Music Network has today (24 March) announced it will commission twenty Irish and Ireland-based musicians to write a new piece of music that will be premiered in a series of online music performances called The Butterfly Sessions. The performances will be broadcast on the organisation’s YouTube channel every Wednesday and Friday at 8pm for ten weeks starting 8 April. 

Twenty artists will be invited by Music Network to participate in the project, which is aimed at supporting Irish musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The full list of contributing musicians will be announced on 2 April.

Music Network’s CEO Sharon Rollston said: 

During this extremely difficult time for professional musicians, The Butterfly Sessions will generate much-needed income for 20 of Ireland’s leading musicians while creating a unique and high-quality musical legacy for all to enjoy. Trad fans will instantly spot the reference in the title to the well-known tune ‘The Butterfly’, associated with the great fiddler Tommy Potts, but this series will also feature jazz and contemporary classical compositions.

Music Network also has plans to bring forward various additional projects in order to create new musical opportunities during the health crisis. These will be announced in the coming weeks. 

For more on The Butterfly Sessions, visit: www.musicnetwork.ie/news/details/