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For Immediate Release

New Notes for the ConTempo String Quartet

6 March 2009

Come and celebrate Irish female composers in a feast of musical sounds and outstanding technique! The Contemporary Music Centre presents two free public concerts this March 2009 in the Solstice Arts Centre, Meath and Roscommon Arts Centre, Roscommon as part of its New Notes project with the internationally renowned Galway Ensemble-in-Residence, ConTempo.

New Notes is a year long collaborative project between the Contemporary Music Centre and the Galway Ensemble-in-Residence involving workshops, open dialogue and concerts. It has facilitated two new string quartets being written for the ConTempo Quartet by Irish composers; Pas de Quatre by Rhona Clarke and entropy by Gráinne Mulvey. These new works will premiere in the Solstice Arts Centre and feature in both concerts alongside other work by Irish composers chosen by ConTempo.

New Notes has very successfully built on the relationships developed through the 2007 New Music Connects project between the Contemporary Music Centre, ConTempo String Quartet and Irish composers. It has enabled the Contemporary Music Centre to bring the work of Irish composers and the Quartet outside of Dublin and Galway and to build new relationships with regional arts centres and schools. New Notes is funded by the Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon's Project: New Work Award 2008.

"New Notes has provided an unparalleled opportunity for Irish composers to write for the much celebrated ConTempo String Quartet and for this work to tour to some of our regional arts centres. We eagerly await the forthcoming concerts and the culmination of this year long project", says Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre.

The ConTempo Quartet are Bogdan Sofei, first violin, Ingrid Nicola, second violin, Andreea Banciu, viola and Adrian Mantu, cello. Recognised as one of the world's top string quartets, ConTempo has worked with many celebrated quartets, including the Emerson, Amadeus, Alban Berg, Hagen and Tokyo quartets. They have toured the world extensively. The ConTempo String Quartet became Galway's first Ensemble-in-Residence in January 2003.

Rhona Clarke, born in Dublin, is performed and broadcast throughout Ireland and Europe. Rhona is a lecturer of music at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and was elected to Aosdána in 2005. Gráinne Mulvey, also born in Dublin, has had work performed and commissioned in Ireland and Europe. Grainne teaches composition at the DIT conservatory of music and drama. There will be an accompanying projection for Rhona Clarke's Pas de Quatre by Marie Hanlon. Marie Hanlon is a visual artist with an established reputation in the field of abstract painting. She is represented by the Rubicon Gallery Dublin. This is her first work using projected photographic elements.

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national library and promotion agency for new music. It has its home in a historic building in Fishamble Street in the Old City of Temple Bar. The Centre is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The Galway Ensemble-in-Residence, ConTempo, serves at the heart of a music development programme for Galway City and County. The project aims to enrich, inspire and encourage those already involved in music and to increase access for those who have no previous engagement with music. It is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, NUI Galway, Galway University Foundation, GMIT, Galway City Council, Galway County Council, and Friends of ConTempo.

For further information contact 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

Notes for Editors

19 March 2009, 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Solstice Arts Centre, Railway Street, Navan, Co. Meath
www.solsticeartscentre.com
Admission Free

The ConTempo String Quartet
Bogdan Sofei, first violin, Ingrid Nicola, second violin
Andreea Banciu, viola and Adrian Mantu, cello

Rhona Clarke - Pas de Quatre (premiere)
Gráinne Mulvey - entropy (premiere)
Jane O'Leary - ConTempo ConVersations
Jennifer Walshe - minard/nithsdale

20 March 2009, 8.00pm - 9.00pm
Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommon
www.roscommonartscentre.ie
Admission Free

The ConTempo String Quartet
Bogdan Sofei, first violin, Ingrid Nicola, second violin
Andreea Banciu, viola and Adrian Mantu, cello

Rhona Clarke - Pas de Quatre
Gráinne Mulvey - entropy
Jane O'Leary - ConTempo ConVersations
Jennifer Walshe - minard/nithsdale