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For Immediate Release

CMC Salon Series

26 October 2005

The Contemporary Music Centre's salon series continues at 6.30pm on 11 November with a concert of solo and duo works by John Feeley (guitar) and William Dowdall (flute). The concert takes place in the Printing House in Trinity College and admission is free.

They will play, Rhona Clarke's Reflection on the 6th Station of the Cross; Frank Corcoran's Quasi Un Amore; Ian Wilson's 2 Pieces and Eric Sweeney's Walk/Don't Walk. Both performers will also talk about the works and the audience are welcome to ask questions and make comments. Feeley and Dowdall who often work together as a duo have just released a CD of music for flute and guitar by composer John Buckley entitled In Winter light.

The CMC salon series aims to offer a platform to experiment with new work, listen to some of those rare second performances of recent compositions, and generally discuss and debate issues in contemporary music. The series has been running since 2003 and has featured a whole host of musicians including Alan Smale (violin), Arun Rao (cello), Darragh Morgan (violin), John Feeley (guitar), Peader Townsend (percussion), Benjamin Dwyer (guitar) and Susan Doyle (flute) to name but a few.

Speaking about the series Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager with CMC, said, "The salon series has enabled audiences to interact with contemporary music and to do so in a relaxed, informal environment. This is good for audiences, for performers and for composers."

Notes for Editors

William Dowdall
Dublin born William Dowdall combines a busy career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher with his duties as Principal Flute with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Apart from over 50 solo performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and Irish Chamber Orchestra, he has performed at all the major festivals in Ireland including AIB Festival of Great Irish Houses, and the internationally renowned West Cork Chamber Music Festival. Solo performances abroad have taken him to Europe, USA, China, and New Zealand.

In addition to a wide ranging repertoire, Dowdall has a particular interest in contemporary music and has premiered a number of works in Ireland as well as premiering works by Irish composers abroad. Composers John Buckley, Donnacha Dennehy, David Fennessy have written works for him and a concerto is to be commissioned by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.

John Feeley
Internationally acclaimed virtuoso John Feeley was born in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. In addition to his solo and chamber music concerts, Feeley has performed widely with The American Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has won a number of prizes in international competitions, including the Special Award for interpretation in the 1984 Mauro Giuliani competition, Italy.

Highly regarded for his performance of new works by Irish composers, he has had many works written for him, including a guitar concerto by Jerome de Bromhead; a quintet for guitar and string quartet by Andrew Shiels; Four Pieces by Jane O'Leary; two concertos by Brent Parker; and a solo guitar sonata by John Buckley.