52K

For Immediate Release

James Wilson - A Memorial Celebration

3 October 2005

A memorial concert to celebrate the life of James Wilson takes place at 8.00pm on 16 October in the National Concert Hall. James Wilson passed away on 6 August 2005 at the age of 82. The concert is presented by the Contemporary Music Centre in association with the National Concert Hall and is being made possible through the generous support of musicians and friends.

The concert includes the premieres of Sonata No. 6 for violin and piano and Orison for piano. Performers include Jane Manning and Concorde, Virginia Kerr and Colman Pearce, Hugh Tinney, David O' Doherty and Katerina Lemoni, Anthony Byrne and others. Admission is free and the concert will be followed by a reception sponsored by IMRO.

James Wilson was born in London and came to live in Ireland in the late 1940s. He was professor of composition in the Royal Irish Academy of Music and was also for many years a course director of the Ennis/IMRO Composition Summer School.

His extensive output has been performed and broadcast throughout Ireland, the UK and Scandinavia. It includes seven operas, three symphonies and twelve concertos as well as numerous vocal, chamber and instrumental works.

Speaking about the composer, Eve O'Kelly, Director of the Contemporary Music Centre, said, "James Wilson will be remembered not only for the significance and productivity of his musical output, but for his great contribution to new music in Ireland. As a teacher he was an immense influence on generations of younger composers, and he played an important role in many aspects of musical life. Most of all he will be sadly missed as a kind and generous friend."

James Wilson received the Marten Toonder award of the Arts Council in 1997. He was a founder-member of Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland. A number of CDs of his music are available, see www.cmc.ie, including a recent release of three Hans Christian Andersen fairytales set to music.