Sebastian Adams and Darragh Kearns-Hayes awarded Young Composers' Bursary
Two young Irish composers have been awarded the second IMRO/RTÉ lyric fm young composers bursary, the past recipients of which include Enda Bates and Sean Clancy. The bursary gives the composers an opportunity to write a short work for the National Symphony Orchestra, under the mentorship of RTÉ composer-in-residence Linda Buckley and through a process of workshops with the NSO Principal Musicians and conductor Gavin Maloney. The final outcome will be pieces of 5–8 minutes which will be recorded and broadcast on lyric fm's contemporary music show, Nova, presented by Bernard Clarke.
Sebastian Adams is a student at the RIAM's composition programme as well as being founder/director of and violist with the Academy's student-led contemporary music ensemble Kirkos. He has also studied with Karlheinz Essl in Vienna, and was the youngest ever finalist in the Sorodha International Composition Competition last year. Performers of his work include Crash Ensemble, Robinson Panorama Quartet, William Dowdall, Kate Ellis, Cora Venus Lunny, Andrew Zolinsky and many others.
Darragh Kearns-Hayes is a Cork-based composer, currently studying with C.S.L Parker and Alan Cutts at the Cork School of Music. Earlier this year he took part in the West Cork Chamber Music/CMC string quartet-writing workshop. His composition is informed by his involvment in many genres of music; he is one half of electronic duo Fear Stalks the Land! and creates traditional.electronic fusion under the name of Dirishkh.
Darragh spoke about receiving the award: "It's a real honour to be awarded the bursary to compose for the RTÉ NSO! To get to work with such talented professionals will be a privilege and knowing that I will have the support of Linda during the compositional process and Gavin during the workshop is very comforting. The piece I'm intending to write is entitled When We're Both Cats and is about a romance only possible in another life when both parties are of the feline persuasion. I'm looking forward to getting to work on my piece and exploring the wide range of possibilities that the Symphony Orchestra will provide."