Riverman, sung by Boy George.

Polish Spirit, released in 2007 which won the prestigious Echo Klassik Award in Germany (Instrumentalist of the Year) was the result of Kennedy’s appointment as Artistic Director in 2002 of the Polish Chamber Orchestra with whom he rediscovered a Polish concerto, Emil Mlynarski's Violin Concerto No. 2 and combined it with Mieczyslaw Karlowicz's Violin Concerto in A major for this release. More recently Kennedy founded a new orchestra ‘The Orchestra of Life’ which in 2010 made its debut tour in Germany, presenting a programme of Duke Ellington and Bach, before going on to perform in major cities and festivals in Europe.

Following the staggering success of his UK performances of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in 2010, Nigel Kennedy continues to undertake a major 2011/12 tour performing his exhilarating and unique new take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as well as the premiere of his own brand new composition, The Four Elements.

For over twenty-five years, British violinist, Nigel Kennedy, has been acknowledged as one of the world's leading virtuosos and has undertaken countless international tours, performing with the

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world's leading orchestras and conductors throughout Europe, North America, Central and South America, South East Asia and Australia ARTISTS Nigel Kennedy, violin Jarek Smietana, guitar Yaron Stavi, bass Krzysztof Dziedzic, drum Tickets: €30, €45, €55, €65 (Choir Balcony €25) 10% discount for Groups of 10 or more. 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Canadian violinist Lara St. John joins Camerata Ireland for International Concert Series debut at the National Concert Hall Media Release 7 September 2012 On Tuesday 2 October 2012, 8pm the virtuoso violinist from Canada, Lara St. John will join the musicians of Camerata Ireland and celebrated conductor and pianist Barry Douglas on stage at the National Concert Hall for their International Concert Series 2012/2013 debut.

Described as "something of a phenomenon" by The Strad and a “high-powered soloist” by the New York Times, Lara St. John will perform Mendelssohn’s best-loved Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 as guest soloist with the highly praised Camerata Ireland. The programme also includes Rossini’s Overture La Scala di Seta, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K. 459 and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor.

Lara’s concert and recording career has known considerable success. Of her eight recordings, her most recent was with Sinfonia Concertante playing Mozart Concerti Nos. 1 and 3 with her brother Scott St. John and The Knights. It won the 2011 Juno Classical Album of the Year for Soloist with Large Ensemble. Other recordings include a recording with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and conductor Eduardo Marturet playing Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Piazzolla -The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires which reached No. 2 on the iTunes charts on its first day. Her third recording Bach: The Concerto Album when released on iTunes, immediately reached No. 1 in the classical category.

She has also performed with a host of high profile Orchestras to include the Cleveland, Philadelphia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, Bournemouth and the Amsterdam Symphony, among others.

Recitals in major concert halls have included New York, Boston, San Francisco, Ravinia, Washington DC, Berlin, Toronto, Montreal, and in the Forbidden City.

Her energy, charisma and musical excellence is well matched in Camerata Ireland, an orchestra founded in 1999 by international pianist, conductor, educator and recording artist Barry Douglas.

The orchestra is made up of some of the finest musicians from the north and south of Ireland. Having established a major international career since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, Moscow Barry Douglas went on to establish a successful performing and recording career in his own right. He regularly tours Europe, USA, Russia and South America in recital with recent performances in Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro. This season, he opens and closes the BBC Radio 3 / LSO St. Lukes Beethoven sonata recital series followed by further recitals in Italy, Netherlands and Moscow.

In August 2011, Barry performed at the BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra to play the worldwide première of a new concerto written for him by Kevin Volans to celebrate his 50th birthday.

Barry has over the course of his concert and recording career remained as Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland, who just last year made musical history by being the first orchestra to give a 43

performance in the Creggan area of Derry in the north west of Ireland. They also undertook their 4th major tour of the United States which included a debut concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The USA tour was immediately followed by concerts in northern Spain with acclaimed British trumpeter Alison Balsom. In May last year, the orchestra was honoured to be invited to perform for the (former) President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and Her Majesty the Queen, as part of the latter’s historic State visit to Ireland.

The orchestra has performed in several major concert venues throughout Europe such as the Cadogan Hall in London, and the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid as well as the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris where they were honoured to be invited as one of the few chamber orchestras to be invited to be resident. The orchestra’s future tours comprise France, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain, the UK and the USA. PROGRAMME Rossini Overture: La Scala di Seta Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K459 Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor Tickets: €25, €30, €35, €40 (€20 Choir Balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS: For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Hailed as ‘a revelation’ by Rolling Stone, jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel and his quartet perform at The National Concert Hall Media release 10 September 2012 On Thursday 4 October 2012, 8pm, French-born and US based jazz guitarist, Stephane Wrembel and his quartet will perform at The National Concert Hall, presenting an evening of classical French jazz and original music including his most recent work ‘Bistro Fada’, the theme of the recently released film ‘Midnight in Paris’. Stephane who was recruited by Woody Allen to score the theme for last year’s smash film, performed ‘Bistro Fada’ live at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. The famed guitarist also wrote ‘Big Brother’ which was featured on the soundtrack for Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’.

For his first National Concert Hall debut, Wrembel will showcase his virtuosity and compositional skills from his Django-inspired roots to his own unique lyrical fusion of jazz, blues, flamenco and rock. The quintet includes Stephane Wrembel (guitar), Dave Speranza (bass), Roy Williams (rhythm guitar), Nick Anderson (drums) and David Langlois (percussion).

Simon Taylor, CEO of The National Concert Hall commented “I had the privilege of hearing Stephen Wrembel playing in a small jazz club in Brooklyn the week after he performed at the 2012 Oscars ceremony. He is both a supreme guitarist and a delightful communicator.”

His playing has been described as ‘blinding fast and relentlessly graceful’ by The Daily Gazette and his compositions are quoted as being full of ‘soulful lyricism and melodic flair’ by The Washington Post. Best-known as a composer and performer of gypsy jazz Wrembel is also heavily influenced by world music. He is said to have learned his craft among the Gypsies at campsites in the French countryside of Fontainebleau. His most recent album entitled ‘Origins’ which was launched earlier this year to great critical touches upon everything from blues to flamenco to rock.

Wrembel is quoted as saying ‘I like to believe that it is beyond any one genre and that there is something in it for everyone. It’s not only for the rock music lover, or for the Django lover; it’s not only for the jazz lover, or for just young people or old people. It’s for the music lover.’

The 37-year-old guitarist, who resides in Brooklyn New York, is making his mark as one of the most original guitar voices in contemporary music. He took up the guitar at the age of sixteen ‘in order to learn Pink Floyd songs’ and went on to attend the American School of Modern Music in Paris. He was later was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.

Tickets: €30. 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS: For further information, imagery or interview opportunities please contact Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, Tel: 01 417 0057/087 1775334 e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie 45

National Concert Hall presents the ‘new hero of classical guitar’ MILOŠ as part of its International Concert Series 2012/2013 Media release 12 September 2012 Award-winning guitarist Miloš Karadaglić performs at the National Concert Hall on Wednesday 10 October 2012, 8pm as part of the National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2012/2013. Hailed as ‘classical guitar’s new hero’ by the Daily Telegraph, Miloš presents an evening of virtuoso guitar classics infused with the rhythms of tango and samba from his critically acclaimed new album Latino.

2011 saw Miloš release of one of the biggest-selling classical discs of the year as his debut album The Guitar/Mediterráneo sold over 100,000 copies in less than 6 months, topping classical charts around the world. He was awarded the Young Artist of the Year and Specialist Classical Chart Award at the Gramophone Awards in a year that also saw him celebrate his debut at Carnegie Hall. He is also the Echo Klassic Newcomer of the Year.

The 2012/2013 season sees him perform debuts at the BBC Proms, Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Zurich Tonhalle and with the Atlanta Symphony, NHK Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also committed to completing recital tours of the US, Canada, Australia and Japan.

Following performances at London’s Roundhouse as part of the iTunes Festival, Limelight at the 100 Club and Deutsche Grammophon’s Yellow Lounge club nights, as well as a sold-out recital in the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room earlier this year, Miloš has enjoyed great success outside of the traditional concert hall.

He is already being hailed by fans and critics for his brilliant technique and transcendent musicality, suggesting that he may well be on his way in following the footsteps of the legendary guitar players Andres Segovia, Julian Bream and John Williams.

Born in Montenegro in 1983, Miloš Karadaglić grew up against the background of the Balkan civil war. He began learning the guitar at the age of 8, rising to national prominence before winning a scholarship to London’s Royal Academy of Music aged 16. He has been the recipient of many prizes, including the Julian Bream Prize, the Prince’s Prize, and the Ivor Mariants Guitar Award. He is a Patron of the Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians and the charity Awards for Young Musicians.

Miloš uses D’Addario J 46 strings and a 2007 guitar by Greg Smallman, kindly lent to him by Paul and Jenny Gillham.

This concert is presented by The National Concert Hall as part of the Great Artists Series in the National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2012/2013.

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PROGRAMME ALBÉNIZ: Asturias ALBÉNIZ: Granada BACH: Prelude and Fugue VILLA-LOBOS: Prelude No. 1 VILLA-LOBOS: Etude No. 11 VILLA-LOBOS: Valsa-Choro VILLA-LOBOS: Etude No. 12 JORGE MOREL: Danza brasilera JORGE CARDOSO: Milonga SÁVIO: Batucuda BARRIOS MANGORÉ: Un sueño en la floresta CARLO DOMENICONI: Koyunbaba Suite Tickets: €25, €30, €35, €40 (€15 Choir Balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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National Concert Hall celebrates composer William Vincent Wallace’s Bicentenary with Festival to include the launch of the 1854 Commemorative Music Album and CD Media Release 14 September 2012 On Monday 15 October 2012, the National Concert Hall celebrates the Bicentenary of Maritana composer William Vincent Wallace. The full day of celebrations comprises a lunchtime recital, two afternoon lectures, and an evening gala concert which also includes the launch of the new facsimile edition plus CD of the 1854 Music Album.

The festivities allow audiences to learn more about the life, work and travels of his extraordinary man and highlight Wallace’s music, some of which has never been performed in Ireland before.

Simon Taylor, CEO of The National Concert Hall comments “William Vincent Wallace is the most famous son of Waterford, a composer of considerable note, best-known perhaps for his operas Maritana, Lurline and The Amber Witch. He is regarded as one of the greatest nineteenth-century composers of English opera. The National Concert Hall is delighted to have the opportunity to remember and honour this composer with a day of festivities.”

The day begins with a lunchtime recital by distinguished Australian pianist Rosemary Tuck at 1.10pm entitled ‘Chopinesque: the Piano Music of William Vincent Wallace’ in the John Field Room. This is followed by two afternoon lectures the first of which is entitled ‘One of our Best and most Original of Native Composers’ to be given by author Dr. David Grant at 3pm. Then at 4.30pm, author Peter Jaggard will speak on ‘Wallace the American and the Music Album of 1854’.

The evening Gala Concert at 8pm, featuring performances by musicians Úna Hunt (piano), Rosemary Tuck (piano), Máire Flavin (mezzo-soprano) and Matthew Sprange (baritone), launches the facsimile edition plus CD of the sumptuously-embellished Music Album published in New York in 1854, now in the collection at the National Library of Ireland. The concert will also include world-première performances of music from the 1854 Music Album and favourite excerpts from Wallace’s Maritana and his other operas, plus a rare performance of Wallace’s Grand Duo for two pianos on Halévy’s opera L’éclair.

Irish pianist Una Hunt comments “The Bicentenary Festival Day at the National Concert Hall offers the opportunity to celebrate one of Ireland’s most intriguing and gifted musical personalities whose work deserves proper recognition”.

The composer was born in Waterford in 1812 and was regarded as a virtuoso on both the violin and piano. He was also a great adventurer, travelling the world and visiting and living for some time in Australia and America.

The publication has been generously sponsored by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to encourage greater awareness of Wallace’s music both in Ireland and around the world.

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1.10pm - Lunchtime Recital: ‘Chopinesque: the Piano Music of William Vincent Wallace’ Rosemary Tuck, piano John Field Room Tickets: €5 3.00pm Lecture: ‘One of our Best and most Original of Native Composers ...’ Dr David Grant Kevin Barry Room Tickets: €5 4.30pm Lecture: ‘Wallace the American and the Music Album of 1854’ by Peter Jaggard Kevin Barry Room Tickets: €5 A ticket for the lunchtime recital and the two afternoon lectures will be available at €10 for those who wish to attend all three afternoon events.* 6.00pm Launch Wine Reception: 1854 Music Album and CD –John Field Room (open to ticket holders for the evening Gala Concert) Kindly sponsored by the Australian Embassy in Ireland 8.00pm Gala Concert and launch of the 1854 Album – Main Auditorium Tickets: €20 (€18 Concessions) 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDs For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie The 1854 Commemorative Music Album and CD The music collection at the National Library of Ireland includes a beautifully-illustrated and rare music album ‘dedicated to the ladies of the United States’ by the Irish composer, William Vincent Wallace (1812 – 1865). Originally published in New York by William Hall and Son, a facsimile edition of this 1854 album is being launched with an accompanying CD at the National Concert Hall as part of the celebrations to commemorate Wallace’s bicentenary year. The facsimile album/CD includes a foreword by Maestro Richard Bonynge along with additional music notes by Peter Jaggard and is published by RTÉ lyric fm and Heritage Music Productions in association with the National Library of Ireland. The National Concert Hall is a Foundation Sponsor of this publication made possible through the generous support of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

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Glamorous British Trumpeter Alison Balsom to perform for Irish audiences at the National Concert Hall Media release 26 September 2012

‘Listening to Balsom is nothing less than a life-enhancing experience’ BBC Music Magazine Award-winning British trumpeter Alison Balsom is set to perform for Irish audiences at her eagerly awaited concert at the National Concert Hall as part of the International Concert Series 2012/2013 on Thursday 8 November 2012, 8pm. Recently crowned 'Female Artist of the Year' for the second time at the Classic BRIT Awards 2011, Balsom will perform a programme of works by Haydn, Elgar and Seraph for trumpet and strings by James MacMillan which was written specially for her. She will be accompanied by one of Europe’s most highly acclaimed chamber orchestras, Kammerorchester Basel.

It is her recording of Seraph for EMI Classics that Alison Balsom has been nominated once again for Female Artist of the Year at this year’s Classical Brit Awards. Winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony to take place on 2 October at the Royal Albert Hall. October 2012 also sees the release of her latest recording for EMI ‘Sound the Trumpet –Royal Music of Purcell and Handel’ with the English Concert and Trevor Pinnock.

Described by Philadelphia Inquirer as ‘the kind of artist who redefines what her instrument can do’, British Trumpeter Alison Balsom has established an international reputation as one of classical music's great ambassadors and is ranked among the most distinctive and ground-breaking musicians on the international circuit. She has also been honoured with numerous awards by Classic FM, Gramophone and Echo Klassik.

September 2009 saw Balsom headline one of classical music's most celebrated concerts - The Last Night of the BBC Proms - which reached its biggest ever global television audience of an estimated 200 million. In December 2010 Balsom went on to make her US television debut with the Orchestra of St. Luke on The Late Show with David Letterman – a platform few classical artists have gained access to.

Recent engagements saw Balsom return to China to perform with Lorin Maazel and the National Symphony Orchestra in the nationally televised New Year Gala event in Beijing. She also performed with Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, Orquestra Petrobras Sinfonica and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris.

Her recording career with EMI has known equal success with the internationally celebrated Bach Trumpet and Organ disc of 2005 which was quickly followed by ‘Caprice’ which won her further critical acclaim. Alison’s third album, the Concertos of Haydn and Hummel, firmly established her as one of the world’s leading trumpeters. ‘Italian Concertos’ which is made up of Balsom’s own arrangements of Italian Baroque Concertos became EMI Classics biggest selling album of 2010.

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Balsom’s world premiere performance of James MacMillan’s Seraph at Wigmore Hall in February 2011 went on to become the title track of her latest release for EMI Classics.

Balsom studied trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music, the Paris Conservatoire, and with Håkan Hardenberger. She was previously a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Balsom was a concerto finalist in the BBC Young Musician competition in 1998 and received the Feeling Musique Prize for quality of sound in the 4th Maurice André International Trumpet Competition.

PROGRAMME HAYDN JAMES MACMILLAN ELGAR HAYDN

Symphony No. 92 in G major, Oxford (Hob. 1:92) Seraph for Trumpet and Strings (2010) Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20 (1892) Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E-flat major

Tickets: €30, €45, €55, €65 (€25 Choir Balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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The legendary Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to perform at Ireland’s National Concert Hall with conductor Riccardo Chailly Media release 2 October 2012 The oldest civic orchestra in the world with a history of over 250 years, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra will grace the stage of the National Concert Hall on Wednesday 24 October 2012 8pm to perform as part of the National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series 2012/2013.

Fresh from their critically acclaimed 2012 BBC Proms performances, the orchestra will be led on stage by their Music Director of seven years, Riccardo Chailly to perform a programme of all Russian music to include the Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 by Rachmaninov and the Cello Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op 126 by Shostakovich featuring guest cellist Lynn Harrell. A frequent guest with many leading orchestras, the acclaimed American cellist Harrell has more than 30 recordings to his name and regularly performs in the Americas, Europe and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician and recitalist.

A native of Milan, Riccardo Chailly follows a long line of distinguished conductors of the renowned Leipzig Gewandhaus including composer Felix Mendelssohn who directed the orchestra for 10 years.

Other notable Musical Directors include Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Kurt Masur and Chailly’s predecessor, Herbert Blomstedt.

The cultural contribution of this legendary orchestra, who performed all of Beethoven’s Symphonies during the composer’s lifetime and presented the world’s first complete Bruckner cycle as well as the first Shostakovich cycle during the 1970s, is integral to the city of Leipzig to this day. This is due in part to its multiple functions as a concert orchestra, an opera orchestra at the Leipzig Opera, and a chamber orchestra which performs cantatas with the world-famous St. Thomas's Boys Choir at St. Thomas's Church. With more than 200 performances in these three venues and on tour, the Gewandhaus Orchestra is the musical heart of the City of Leipzig and its most important musical ambassador.

Riccardo Chailly’s first artistic encounter with the Gewandhaus Orchestra took place at the Salzburg Festival in 1986 before he took up the position of Music Director in 2005, a contract he later renewed in 2008 which was extended to 2015. Together they have released recordings on the Decca Label of works by Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms and the Robert Schumann symphonies I the re-orchestrations by Gustav Mahler.

In 2011, Chailly and the orchestra recorded a complete cycle of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9 Symphonies on Decca and supported the disc by playing the complete cycle in Leipzig, the Salle Pleyel in Paris and the Barbican Centre in London.

Chailly devotes himself to both concert and operatic repertoire and has conducted the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, the Munich Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the New York 52

Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared at the most important opera houses throughout the world including Milan's La Scala (where he made his debut in 1978), the Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Zürich Opera.

The Sunday Times named the Gewandhaus Orchestra New Year´s Day concert (2009) in London one of fifteen ‘Best classical events of the decade’. In 2010 Chailly was awarded the Alexander von Zemlinsky Award and the Orphée d´Or, Prix H. von Karajan’.

PROGRAMME SHOSTAKOVICH RACHMANINOV

Cello Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 126 Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27

Tickets: €55, €65, €75, €85 (€40 Choir Balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin performs first concert in the ‘Piano Masters Series 2012/2013’ at the National Concert Hall Media Release 22 October 2012 Regarded as a ‘genius’ and one of the most gifted classical pianists of his generation, Evgeny Kissin makes a welcome return to The National Concert Hall to perform a solo recital on Sunday 11 November 2012, 8pm. Audiences will be treated to a programme of piano sonatas by Haydn and Beethoven, 4 Impromptus by Schubert and the popular Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C sharp minor by Liszt.

This recital is the first in the National Concert Hall’s ‘Piano Masters Series 2012/2013’ which also sees recitals by pianists Philippe Cassard, Nikolai Lugansky, Míċeal O’Rourke and Benjamin Grosvenor throughout the season.

Kissin is noted, by The New York Times as being ‘without question a phenomenal pianist; a deeply intuitive and sensitive musician’. In demand the world over, the former child prodigy has appeared with many of the world’s leading conductors and orchestras. The beginning of the 2011-2012 season saw engagements in major cities across Australia and Asia, including Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Taipei, followed by a tour of major European cities. The season also includes an extensive tour of the Americas with recitals and orchestral appearances throughout the US and Canada, as well as summer performances throughout South America.

In 1992 he was special guest at the Grammy Awards Ceremony, broadcast live to an audience estimated at over one billion, and three years later became Musical America’s youngest Instrumentalist of the Year. Previously he had received the Crystal Prize of the Osaka Symphony Hall for the Best Performance of the Year in 1986 (his first performance in Japan) and in 1991 he received the Musician of the Year Prize from the Chigiana Academy of Music in Siena, Italy.

In 1997 he received the prestigious Triumph Award for his outstanding contribution to Russia’s culture, one of the highest cultural honours to be awarded in the Russian Republic, the youngest ever awardee.

Mr. Kissin’s recordings have also received numerous awards and accolades, having contributed significantly to the library of masterpieces recorded by the world’s greatest performers. His recording of works by Scriabin, Medtner and Stravinsky (RCA Red Seal) won him a Grammy in 2006 for Best Instrumental Soloist and, in 2002 he was named Echo Klassik Soloist of the Year. His most recent Grammy for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with orchestra) was awarded in 2010 for his recording of Prokofiev’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy (EMI Classics).

Mr. Kissin’s extraordinary talent inspired Christopher Nupen’s documentary film, Evgeny Kissin: The Gift of Music, which was released in 2000 on video and DVD by RCA Red Seal.

Mr. Kissin has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the Manhattan School of Music; the Shostakovich Award, one of Russia’s highest musical honours; an Honorary Membership of the Royal 54

Academy of Music in London; and most recently an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the Hong Kong University.

PROGRAMME Haydn Beethoven Schubert

Liszt

Sonata No. 59 in E flat major Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 11 4 Impromptus: No. 1 in F minor, Op. 142(D935) No. 3 in G flat major, Op. 90 (D899) No. 3 in B flat major, Op. 142 (D935) No. 4 in A major, Op. 90(D899) Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C sharp minor

Tickets: €30, €35, €45, €55 (€20 choir balcony) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie About Evgeny Kissin Born in Moscow in 1971, Kissin began playing the piano at the age of two. He entered the Moscow Gnessin School of Music when he was six and came to international recognition at the age of 12, performing Chopin’s piano concertos in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Moscow State Philharmonic, under the baton of Dmitri Kitaenko. Since his first appearance outside Russia in 1985, Kissin has played with leading orchestras and conductors, performing in the world’s greatest concert halls and winning numerous awards for his contribution to classical music.

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Pianist Philippe Cassard celebrates 50th birthday with National Concert Hall recital Media Release 5 November 2012 French pianist Philippe Cassard will celebrate his 50th birthday with an eagerly awaited recital at the National Concert Hall on Thursday 29 November 2012 as part of the International Concert Series 2012/2103. One of the finest interpreters of French repertory, Cassard will perform a programme of works by Chopin, Grieg, Debussy and Liszt for this special recital.

Well-known to Irish audiences since winning First Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition in 1988, Cassard’s performance career has seen him in concert with some of the world’s leading orchestras to include the London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Wales, and Orchestre National de France. He has also worked with many conductors including Sir Neville Marriner, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Raymond Leppard, Charles Dutoit, Emmanuel Krivine, and Thierry Fischer.

With his refined technique and musicality, Cassard has continued to give winning performances around the world and has appeared with such artists as Natalie Dessay Woflgang Holzmair, Paul Meyer, and the Ebene, Takacs, Vanbrugh, Danish and Chilingirian string quartets. In recital he has performed Debussy's complete piano works (four recitals in a single day) at London’s Wigmore Hall, Dublin, Paris, Lisbon, Sydney, Vancouver, Shanghaï, Singapore and Tokyo.

This year, which marks Claude Debussy’s 150th anniversary, Cassard joined distinguished soprano Natalie Dessay for a Debussy Songs programme (Virgin's Classic), and pianist François Chaplin for a 2 pianos and 4 hands recital of Debussy's works (Decca) to great critical acclaim.

He has also made several recordings including Debussy’s complete piano works which was awarded Grand Prix du Disque Francais. His recording of Schumann’s Humoresque and Fantasiestücke Op. 12 was named Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and Best Buy in FM Magazine.

Philippe Cassard has been artistic director of the festival « Nuits Romantiques du Lac du Bourget » and since 2005, he has presented over 300 live weekly programmes on France Musique Radio dedicated to piano interpretation (awarded Prix SCAM in 2007 as "Best radio programme").

PROGRAMME Chopin:

Grieg:

Debussy:

Nocturne Op.27, No. 1 Berceuse in D flat major, Op.57 Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op.60 3 Pièces Lyriques, Nocturne Op. 54 No. 4 Bell Ringing Op. 54 No. 6 To Spring Op. 43 No. 6 Ballade 56

Liszt:

Valse Romantique Clair de Lune L'Isle Joyeuse Au bord d'une source Sospiro Après une lecture du Dante

Tickets: €25, €30, €35, €40 (Choir Balcony €15) National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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National Concert Hall pays tribute to Jazz artist Noel Kelehan with special concert Media Release 9 November 2012 On Sunday 25 November 2012, 8pm the National Concert Hall will host a special tribute to jazz pianist, composer, big-band leader and arranger Noel Kelehan in honour of his contribution to the jazz music scene in Ireland.

The concert will feature Kelehan’s compositions ‘Ozone’ and ‘Episodes’ as well as a speciallycommissioned work by Irish composer Ronan Guilfoyle for Dublin City Jazz Orchestra dedicated to the jazz hero and mentor.

The 17-piece Dublin City Jazz Orchestra and their leader Ciaran Wilde will be joined by special guests including Scottish alto saxophonist Laura MacDonald, Ellister van der Molen (trumpet), Mike Nielsen (guitar), Phil Ware (piano), Cormac O’Brien (double-bass), and Shane O’Donovan (drums) in this special tribute concert.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall said 'Noel Kelehan's contribution to music in Ireland was immense, as a conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for numerous television and radio broadcasts, as a highly-skilled arranger and orchestrator and as a gifted jazz pianist. He was also a kind and generous man, who gave willingly of his talents and musical gifts. It is an honour for the National Concert Hall to have this opportunity to celebrate his unique contribution to jazz in this country.'

Kelehan, who died earlier this year, was renowned for his musical genius as a conductor, arranger and pianist. Best-known as a former conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and Music Director of RTÉ, Kelehan was an accomplished jazz musician in his own right and played jazz piano in a number of prominent jazz quartets and quintets throughout Ireland. His significant contribution to the development of jazz in Ireland is attributed to his leadership of these superb ensembles. A life-long fan of the great Miles Davis, Kelehan played with established Irish musicians like Louis Stewart, Jimmy McKay, Mike Nolan, Keith Donald and John Wadham.

The Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, formerly known as Dublin City Big Band, was founded by Ciaran Wilde and Ray Martin in 2007 and brings together some of Ireland’s leading jazz musicians. Originally an initiative developed to enable students at the Ballymun Wind Project to see and hear a big band as part of their studies, the band went on to perform at the Electric Picnic Festival a year later. The members have also performed with many great jazz musicians from America and Europe such as Bobby Wellins, Cleo Laine, Furio di Castri, Steve Arguelles and Florian Ross.

For this tribute concert the orchestra will be performing a new work by Irish composer Ronan Guilfoyle. A major figure on the Irish jazz scene Ronan has been composing for classical ensembles since 1993, specialising in compositions which feature both improvised and written music. His most recent projects include a Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra entitled ‘Hands’, featuring the great American guitarist Rick Peckham and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and a new piece for 12 saxophones, which was performed by the European Saxophone Ensemble earlier this year.

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Tickets: â‚Ź25 (Concessions â‚Ź22.50) 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall.

10% Discount for Groups of 10 or more.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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National Concert Hall announces RTÉ Radio 1 presenter Shay Byrne as narrator for The Snowman Screenings Media release 26 November 2012 On Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 the National Concert Hall will host eight screenings of the beloved Raymond Briggs film ‘The Snowman’ complete with live musical accompaniment from the Orchestra of National Concert Hall, conducted by Simon Chalk. The magical story will be brought to life by narrator Shay Byrne, wellknown to many as RTÉ Radio 1’s Risin’ Time.

The magical Christmas show designed for all the family features the famous Howard Blake song ‘Walking in the air’ and takes place on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December at 12pm, 2.30pm, 5pm and 7.30pm and will also feature seasonal favourites by pupils from the FACT School of Performing Arts and Showtime Theatre School. Santa may also be making a surprise visit!

Originally a children’s book published in 1978, The Snowman was turned into an animated movie in 1982 and first shown on Channel 4 later that year. It was later nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1983.

A 23-minute new version titled The Snowman and the Snowdog is scheduled to air on Channel 4 over Christmas 2012 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original short and of Channel 4.

Produced at the London based animation company, with many of the original team returning, the sequel will be made in the same traditional techniques as the first film, and it will feature the Snowman, a new little boy, and a snow dog, flying over international landmarks.

The original story centres on the adventures of a young boy called James who sets off on a night time quest for adventure with his Snowman who comes to live life on Christmas Eve. On their travels, they meet dancing penguins, reindeer and crowds of the Snowman’s friends. James the flying snowman continue their night-time journey through the sky escaping the clutches of the evil Jack Frost before returning home just in time for Christmas morning.

Supported by The Irish Times and Today FM the National Concert Hall’s Family Christmas Show featuring the screening of The Snowman with live orchestral accompaniment runs on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December, comprising 8 shows in total.

Tickets: €15 children; €20 Adults. 15% discount for groups of 10 or more. Family Ticket available €65 (2 adults/2 children).

All tickets are available online at www.nch.ie or at The National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01-417 00 00.

ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie 60

The National Chamber Choir presents a true ‘Baroque Christmas’ at the National Concert Hall Media release 29 November 2012 The National Chamber Choir and Irish Baroque Orchestra bring a wealth of baroque music by Bach, Buxtehude, Corelli, Mouton and Charpentier to the National Concert Hall Monday 17 December 2012, 8pm signalling a true traditional choral and chamber music concert of Christmas music.

The programme begins with an Advent cantata and chorale by Bach before moving to two cantatas

by Bach’s mentor, Diectrich Buxtehude to include In Dulce Jubilo and the stirring meditation on the birth of Christ ‘Das Neugeborne Kindelein'. The Irish Baroque Orchestra will then perform Corelli’s ‘Concerto fatto per la nottee di natale, Op. 6 No. 8’ or ‘Concerto made for Christmas Night’ after which the National Chamber Choir will sing two a cappella motets by Jean Mouton before concluding with the Christmas Cantata by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.

Under the internationally celebrated and multi award-winning choral conductor Paul Hillier as Artistic Director, the National Chamber Choir has gained a reputation for the high artistic quality of its performances and remains a thriving force on a very active choral scene both at home and abroad. Internationally, the Choir has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and South America and recently undertook its first US tour where they performed at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day 2011 with the assistance of Culture Ireland as part of Imagine Ireland, a year of Irish Arts in America 2011. Recent CD releases include One Day Fine on the Lyric fm label and Acallam na Senórach on the Harmonia Mundi label.

Performing with Ireland’s flagship choir will be the esteemed Irish Baroque Orchestra, giving Irish audiences the opportunity to hear baroque music as it was intended to be heard, carrying the listener back 300 years to the sights, sounds and smells of 18th Century Europe.

Under the inspirational artistic direction of Monica Huggett, each member of the orchestra continuously seeks to explore the playing techniques and performance styles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and performs only on baroque instruments or modern replicas. Although the Irish Baroque Orchestra has its roots in the past, it is a dynamic and constantly evolving organization with its sights firmly set on the future. Today, its exceptional musicians perform over 20 concerts a year around Ireland and abroad, and continue to receive widespread critical acclaim.

PROGRAMME J.S. Bach Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland Dietrich Buxtehude In Dulce Jubilo Dietrich Buxtehude Das Neugeborne Kindelein Arcangelo Corelli Concerto fatto per la notte di natale Op.6 No.8 (Christmas Concerto) Jean Mouton Ave Maria Jean Mouton Noe! Noe! Marc-Antoine Charpentier In Nativitatem Domini

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Tickets â‚Ź20. 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall. 10% discount for groups of 10 or more.

National Concert Hall Box Office Tel: 01 417 00 00 or www.nch.ie (no booking fees) ENDS For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

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Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly awarded Bernadette Greevy Bursary Award 2012 from the National Concert Hall Media Release 14 December 2012 The National Concert Hall announces Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly as the winner of the Bernadette Greevy Bursary Award 2012. As overall winner, Rachel receives a bursary of 5,000euro and will also be invited to give a recital at the National Concert Hall in November 2013. A new piece will also be commissioned for Rachel to perform on the night.

The Bursary, which was established in 2010 in honour of the late Irish mezzo-soprano and opera festival director Dr. Bernadette Greevy, was set up by The National Concert Hall to support and provide performance opportunity to young Irish singers.

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall comments “The National Concert Hal is delighted to pay tribute to one of Ireland’s finest singers of the past by providing this bursary and performance opportunity to young Irish singers of the future. It is an honour for the National Concert Hall to remember Bernadette Greevy in this way and we wish Rachel well in her studies and in her future career. We also look forward to welcoming her back to perform for us in 2013.”

Mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly is currently attending the National Opera Studio London; a one year master course for young professional opera singers. Rachel is a Sickle Foundation Scholar who completed her Masters at the Royal Academy of Music Ireland with distinction where she was also awarded the highly prized DipRam for excellence.

A frequent achiever at international competitions Rachel recently reached the final and semi-final rounds of the International Handel Competition in London and the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition International Singing Competition in Vienna. In 2011 she attended the prestigious Solti Te Kanawa Accademia di Bel Canto in Italy.

Recent roles include ‘Fanny’ in the London première of Jonathan Dove's Mansfield Park, ‘Beatrice’ in Beatrice et Benedict (Directed by John Copley and conducted by Sir Colin Davis), ‘Wu’ in the world première of Maxwell Davies' Kommilitonen (Directed by David Pountney) and ‘Dorabella’ in ‘Cosi fan Tutte’.

Rachel has also performed as soloist with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and with the Thomas Moore Festival. She was invited to represent the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in Beijing, China last year. This summer she recorded the part of ‘Jane’ in Dearest Enemy for CD release with New World Records and for the same label she has recorded ‘Rosie Flynn’ in Victor Herbert’s opera Eileen. Rachel recently gave a recital of the music of Irish opera composer William Vincent Wallace at Wexford Festival Opera to great acclaim. She is kindly supported by the Ian Smith of Stonoway Legacy, the Arts Council of Ireland, the Sickle Foundation and the Sybill Tutton Award from the Musicians Benevolent Fund.

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Former winners of the National Concert Hall’s Bernadette Greevy Bursary Award include Kerry native Gavan Ring (baritone) in 2010 and Northern Irish soprano Aoife Miskelly, in 2011.

The National Concert Hall wishes to acknowledge the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for its kind support of the Bernadette Greevy Bursary for Singers.

ENDs For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 417 00 57/087 1775334or e-mail: Sinead.doyle@nch.ie

ABOUT DR. BERNADETTE GREEVY Bernadette Greevy was the first Irish winner of the Harriet Cohen International Music Award for Outstanding Artistry. She was founder and artistic director of the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival and supported student singers through her masterclasses and work as Artist in Residence at the Dublin Institute of Technology. She is remembered for her wonderful performances and recordings of oratorio and song. Her recordings include works by Handel, Haydn, Bach and she was acclaimed in particular for her interpretation of Mahler. She also championed new Irish music premiering works by Irish composers. The recipient of many international awards, she held honorary doctorates from the NUI and Trinity College Dublin.

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