Music for Galway has announced details of its 42nd concert season, taking place from 26 September until next May.

One of the highlights will be a performance by the renowned British sibling musicians Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason who will present a cello and piano recital on 18 November at the Galmont Hotel.

Other highlights include the annual Midwinter Festival which takes place in January and will focus on the French composer Fauré in the centenary of his death with concerts curated by pianist Michel Dalberto; contemporary music concerts with percussionist Alex Petcu, clarinettist Carol McGonnell and singer/improviser Cansu Tanrikulu; a piano showcase with the winners of the Dublin and Santander International Piano Competitions; a Music for Good Friday concert curated by Mark Duley featuring Herbert Howells’ Requiem; and the return of the Cellissimo festival next May. The lunchtime series also continues in association with Arts in Action at University of Galway.

This season, Music for Galway has also introduced a half-price social inclusion ticket for children, full-time students, and people in receipt of jobseeker allowance and disability allowance.

The programme was announced by Music for Galway Artistic Director Finghin Collins and CEO Anna Lardi at a reception yesterday evening (4 September) at the new Bonham Quay office complex in Galway’s docks and launched by President of Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Orla Flynn. Music at the launch was provided by Trio Papageno, comprised of teenagers Fionna Rua McKree (violin) Sophia Mantu (viola) and Clara Mantu (cello).

Season outline
The season begins on 26 September at the Hardiman Ballroom with pianist Lucy Parham and narrator Tim McInnerny performing Elégie: Rachmaninov – A Heart in Exile, a work scripted by Parham that tells the story of the composer through words and music.

On 13 October, Collins and the Castalian Quartet (Sini Simonen, Irish violist Ruth Gibson, Daniel Roberts and Steffan Morris) will perform a Mozart programme at the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the University of Galway. At PorterShed A Dó on 7 November, the Gealán Quartet (Gina Maria McGuinness, Eoin Ducrot, Fiachra de hOra and Paul Grennan) will perform a new work by Michael Doherty as well as pieces by Schumann and Shostakovich. This concert is in association with the National String Quartet Foundation.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello) and Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) will perform music by Frank Bridge, Chopin and Rachmaninov on 18 November. Percussionist Alex Petcu and dancer Marion Cronin will perform a new collaborative work at the Black Box Theatre on 28 November.

Midwinter
The MidWinter Festival will take place at The Hardiman Ballroom on 19–21 January with concerts featuring a range of artists including Michel Dalberto (piano), Benoît Capt (baritone), Laure-Hélène Michel (cello), Nathan Mierdl (violin), ConTempo Quartet, Saoirse Knauer (soprano) and Finghin Collins (piano). As part of the festival, St Nicholas Singers will perform Fauré’s Requiem under Mark Duley on 20 January at 4pm at St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church.

Yukine Kuroki from Japan, winner of the 2022 Dublin International Piano Competition, and Jaeden Izik-Dzurko from Canada, winner of the 2022 Paloma O’Shea Piano Competition in Santander, will perform on 3 February; Cansu Tanrikulu (voice) and Carol McGonnell (clarinet) will present music by Nick Dunston, Stockhausen and their own composition on 9 April at the O’Donoghue Centre; and Mark Duley and Collegium choir will present music by Tallis, Peter Philips, Rihards Dubra, Ērik Ešenvalds, Edward Bairstow and Herbert Howells on Good Friday on 29 April at St Nicholas’ Church.

There will also be lunchtime concerts at the University of Galway on 26 October (Agustina Taborda, bandoneon), 30 November (Andreea Banciu, viola, and Aileen Cahill, piano), 15 February (Megan O’Neill, soprano, and Teresa O’Donnell, harp), and 29 February (Aidan Chan, piano).

Music for Galway’s triennial cello festival Cellissimo will take place on 18–26 May and will feature Alban Gerhardt, Camille Thomas, Nicolas Altstaedt, Natalie Clein, the National Symphony Orchestra and Irish Chamber Orchestra. Further details will be announced in due course.

For further information on Music for Galway’s 2023/24 season and booking, download the brochure below or visit https://musicforgalway.ie.

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