Music for Galway launched a diverse and ambitious programme for the coming year, with a mix of familiar and not-so-familiar contributors!
On Tuesday 5th September the crowds gathered at the PorterShed to hear about what Music for Galway has in store for the coming season. Launching the programme, president of the Galway Chamber of Commerce Maurice O’Gorman noted "We are delighted to be hosting the launch of the exciting MFG season at the PorterShed. We believe that creativity is the heart of business innovation, and coupled with ambition, innovation is the engine of growth. In today’s fiercely competitive, fast-paced global economy, creativity is not only an important source of building a competitive advantage, but it also is a necessity for survival." Indeed, this hub of creativity and innovation was chosen for MFG’s launch, as a number of its events will take place here.
For a detailed list of events, visit: www.musicforgalway.ie
Let’s dance!
This year Music for Galway celebrates many of the links between music and dance. The two forms have been closely linked since time immemorial and it's a great opportunity to present music which incorporates dance forms or rhythms and to collaborate with dancers from Galway and beyond. From the season opener with Jean Butler and Neil Martin to the Tango Night in October; from Daria van den Bercken's dance-inspired solo piano recital to Gwendolyn Masin's dance-inspired violin spectacular (one of the events at the PorterShed), from the ConTempo Quartet's dance-themed programme to Kilkenny Camerata's Piper and the Faerie Queen. The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra returns in April with a terrific programme including Beethoven's beloved Seventh Symphony, described famously by Wagner as "the apotheosis of dance", we have a lot of music throughout the season to get your feet tappin
Composer residency
Young Irish composer Sam Perkin will feature many times in the season. He presented a new choreography at the season launch of his piano work Nesting Doll in collaboration with Stephanie Dufresne and the Galway Dance Project. MFG has commissioned solo piano work (yes, a suite of dances!) for Nathalia Milstein's recital in February. He will also be working on film scores with film students at the CCAM GMIT as well as performing his piece Pause with ConTempo Quartet.
From PRODIGY to BELOVED
The 2018 Midwinter Festival will follow on from the PRODIGY theme of last January's festival to focus on music composed by composers in love. Music by the great Romantics Brahms, Wagner and Schumann (Robert and Clara), along with other musical love letters by Beethoven, Schubert, Janáček, Britten and Schoenberg, will move us all with their ardent expressions of love. The BELOVED festival will also feature an afternoon recital of popular love-inspired arias and duos from the world of opera as well as two talks by eminent musicologist Richard Wigmore and the screening of Peter Schamonis Spring Symphony.
New Season, new activities
We are excited about the prospect of Galway 2020 and have started to work on our big project CELLISSIMO, the first edition of the Galway Cello Festival Triennale, and have recruited some extra help in the office to facilitate that. Luthier Kuros Torkzadeh is making a cello out of woods sourced entirely in Galway County and Eamonn Dunne and Paddy Hayes are documenting his work on film. The quest for a music/dance centre continues as part of a wider group including the Galway Music Centre and Galway Dance Project. This season sees collaborations with ‘old’ partners Galway Early Music Festival, Galway Music Residency, Schola Cantorum, the RTE NSO, the Irish Baroque Orchestra as well as firsts with the Galway Dance Project and Cúirt International Festival of Literature, with whom we are very pleased to present Play it Again – an evening with ex Guardian Editor in chief Alan Rusbridger and MFG artistic director Finghin Collins.
The SAP Lunchtime series takes flight
Our SAP lunchtime series moves this year to NUI Galway, in partnership with the Arts in Action programme and takes place every last Wednesday of September, October, November and of the first three months of 2018. The aim of this series is to reach out to new audiences, to present concerts in a more relaxed manner thus encouraging students, but also parents with young children, people with intellectual disabilities to attend. In terms of music, artistic director Finghin Collins has selected a mix of solo and ensemble performances including classical music, guitar, world and jazz. Artists are asked not only to play but also to talk about their programme and to interact with the audience.
PorterShed Sessions
If you can’t make the lunchtime, thanks to further support from KPMG, DAVY and RDJ, MFG can offer a repeat performance of these concerts on the same days at the PorterShed. Drop in at 6pm sharp and unwind from the day’s work with some wonderful live music. Admission to both Lunchtime and PorterShed Sessions is free.