Donegal Chamber Orchestra meets composer John McLachlan

Donegal Chamber Orchestra meets composer John McLachlan

Sunday 23^rd February 3pm, Conwal Parish Church, Letterkenny 

“Sundays in Conwal 2014” Concert Series

Music by Jenkins, Hindemith, Tchaikovsky,  Britten, Bartók and John McLachlan. 

Admissions € 10/5. Tickets at the door

The Donegal Chamber Orchestra starts another musical year playing Contemporary Music by living Irish composers.

On Sunday 23^rd of February, the Donegal Chamber Orchestra will perform the “world première” of a new six-movement piece 'The Inishowen Set' especially composed for the string ensemble by John McLachlan, the internationally esteemed Dublin born composer who lives in Inishowen.  During the month of February the composer will work weekly with the Orchestra in this new work that will be premiered in Conwal Parish Church and also performed later on the year in Inishowen.

Since 2010 the Donegal Music Education Partnership’s ensemble has successfully worked with one Irish composer per season, promoting new music and commissioning new pieces for their repertory. Ian Wilson, Derek Ball and Elaine Agnew were involved in music making with DCO in previous seasons.

John McLachlan is an Irish composer from Dublin. He is a freelance composer who is also active in the representation and promotion of Irish composers. He has had many articles on contemporary music published in various journals.

He has written over 40 works, for all the usual instrumental combinations and his music has been played and broadcast widely around the world, from Tokyo to New York and South Africa to Peru. Commissions have come from the Irish National Symphony Orchestra, National Concert Hall, the Dublin International Piano Competition, and Music Network, and from many international groups and soloists active in new music.

He holds a musicology PhD from Trinity College Dublin and was the Executive Director of the Association of Irish Composers from 1999 to 2012. He is a member of Aosdána, Ireland’s state-sponsored academy for the creative arts. See www.johnmclachlan.info for more.

The Donegal Chamber Orchestra features classical string players from across county Donegal and is dedicated to helping students and amateur musicians achieve the highest level of excellence in performance. The Donegal Chamber Orchestra gives regular performances throughout the county during the year and previous seasons have included trips to Spain and Italy. Since its establishment the orchestra worked with guest artists such as violinist Darragh Morgan, Belgium soprano Tine Verbeke, renowned Romanian/Irish cellist Mihai Dancila, the Spanish chamber orchestra Concerto Málaga and the Italian Maestro Massimo Paris. The Orchestra was founded in 2006 by Hungarian violinist Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo (Violin resource tutor with Donegal Music Education Partnership) and Spanish cellist Víctor Yélamo (Artistic Director of the ensemble).

For their February concert in Conwal Parish Church, they will perform John McLachlan’s 'The Inishowen Set' conducted by the composer itself who also will introduce his new piece to the audience. The program will also include Karl Jenkin’s Palladio, Hindemith’s Five Pieces for Strings Op. 44, Mascagni’s Intermezzo from “Cavalleria Rusticana”, Britten’s Simple Symphony Op. 4, Tchaikovsky’s Elegy for string orchestra and Bartók’s Ten pieces “For Children“ Sz. 39 arranged for strings by Leo Weiner.

This concert is presented by the Donegal Chamber Music Society as part of their Sunday afternoon concert series “Sundays in Conwal” in association with Donegal Music Education Partnership. A recital of about 45 minutes of music. Admissions € 10/5. Tickets will be available at the door.

DONEGAL CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY ANNOUNCES 2014 SESSION OF THEIR SUCCESSFUL SERIES OF CONCERTS IN CONWAL PARISH CHURCH

“Sundays in Conwal 2014” starts on 26^th January

DONEGAL CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY ANNOUNCES 2014 SESSION OF THEIR SUCCESSFUL SERIES OF CONCERTS IN CONWAL PARIS CHURCH

Starting on Sunday 26^th January, the Donegal Chamber Music Society will present the first of five concerts during the first half of this year as part of “Sundays in Conwal 2014”. 

The opening concert will be played by the accomplished Donegal Camerata, the resident ensemble of this third series of concerts.  An International Ensemble of professional players based in Donegal, the Donegal Camerata will continue their eclectic and attractive chamber music recitals, offering a program with cardinal works from the string repertoire along with some pieces in a more light-entertainment vein.  For the first recital of the year they will present music by W.A. Mozart, P. I. Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák, Josef Suk and Béla Bartók.  As before, in each concert they will present a new work by an Irish Contemporary Composer. The work chosen from the Contemporary Music Centre Library for this recital will be a piece related to Donegal, Ian Wilson’s An tIarthar, composed in 2010 for the Donegal Chamber Orchestra. As well the Donegal Camerata String Ensemble, other artists will be appearing in “Sundays in Conwal 2014”.  Some have already been confirmed; the Donegal Chamber Orchestra offering concerts in February and June.

Donegal Chamber Music Society has been presenting concerts in Donegal since 2009, working with other cultural institutions both locally and nationwide with the aim of fostering an appreciation of Classical Music in the County. The Society collaborates regularly with Donegal County Council, Music Network, Donegal Music Education Partnership, the University of Ulster and the Contemporary Music Centre Ireland. Their committee (Chairperson Graham Harrison) would like to acknowledge the inestimable collaboration of Canon Stewart Wright and the Select Vestry for their concerts in Conwal Church. 

With some exceptions, “Sundays in Conwal 2014” take place mostly on the 4th Sunday of each month at 3pm. Music lovers in Donegal may like to make a note of these dates: January 26th, February 23rd, March 23rd, May 11th and June 22nd.

“Sundays in Conwal 2014” 1st Concert

26th January, 3pm. Conwal Church. Letterkenny

DONEGAL CAMERATA String Quintet

Programme

W.A. Mozart (1756-1791): 

Divertimento in F Major, K. 138/125c (1772) 

P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): 

Andante Cantabile, Op. 11 (1871) 

Ian Wilson (b.1964): 

An tIarthar (2010) (CMC) 

Louis Laporte (ca.1850 - 1922): 

Intermède-pizzicato for string quintet (1901)

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904): 

Slavonic Dance in e minor, No. 2 Op. 72 (1886-7)

Josef Suk (1874-1935): 

Ella-Polka (1909) from Episodes 

Béla Bartók (1881-1945): 

Romanian Folk Dances (1917) Sz. 68 BB 76 

Admission €10/5. Tickets will be available at the door

The last of the "Sundays in Conwal 2013" celebrates the music of Britten, Mascagni and Hindemith

The last of  the "Sundays in Conwal 2013" celebrates the music of Britten, Mascagni and Hindemith.

Closing another successful programme of "Sundays in Conwal" the Donegal Chamber Music Society presents a concert featuring the Donegal Camerata String Quintet, with guests the Donegal Chamber Orchestra, for a celebration of  "Anniversaries" in the music of Britten (100th), Hindemith (50th) and Mascagni (150th).

The Donegal Camerata, the resident ensemble of this concert series, will perform items from their touring programme "Serenades & Dances" which they offered this year in places such as Glenveagh, Ballyshannon

and Culdaff. This will be another Sunday afternoon concert with evergreen favourites of music such as Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Piazzolla's Oblivion and Brahms's Hungarian Dances. The ensemble pursues its aim of presenting music by contemporary living Irish composers. On this occasion they will perform the "Lament" from String Quartet No. 2 (2003) by John McLachlan, the internationally esteemed composer (b.1964 in Dublin) who lives in Inishowen. The composer will introduce his piece during this performance in Conwal Church. 

At the end of the concert, the Donegal Chamber Orchestra will join the String Quintet to perform Hindemith's Five Pieces Op. 44, Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana and Britten's youthful Simple Symphony as a homage to those composers whose anniversaries occur this year.

For some years now the Donegal Chamber Music Society has presented Concerts in Conwal Church with the inestimable collaboration of Canon Stewart Wright and the Select Vestry. This regular series of recitals has hosted a variety of artists with local and international careers, such as soprano Anne Jennings, the Szabó-Yélamo String Duo, organist Desmond Hunter, flautist Sarah Murphy, the Conwal Singers, cellist Mihai Dancila, Carducci Quartet and many others. Music presented over the seasons ranges from Bach to Vincent Kennedy and from Monteverdi to Derek Ball, not forgetting Haydn, Dvorak or Bartok.

Sundays in Conwal 2013. 24th November, 3pm. Conwal Church. Letterkenny

Donegal Camerata String Quintet with guests the Donegal Chamber Orchestra: 

Celebrating the music of Britten (100th anniv.), Mascagni (150th anniv.) and Hindemith (50th anniv.)

Admission €10/5. Tickets can be booked in advance or purchased at the

door. For booking contact: An Grianán Theatre Box Office: 074 9120777

"SERENADE & DANCES" with the DONEGAL CAMERATA String Quintet

"SERENADE & DANCES" with the DONEGAL CAMERATA

Sunday 13th May at 3pm. Conwal Parish Church, Letterkenny

                                                                                

Donegal Chamber Music Society presents the 2nd concert of the new afternoon “Sundays in Conwal” series with a programme of “Serenade & Dances” played by the Donegal Camerata String Quintet on Sunday 13th May at 3pm in Conwal Parish Church, Letterkenny. Admission €10/5. Tickets can be booked in advance or purchased at the door. For booking contact: An Grianán Theatre Box Office: 074 9120777

“Serenade & Dances” with the Donegal Camerata String Quintet is the second concert of “Sundays in Conwal”, the Donegal Chamber Music Society´s new Sunday afternoon concert series. The aim of this series, which started in March, is to bring to life well-known music as well as pieces that are rarely heard, but also to acquaint music-lovers with new, contemporary compositions.

Popular Classical Music will be played, such as Mozart´s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Boccherini´s Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid (famous tune used in the Hollywood movie Master and Commander) and Brahms’s well-known Hungarian Dances Nos. 6 and 5. The ensemble will also perform Derek Ball´s Suite “O´Carolan in Love” specially composed for them, based on dances and tunes by Turlough O´Carolan. Derek Ball is represented by the Contemporary Music Centre. The Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) is Ireland's national archive and resource centre for new music, supporting the work of composers throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland.

The DONEGAL CAMERATA (founded in 2007) is an international string ensemble of professional players based in the North West:  Hungarian violinist Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo (first violin); Northern Ireland violinist Claire Cunningham (second violin); Slovakian string player Lucia Spacirova (viola); Spanish musician Víctor Yélamo (cello) and Donegal bass player Michael McGinty (double bass). The Donegal Camerata is the only fully professional ensemble offering a regular concert series in the North West.

A forty-five minutes recital by 5 international professional players at a popular price for a Sunday afternoon chamber music treat in Conwal Church, Letterkenny.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donegal-Camerata/172021179548593

"SUNDAYS IN CONWAL" with the Donegal Camerata String Ensemble

Donegal Chamber Music Society, Spring Concerts 2012

Donegal Chamber Music Society presents "Sundays in Conwal" with the DONEGAL CAMERATA String Ensemble in Conwal Church, Letterkenny on Sundays 25th of March and 13th of May at 3pm.

The first concert kicks off on Sunday 25th March with a programme in which the ensemble continues exploring Gioachino Rossini´s String Sonatas -- opera-like music originally written for 2 violins,cello and doublebass. These pieces were composed when Rossini was twelve years old and they are masterpieces in their own right.  Also included will be the Divertimento in C Major by Carl Stamitz, composer of the Mannheim School, who was a very important figure in the history of classical music. The ensemble is also performing neglected string music by Hermann Spielter and Charles Parry, pursuing the aim of bringing rare string music alive.

A 45 minutes recital by four international professional players with popular prices for a Sunday afternoon chamber music treat in Conwal Church.

Sunday 25th March, 3pm.

DONEGAL CAMERATA String Quartet

(Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo, violin; Lucia Spacirova, violin/viola; Víctor Yélamo, cello 

& Michael McGinty, double bass)

Music by Stamitz, Rossini, Spielter and Parry

Tickets € 10/5.

Sunday 13th May, 3pm

DONEGAL CAMERATA String Quintet

(Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo, violin; Claire Cunningham, violin; Lucia Spacirova, violin/viola; 

Víctor Yélamo, cello & Michael McGinty, double bass)

Works by W.A. Mozart, Luigi Boccherini, Derek Ball and Johannes Brahms

Tickets € 10/5

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donegal-Camerata/172021179548593

Cello & Chamber Music Master Classes Derry - Letterkenny

3rd CELLO MEETING Ireland

23^rd - 24^th Derry, Foyle Arts Building, University of Ulster

24^th – 26^th Letterkenny, Regional Cultural Centre

Between the 23^rd and 26^th of June 2011, the Donegal Chamber Music Society with support from Co. Donegal VEC Music Education Partnership in association with the University of Ulster, the European Strings Teachers Association (ESTA) and the Regional Cultural Centre, will present the 3rd edition of ’Cello Meeting Ireland’. The weekend, based at the Magee Campus in Derry, Northern Ireland, and the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, will feature Master Classes in Cello and Chamber Music, given by the internationally renowned cellist and teacher Mihai Dancila. ‘Cello Meeting Ireland’ will give participants the opportunity to have one-on-one tuition from this renowned musician and to attend a variety of musical events happening over the weekend. In addition to this year’s edition we will focus more in Cello Ensemble playing as a complement to the lessons.

The master classes will be complemented by concerts given by participants and by a final concert given by Mihai Dancila with the Donegal Chamber Orchestra and weekend participants.

MASTERCLASSES: CELLO & CHAMBER MUSIC

Participants in the master classes are divided into two categories Active and Observer.

The number of participants is at the discretion of the teacher and, if necessary, a selection will be made (based on first-come-first-served). Those who are not accepted as active participants can attend as observers.

CELLO MASTER CLASSES

Active Fee: € 100

Includes:

• 2 individual master classes with Mihai Dancila of 45 minutes duration each.
• Cello Ensemble Playing
• Free admission to all concerts.
• Access to additional rehearsals.
• Opportunity to be selected to perform in one of the Concerts during the Festival.

CHAMBER MUSIC MASTER CLASSES

Active Fee: € 80 each member of the group (example: String Quartet € 320)

If you are already a member of a chamber group, such as a Piano Trio, String Quartet, Piano Quartet, etc., the group can avail of the chamber music master classes with Mihai Dancila.

Includes:

· 2 Chamber music master classes during the weekend of 1 hour duration each.

· Free admission to all concerts.

· Access to additional rehearsals.

· Opportunity to be selected to perform in one of the Concerts during the Festival.

Please note: chamber groups will not be formed at the festival by the organizers.

You can only avail of these master classes as a group.

Observer Fee: € 50

Includes:

• Entry to observe cello and chamber music master classes

• Free admission to all concerts.
• Access to additional rehearsals.

FEES
All fees for active and observer participants must be paid in full in advance of the weekend. Fees will only be refunded with proof of a medical certificate or if the course is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

For application forms or further information please e-mail us at:

donegalchambermusic@gmail.com

Please forward:

• The appropriate fee (cheques made payable to Donegal Chamber Music Society)
• Your curriculum vitae
• A fully completed application form

to

Donegal Chamber Music Society,

C/O Co. Donegal VEC Music Education Partnership

Regional Culture Centre, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland

CLOSING DATE

Friday June 10^th 2011

.

Piano recital at RCC

The Donegal Chamber Music Society and the Regional Cultural Center
present a piano recital by young Letterkenny pianist David
Howard on Saturday 9th April at 8pm.

David begin his piano studies at the age of five, getting lessons from his
grandmother, Margot Henry, before receiving scholarships to study with Dr.
John O¹Connor in the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and Dr. Mabel Swainson at
the Leinster School of Music.

He has since performed in numerous venues throughout the UK and Ireland,
including the National Concert Hall (Dublin). He has won prizes in major
competitions in Dublin, Sligo, Belfast, Derry, Ballymena, Arklow, and
Moville.

David has just graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music, which he
attended with the help of the Dora Gilson Scholarship, and studied with John
Gough. David enjoys a busy performing schedule, where in the few past years,
he has played in Thailand, America, Scotland, Ireland, and throughout the
UK.

Programme:

Soler: Sonatas No 84 + 87
Debussy: Images Bk 1
Beethoven: Rondo alla ingharese quasi un Capriccio Op. 129,
Chopin: Nocturne in E minor
Mendelssohn: Variations Serieuses Op 54
Première of a new work currently being composed by 'Callum Dewar'.