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For Immediate Release

The Contemporary Music Centre presents its annual student New Music Marathon in the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama - 9 March 2012

22 February 2012

The Contemporary Music Centre presents its annual marathon of new music by student composers and performers at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Rathmines, Dublin, 1030am - 630pm, Friday 9 March 2012. The marathon takes place in The Theatre in the Conservatory of Music and Drama and will be followed by a reception hosted by the Contemporary Music Centre for all participants.

Numerous concerts of new music take place throughout the day, programmed by Glen Austin, composer and PhD candidate at DIT and Dr Kerry Houston, Head of Department of Academic Studies, DIT. A panel discussion on developing relationships between composers and performers, featuring members of the Conservatory teaching faculty and chaired by Jonathan Grimes, Information and Digital Services Manager, the Contemporary Music Centre, will take place at 2pm.

Composition and performance students from all around Ireland including the University of Ulster, Magee (Derry); Trinity College Dublin (TCD); NUI Maynooth; University of Limerick (UL), and the Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama itself are all participating.

The concert programmes for the day will be an eclectic mix of new instrumental, electroacoustic/acousmatic, mixed-media and live electronic pieces. The Contemporary Music Centre will document the marathon throughout the day with video coverage and a special video podcast will be on the Centre's web site www.cmc.ie after the event.

The Contemporary Music Centre has been organising the annual student new music marathon since 2006 and it is now firmly established as an important day in the calendar of composition and performance students not only for the performance opportunity that it offers but also for the opportunity for students from all around the Island of Ireland to meet and discuss their work.

'We are delighted this year that the Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama with its extensive performance department are hosting this year's marathon. This means a large proportion of works featured will include student performers and this is very exciting for all of the student composers on the day' says Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre.

The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national archive and resource centre for new music, supporting the work of composers throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. The Centre is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

The DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama is the largest provider of music and drama education in Ireland, and a hub of performance activity in Dublin. For over 120 years the Conservatory has been providing quality education in music, for people across Ireland and beyond. It caters for all styles: classical and Irish traditional (BMusEd/BMus/MMus), jazz (MMus), rock and pop (BA in Commercial Modern Music). The Conservatory also offers research degrees in composition, performance practice and musicology.

The Contemporary Music Centre would like to acknowledge the support of the Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama for hosting this year's marathon. Admission to all concerts during the day is free. For more information on the Contemporary Music Centre and the Marathon day please 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. For more information on the Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama and concert programmes for the day contact Glen Austin on e-mail: glenaustin1@hotmail.com, mobile: 087 298 7706

Notes for Editors

The Contemporary Music Centre's annual Student New Music Marathon

9 March 2012     Open to the Public     FREE ADMISSION

1030am - 11am Registration and Coffee/Tea
11pm - 1pm Concert Programmes
1pm - 2pm Lunch
2pm - 3pm Panel discussion
3pm - 530pm Concert Programmes with coffee break
530pm - 630pm Concluding remarks and wine reception

The Contemporary Music Centre's annual Student New Music Marathon
Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama
Rathmines Road
Dublin 6
www.dit.ie/conservatory