NSOI: Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathétique’ + New Cello Concerto by Anselm McDonnell

30 January 2026 19:30

Epiphanies of the soul, heart and nature ring out in two luxurious orchestral showpieces and the world premiere of CMC Composer and 2024 Séan Ó Riada Competition winner Anselm McDonnell’s First Cello Concerto performed by Martin Johnson. Ryan McAdams conducts with ‘bounding, generous energy’ (Journal of Music).

Anselm McDonnell's First Cello Concerto, Hostile Summits, pits the solo instrument as observer to the towering majesty and divinity of mountains, the imposing meeting point between earth and the heavens. The cello’s wide, expressive range, dramatic dynamic contrasts, and cello and strings mimicking the sound of a giant guitar add to its sense of scale and wonder.

McDonnell says:

Hostile Summits explores our relationship with mountains through the lens of the soloist’s relationship with a larger orchestral force. Movement I, ‘The Pursuit of Fear’, looks at mountains as places to experience thrill, danger, and the rush of vertigo; pinnacles of nature which must be summited and conquered by human effort. ‘Movement II, ‘Weywot’, depicts mountains in antiquity: locations of divine power and religious significance, the meeting point between earth and heavens. Contrasts between high and low material convey the idea of an insurmountable distance between mortality and divinity. Movement III, ‘Bring Me Your Mountains’, is a reflection on the Biblical passage where Christ, after his Transfiguration on the mountain, descends to heal a sick child and promise his disciples that faith in him, not their effort, will move mountains."

Programme

Wagner - ‘Dawn’ and ‘Siegfried’s Rhine Journey’ from Götterdämmerung
Anselm McDonnell - Cello Concerto No. 1, ‘Hostile Summits’ (World Premiere - NSOI Commission)
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6, ‘Pathétique’

Pre-concert talk at the Kevin Barry Room, 6.15pm
Cellist Martin Johnson and composer Anselm McDonnell discuss their musical journeys and McDonnell's new composition, chaired by Siân Cunningham, CEO of Crash Ensemble.