The music of Linda Buckley, John Gibson and Ian Wilson forms the focus of the National Concert Hall’s 2008 series of Composers' Choice concerts.

The three-concert series is designed to offer ‘an opportunity for composers to showcase their compositional skills and put into context their own work while revisiting the works of major composers of the 20th century’.

Four works by the Cork-based pianist-composer John Gibson opens the series in an afternoon concert (beginning at 3.15pm) at the Dublin venue on 13 January.

The featured compositions, to be performed by the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet and pianist Ciara Moroney, include the 10 meditations for string quartet, Ikon, the solo piano pieces Nijinsky 1998 and Moladh go Deo le Dia (a setting of Proverbs 13:12), and Three Irish Airs for violin-and-piano. Other works in the programme include Three Pieces for Piano by Michele Esposito and Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E flat.

On 25 March, Linda Buckley’s Jöklar for solo piano will receive its first public performance alongside the violin and piano duet Volt in a concert that will also include works by Donnacha Dennehy, Salvatore Sciarrino, Kaija Saariaho, György Ligeti and Conlon Nancarrow, when the featured artists will be the Fidelio Trio and vocalist Natasha Lohan.

The closing concert, on 30 April, performed by Camerata Pacifica, includes the first performance of Ian Wilson’s Messenger Concerto for violin and chamber ensemble, Mozart’s Adagio in B minor, K540, and John Harbison’s Piano Quintet. Catherine Leonard is the soloist.

For details, please see our calendar, or visit www.nch.ie.

Posted: 4 January 2008