The music of Russian-born composer Alexander Knaifel is coming to County Louth in a celebration called 'The Rest is Noise'.

The haunting music of the St Petersburg composer and cellist will be performed at St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda on 1 May 2009 as part of the Drogheda Arts Festival.

Knaifel's works will be performed by violinist Elizabeth Cooney, who will play To EF and the Three calling cards of the Poet, the first Irish commission from Knaifel, with cellist Elisabeth Wilson and violist Joachim Roewer. The evening will also include the first Irish performance by Russian pianist Oleg Malov, who has performed in some of the most important festivals of contemporary music in Europe. The Irish Callino Quartet will also perform some of Knaifel's music, including O Heavenly King with soprano Patricia Rozario.

Organised by Drogheda Borough Council in association with Louth Contemporary Music Society (LCMS) for Drogheda Arts Festival, the performances will be a major musical event for Ireland. Eamonn Quinn of LCMS said, "We are proud to be able to attract such major contemporary musical events to the area and host such high calibre composers who have chosen to premiere their work in Ireland.

"Alexander Knaifel is a contemporary of Arvo Pärt, whose spiritual music was also brought to the area by the LCMS and featured at performances in Dundalk and Drogheda last year," said Quinn. "Knaifel started his career as a cellist and is a former student of Mstislav Rostropovich. He is well-known for both his serious compositions and also his film music, having scored over forty feature films. In the 1970s he embarked on a quest through his compositions for purity of tone and music of calm, tranquillity and beauty that touch upon mystical questions like the nature of love. The pieces that will be performed show just how much he has achieved in this quest."

Tickets at €15 are on sale from the Central Ticket Bureau tel. 0818 295 295 and from Highlanes Gallery, St Laurence St, Drogheda, tel. 041 9807114. Also on the door on the night.

Posted: 14 April 2009