Established in 1986 by the Arts Council, Music Network is today an essential part of the Irish music infrastructure, and has several events and commissions planned to mark its third decade.

With a staff of six, Music Network organises several national tours every year involving Irish and international artists – across classical, jazz and traditional music – as well as one-off concerts.

Recent successful tours featured Liam Ó Maonlaí, Kevin Burke and Tim Edey; Chloë Hanslip and Danny Driver; Ergodos Musicians; Andy Sheppard; The Aoife Doyle Band; Joanna MacGregor; Maura O’Connell, Karan Casey, Martin Tourish and Ed Boyd; Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh; Edmar Castaneda and many more.

According to Sharon Rollston, CEO of Music Network,

The list of musicians we’ve promoted over the years, both international and home grown, is a roll-call too long to recount here that conjures up many unforgettable evenings of music in their company… we take great pride in seeing the careers of many of those we have worked with over the years flourish.

Music Network also launched a new residency last year in Cork featuring Phil Ware. 

The establishment of Music Generation – the national music education programme that continues to grow around the country – has been another major initiative by Music Network. Rollston comments:

The establishment of our subsidiary company Music Generation has radically improved access to music education, and is fostering the practitioners and patrons of the future in a music development landscape already vastly different to 1986.

Upcoming events
Music Network is marking its 30th year beginning with a live broadcast on Culture Night on Friday 16 September. Presented by Ellen Cranitch and Carl Corcoran live from RTÉ Studio 1, the programme will feature the Julien Colarossi Quartet, Laoise Kelly, William Butt and Christopher Ellis, Ulaid, and the Gjermund Larsen Trio.

Marking the significance of the harp in contemporary and historical Irish musical life, Sunday 20 November sees the premiere of a special Music Network-commissioned work by Philip Martin for over 40 harpers, 2 French hornists, a cellist and singer Liam Ó Maonlaí. Rollston adds:

For centuries the harp has been closely linked with Irish identity and nationality, so given the year that’s in it, it seems only fitting that we celebrate our own anniversary with a large-scale harping event.

The harp ensemble will be conducted by David Brophy.

The Philip Martin commission is one of three commissions this season, along with Edges of Light, a new collaboration between dancer Colin Dunne, fiddler Tola Custy, harpist Maeve Gilchrist and uilleann piper David Power (13–24 September), as well as a new commission by Anne Marie O’Farrell to be performed by Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts and Greek clarinettist Dionysis Grammenos during their Music Network tour (8–15 November). 

For full details on all of Music Network’s upcoming events, visi http://www.musicnetwork.ie/concerts