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For Immediate Release

CMC's 20th Anniversary Celebrations Roll On

19 April 2006

The Contemporary Music Centre continues its 20th anniversary celebrations with a new music Salon at 6.30pm - 7.30pm on 12 May 2006. David Adams (piano) and William Dowdall (flute) play solo and duo works by Irish composers. The event takes place in the Goethe Institute, 37 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, and admission is free.

They will play Spilliaerts Beach by Belfast-born Ian Wilson, who is now living in County Leitrim. Raymond Deane's Epilogue for flute and piano will also feature. Deane, a member of Aosdána, Ireland's state-sponsored academy of creative artists, was brought up on Achill Island and now lives between Dublin and France. A section of Seóirse Bodley's September Preludes for flute and piano and Donnacha Dennehy's fAt for flute and live electronics will complete the programme. Bodley's output includes five symphonies for full orchestra, two chamber symphonies and numerous orchestral, choral, vocal and chamber pieces. Dennehy, founder of the Crash Ensemble and Director of the recent RTE Living Music Festival featuring Steve Reich, lectures in music technology and composition at Trinity College, Dublin.

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 host of musicians including Alan Smale (violin), Arun Rao (cello), Darragh Morgan (violin), John Feeley (guitar), Peader Townsend (percussion), and most recently Ronan Guilfoyle (bass guitar).

Speaking about the concert Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager with CMC, said, "We are delighted to welcome back William Dowdall to our Salon series. This time he teams up with pianist David Adams for CMCs first event in the Goethe Institute."

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national archive and resource centre for new music supporting and developing the work of composers throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. It engages in a programme of development work to promote new Irish music at home and abroad. The Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2006 and the Salon series is part of a wide-ranging programme of events.

Further information from Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 673 1922 email: khennessy@cmc.ie web site: www.cmc.ie

The Contemporary Music Centre is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. The Centre would like to acknowledge the support of the Goethe Institute in making the venue available.

Notes for Editors

William Dowdall
Dublin-born William Dowdall combines a busy career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He currently lectures at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. 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 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.

David Adams
David Adams studied organ and harpsichord in Freiburg and Amsterdam, winning prizes at several international competitions. An established recitalist at home and abroad, he appears regularly with all the major Irish orchestras and is much in demand as a chamber musician on various keyboard instruments, particularly in the fields of early and contemporary music.

Conducting engagements include operas by Raymond Deane and Kevin O'Connell for Opera Theatre Company and an orchestral work by Elaine Agnew with the Ulster Orchestra. David has recorded with Naxos, Black Box and Wergo, and is currently recording a CD of organ works by leading contemporary Irish composers. He lectures at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and is organist of Christ Church Taney, Dublin.