New music group Concorde is joined by the distinguished viola player Garth Knox for a concert at the National Gallery of Ireland on Sunday 3 October.

A former member of the world-famous Arditti String Quartet and Pierre Boulez's Ensemble InterContemporain, Garth was born in Dublin and now lives in Paris, where he enjoys a full-time solo career.

The concert will feature the world premieres of specially-composed pieces by Irish composers Ed Bennett and Jane O'Leary, Mexican composer Alejandro Castanos, and a new work by Garth Knox featuring the viola d'amore.

Knox has become a pioneer of this early instrument, creating new repertoire and exploring its extraordinary sound capabilities as a twenty-first century instrument. With two sets of seven strings, the viola d'amore offers composers a fascinating and complex array of sounds.

Ed Bennett's ensemble work featuring solo viola was commissioned by Concorde with funds from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Castanos has completed studies at The Hague and has begun a residency at IRCAM in Paris.

Jane O'Leary's new work features viola d'amore with extended sounds from a grand piano. Garth Knox has written a contemporary waltz for violin, cello and clarinet with viola d'amore.