Paul Hillier (Photo: Benjamin Ealovega)

Traditional Musician of the Year
Fiddle player Martin Hayes has been named TG4 Traditional Musician of the Year. The award coincides with the release of Welcome Here Again, his first studio album in over a decade, recorded with long-time collaborator Dennis Cahill. Read Toner Quinn’s article on Martin Hayes in this issue.

Other recipients include accordionist Martin Tourish (Young Musician of the Year), Peadar Ó Riada (Composer of the Year) and Iarla Ó Lionáird (Traditional Singer of the Year). The Musicians’ Award will go to Harry Bradshaw for his work as an engineer and producer, and dancers Joe and Siobhán O’Donovan will receive the Gradam Saoil, a lifetime achievement award. The awards will be presented at a televised awards ceremony in Killarney on 21 March.

Dublin Handel Festival
A series of free concerts, talks, walkshops and tours form the 2008 Dublin Handel Festival on 13-18 April. Prionnsías Ó Duinn will conduct Our Lady’s Choral Society with the National Sinfonia for ‘Messiah on the Street’, a performance of Handel’s 1742 work at the site of its premiere in Fishamble Street, Temple Bar. Visit www.templebar.ie

But What About the Noise of Crumpling Paper…
The Royal Irish Academy of Music and Brooklyn Academy of Music percussion ensembles will combine for But What About the Noise of Crumpling Paper…, a one-day festival of percussion music at the Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin on Saturday, 26 April. The festival takes its name from a late work by John Cage, which will receive its Irish premiere on the day, as well as his 1942 Third Construction in Metal. Visit
www.ergodos.ie

Remembering Sheridan
A number of events mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Irish soprano Margaret Burke Sheridan (1889-1958). An exhibition of her operatic and personal memorabilia runs at the Italian Cultural Institute, 11 FitzWilliam Square, Dublin 2 (20-30 March) and the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar (15-30 April). Soprano Liz Ryan will give a memorial concert at the Linenhall on 11 April and a tribute concert will follow at the National Concert Hall on 14 May with sopranos Celine Byrne and Suzanne Murphy. Sheridan’s biographer, Anne Chambers will present a public lecture at the Linenhall on 14 April and a radio programme, Maggie from Mayo, will be broadcast by RTÉ lyric fm on 29 March at 3pm. Email acar [at] iol.ie

Rachael Holstead Appointed Music Adviser
Composer Rachel Holstead has been appointed Music Adviser to the Arts Council where she will succeed conductor Fergus Sheil. Dr Holstead, from the Dingle peninsula, studied music at Trinity College, Dublin and later completed a PhD in composition with Michael Alcorn at Queen’s University, Belfast. Visit www.artscouncil.ie

Fiddlefair
The Baltimore Fiddle Fair runs 8-11 May in West Cork. Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh, Manus Lunny, Darol Anger, Jerry Holland and Joe Doyle all feature as well as workshops, sessions and exhibitions. The festival, which began in Declan McCarthy’s pub in 1992, is now spread over numberous venues in Baltimore and Skibereen. Visit www.fiddlefair.com

Paul Hillier to Conduct NCC
Paul Hillier, who has previously worked with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Ars Nova Copenhagen and the Hilliard Ensemble, has been appointed Artisic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Chamber Choir. Hillier, who has written books on Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich and John Cage, commented, ‘I believe strongly that contemporary music should lie at the heart of what this choir does, but the music must be good and audiences must find it beautiful, intriguing and relevant to their lives.’ Visit www.dcu.ie/chamber/

Phill Niblock in Dublin
The Crash Ensemble will present a performance of the work of New York composer and cinéaste Phill Niblock in Dublin on 23 April (venue unconfirmed at time of print). Niblock will be in attendance for the concert, which will also feature the Amsterdam-based Trio Scordatura. Visit www.crashensemble.com

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