New Irish music at MusicTown

Wed 1 Apr 2015

CBa5AhLVEAAzRbQ.jpg_largeThe programme of the anticipated new Dublin festival MusicTown has been announced, with an eclectic programme that brings music to spaces and buildings all across the city. This will be the first year of the festival, which was launched last year with a successful mixed-genre event at the Mansion House, and is produced by Dublin City Council after a long period of consultation with Dublin music makers. The programme represents many different genres and strands of music, with new music by Irish composers featuring throughout the festival.

Things We Throw Away
Wide Open Opera join forces with Brian Irvine to present five short operas, commissioned by the opera company and Dublin City Council as part of the Dublin City Public Art Programme. These short works use text by John McIlduff, and are inspired by short stories of live on the streets of Dublin. The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conducted by Fergus Sheil, have recorded a soundtrack to accompany the live singers as they perform outdoors.

  • 10 Apr, 6pm, Cows Lane, Temple Bar
  • 11 Apr, 12pm, Mary's St at Wolfe Tone Square, D1
  • 11 Apr, 3pm, South King St, D2
  • 11 Apr, 8pm, Dame Court, D2

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Generation Now/Generation Next
This programme sees experienced players William Dowall (flute) and Dearbhla Brosnan (piano) joined by their students at RIAM, Miariam Kazcor (flute) and Christopher Ellis (cello). They will perform music by Irish composers Hamilton Harty and John Buckley in the Academy’s beautiful Organ Room

  • 10 Apr, 6pm, The Organ Room, RIAM, Westland Row, Dublin

Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble
The Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, directed by Greg Caffrey, continue their tour of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire as part of the Gallery Music 40-year anniversary celebration festival lunchtime series. The programme will also feature composer/performer Ryan Molloy’s work Sliabh Geal gCua (2012)

  • 12 Apr, 3pm, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane
  • More

Up Close with Music
Concorde ensemble also feature as part of the Gallery Music lunchtime series, where they have been regular performers for 35 years. They will perform a selection of music from international and Irish composers from their recent Up Close with Music concerts, including Rhona Clarke’s Con Coro, Jane O’Leary’s A Winter Sketchbook and music from Richard Pressley, Helgi Ingvarsson and Yip Kim Fung.

  • 18 Apr, 1.05pm, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane
  • More

Ergodos’ Songs
Production company Ergodos present their Songs project, a selection of iconic and influential songs from Dowland to The xx, arranged by Garrett Sholdice and Benedict Schlepper-Connolly. In addition to the songs from the recently released album, the concert sees the premiere of new versions of Handel arias that trace the connection between Handel and contemporary pop music.

  • 14 Apr, 8pm, The Little Museum of Dublin, St. Stephen's Green

Glass House
Glass House is an installation by sound artist/composer Sven Anderson, which sees loudspeakers in the lighting braziers of Smithfield Plaza amplify the soundtracks of the films being shown at the Light House Cinema. The installation will be in place throughout the festival

Percussion Extravanganza
A three-day percussion series sees the RIAM Percussion ensemble joined by the Jim Royle Drum Studio and others. The programme includes Ian Wilson’s Apparitions, as well as a premiere of a new work called Dubinina’s Tongue, by Ailís Ní Ríain. All events take place in the Katherine Brennan hall of the RIAM.

  • 14 Apr, 7pm, Concert featuring Ian Wilson's Apparitions
  • 15 Apr, 7pm, Concert featuring Ailis Ní Ríain's Dubinina's Tongue

Fionnuala Moynihan
Pianist Fionnuala Moynihan, who also performed at the festival’s launch last year, performs music from her debut album, The Ivory Lady. As well arrangements of traditional music, the programme will feature two of the performer’s own compositions, and the album title track, composed by uileann piper Diarmaid Moynihan

  • 16 Apr, 1.05pm, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane

OurTunes
CMC presents a mini music festival for 5–10 year olds curated by Galway Ensemble-in-Residence, RTE ConTempo Quartet cellist Adrian Mantu. Subtitled 'A weekend in eight colours', the show features 8 unique 15 minute performances of new music taking place in different locations in and around the Contemporary Music Centre’s premises.

  • 18-19 April, 10.30am-1.30pm; 14.30-17.30pm, Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Dublin 8

Dodeca Cycle
An installation by artist/designer Ed Devane will be in situ in the City Assembly Hall on South William St. Dodeca Cycle allows 12 people at a time to create musical loops on a specially-built system of electronically-controlled but mechanically played acoustic instruments, including marimbas and chimes.

  • 16-18 Apr, 12-6pm, City Assembly Hall, South William St

For more information on the festival, see www.musictown.ie

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