113K

For Immediate Release

New Music - New Ireland: Contemporary Music Centre Launches Latest Cultural Initiative

18 September 2008

New Music - New Ireland, an international programme organised by the Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) and funded by Culture Ireland was officially launched on Thursday, 18 September 2008. This project will showcase a number of musical events and exhibitions over the coming months, the first of which will be a concert of contemporary Irish music at the Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York on 17 October.

The event at Carnegie Hall will showcase a selection of the best of today's Irish composition played by top-level young New York- and Irish-based performers. It includes performances by the dynamic ConTempo String Quartet along with Carol McGonnell (clarinet) and Isabelle O'Connell (piano). They will be performing music by composers ranging from established major figures such as John Kinsella, Jane O'Leary and Ian Wilson to exciting young composers Ed Bennett, Ailís Ní Riain, Deirdre McKay and Jennifer Walshe.

New Music - New Ireland is a major initiative for the Contemporary Music Centre and marks a new strand of activities around international promotion of Irish composers. It also marks the beginning of a new partnership agreement between CMC and Culture Ireland, which will see a number of high profile events and international promotional initiatives involving Irish composers' work developed over the coming years.

Some other events planned for this international programme include:

• 26 October: Jennifer Walshe at the Issue Project Room, New York - solo concert of experimental music
• 17 October - 2 November: The Art of Sound multimedia exhibition on Irish composers on display in the Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool, as part of the city's European Capital of Culture programme.

The launch was a lively event, attended by His Excellency Thomas C. Foley, Ambassador of the United States of America, along with representatives from Culture Ireland. It included a performance of Ailís Ní Riain's piece, DON'T by Carol McGonnell and ConTempo Quartet cellist, Adrian Mantu.

Speaking at the launch, the Ambassador said, "This is the latest in a series of cultural initiatives that have taken place in New York and the US this year, and serves to further strengthen the unique cultural, economic and emotional bonds between the two countries. Irish contemporary music enjoys a great following in New York and I wish CMC the very best for their event in Carnegie Hall."

Eugene Downes, CEO, Culture Ireland said, "Culture Ireland are delighted to be partnering the CMC in this new promotional and performance initiative. New music from Ireland deserves a wider international audience and New York offers one of the most important arenas to raise the international reputation of Irish composers and performers. This is a great opportunity to present a range of exciting new works."

The Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) is Ireland's national archive and promotion agency for new music, supporting and developing the work of Irish composers nationally and internationally. This initiative ties in with CMC's new Strategic Plan 2009-2011, which has been completed following a 2-year development programme to redefine and expand the Centre's remit. CMC is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Culture Ireland.

For more information contact Aoife FitzPatrick, Promotion Officer, The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8, telephone 01-673 1922 or email afitzpatrick@cmc.ie.