Isabelle O'Connell premieres a new music by Irish and US composers in Dublin on 3 September

New York-based Irish pianist Isabelle O'Connell returns to Ireland to perform a concert of contemporary music from Ireland and the US at the Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall on 3 September.

Presented by Ears Wide Open, the programme features works by Andrew Hamilton and Jennifer Walshe alongside American composers Missy Mizoli and Lainie Fefferman.

Commissioned by Isabelle O'Connell,  Andrew Hamilton's O.A.I.R takes its title from a short story by the Swiss writer Robert Walser. The composer writes about the piece:

'O.A.I.R is the result of many rewrites (the ending was in fact the first music to be written and it is from this section that all the material is derived).  It was after seeing one of my big heroes Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker dance her own early works Fase at Tate Modern last summer that finally helped me clarify what I wanted to do. O.A.I.R looks to emulate her own unflinching focus on small amounts of material in a constant state of transformation.  The title comes from a short story, Food for Thought, by the Swiss writer Robert Walser.  I am not sure why the following paragraph jumped out at me whilst reading his work but it seemed to resonate with what I was feeling at that time:

“What barbarians these are who speak of culture, of all these marvelous things, of beauty that will remain forever alien to them as long as they cannot will themselves to practice beauty.  All practice and motion are so far from them.  They just talk and talk and talk, and for just this reason sink ever deeper into the midnight of unrefinedness, for only action is refined (O.A.I.R.), talk is murky and dark, as unclean as hell itself.”'

Isabelle O'Connell is well-renowned for her new music performances, with her 2010 album of solo Irish piano music, Reservoir, receiving critical acclaim worldwide. As well as solo performances, she has played with ensembles such as Crash Ensemble, Bang on a Can All-Stars and Alarm Will Sound.

The concert takes place at 8.30pm on 3 September 2013 at the Kevin Barry Room of the National Concert Hall. Tickets cost €12/10 and are available from 01 4170000 or the NCH website.

Programme

Andrew Hamilton: O.A.I.R. (world premiere)
Missy Mazzoli: Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos
Kate Moore: Sensitive Spot
Jennifer Walshe: becher
Lainie Fefferman: Barnacles

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