Pat O’Kelly   Enthusiastic reviews greeted Co. Tipperary soprano Jennifer Davis following her recent Covent Garden debut as Elsa of Brabant in Wagner’s Lohengrin. Latvian diva Kristine Opolais was the scheduled Elsa in this new production that opened in June, but she withdrew from the staging relatively close to opening night. Jennifer Davis, who is…

Pat O’Kelly   Completing his five-year term at the Kilkenny Arts Festival, Eugene Downes steps down as artistic director later this month. His mantle passes to Olga Barry, currently Festival Producer, whom Downes describes as “a gifted and respected arts leader”. Since his appointment in 2013, Dublin-born Downes has revitalised the festival’s ‘classical’ music element…

Pat O’Kelly   A recent report, commissioned by RTÉ and undertaken by the BBC’s Helen Boaden in conjunction with consulting firm Mediatique, has recommended that, while the RTÉ Concert Orchestra should remain within the fold of the broadcaster, the National Symphony Orchestra should become an entity in its own, outside of RTÉ. The April report…

Pat O’Kelly   The National Concert Hall ended its 2017/18 International Concert Season recently with the first visit to Ireland of the Würth Philharmonic Orchestra. Initially I mistakenly thought Würth to be a place but closer scrutiny revealed it to be the name of an individual – the businessman, philanthropist and art collector, Reinhold Würth.…

Pat O’Kelly   Although this year commemorates the centenary of the death in Paris on March 25, 1918 of Claude-Achille Debussy, celebratory events here have, so far, been relatively low-key. The RTÉ NSO did bring us the composer’s Poème dansé – Jeux in February as part of its season and the recent Dublin International Piano…

Pat O’Kelly   Brainchild of the ubiquitous John O’Conor, the Dublin International Piano Competition celebrated its 30th birthday last month with the 11th of its triennial events held at both the RDS and National Concert Hall. The 2018 competition, with its €15,000 first prize, together with a series of recitals in Ireland and overseas including…

Pat O’Kelly   The NCH’s 2017/18 International Concert Series is coming to a close. One programme remains on  June 12 – the first visit here of the Würth Philharmonic with Russian-born violinist Maxim Vengerov as both soloist and conductor. The principal works are Max Bruch’s evergreen 1st Concerto and Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony, which almost tops…

Pat O’Kelly   In September 2016 the National Concert Hall, RTÉ and Bord na Móna devised a celebration of music spanning the previous century. Entitled Composing the Island, it was a bold endeavour but, maybe at the end of its three-week run, one had become somewhat saturated and I remember suffering, what I call, musical…

Pat O’Kelly   Described as ‘unpredictable’ and ‘anarchic’ as well as having ‘expressive intensity’, it may not be surprising to find Gerald Barry’s compositions have something of a controversial streak in them. Born in Clarecastle in Co. Clare in 1952, Barry’s introduction to music came from hearing Handel’s opera Xerxes on the radio. He was…

Pat O’Kelly   Hopefully Friday, April 13, 2018 will prove an auspicious date for Irish National Opera when the curtain rises on its inaugural production – Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. The première’s venue is fittingly Wexford’s National Opera House after which the company moves to Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre where the enchanting piece has performances…