RTÉ CO opening New Music Dublin 2024

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra will open New Music Dublin 2024 with a concert on Thursday 25 April, 7pm at the National Concert Hall under its Associate Principal Conductor Gavin Maloney. The programme features two world premieres: the RTÉ CO commission Anaphora by Raymond Deane, with pianist Hugh Tinney, and Whispering Ogham by Deirdre Gribbin. Completing the evening is the stunning Aile du songe by the late Kaija Saariaho, with flautist Silvija Ščerbavičiūtė, Principal Flute of the orchestra.  

New Music Dublin 2024 brings together artists and composers from across the island of Ireland and internationally with one main aim – to celebrate creativity in new music. Both of Ireland’s national orchestras provide the backbone of the festival with performances and programmes that, at heart, reflect the eclecticism and enormous variety of work being made today. 

On Friday 26 April, 7.30pm, David Brophy conducts the National Symphony Orchestra, with The Gloaming’s Iarla Ó Lionáird as vocalist in a world premiere by Linda Buckley, violinist Stephen Waarts in the Irish premiere of Donnacha Dennehy’s violin concerto, and an Irish premiere by Robin Haigh. 

The Totally Made Up Orchestra is also back this year. Each member of this 25-strong orchestra, conducted by Brian Irvine, brings their own personal instruments (in the past they’ve had a boom box, spoons and a didgeridoo) and will compose and rehearse their piece with Brian on the morning of the performance. Showtime is Saturday 27 April at 1.30pm. 

On Saturday night the National Concert Hall will host NSO again, this time for Ambient / Symphony, a double bill with A Winged Victory for the Sullen. The orchestra will open the bill at 7pm with Daníel Bjarnason conducting the Irish premiere of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s A Prayer to the Dynamo. 

Tickets from €17.50 and for the first time, New Music Dublin will be offering a bundle package for four Main Stage events at a very reasonable €70. For full details see www.newmusicdublin.ie.