Redmond O’Toole – Guitar

J.K. Mertz – Grand Fantasie. La Romantique
J.S. Bach – Prelude, Sarabande, Minuets (from Cello Suite No. 1)
F.J. Haydn – Allegro Moderato ( from Sonata Hob:XVI43 in Ab)
Manuel Ponce – Variations and Fugue on Las Folias Espagnola (excerpts)
Carlo Domenicni – Koyunbaba Suite

Described by the Irish Times as “Ireland’s most distinctive guitarist” Redmond O’Toole was the first to adopt Paul Galbraith’s  ‘Brahms guitar’. This groundbreaking instrument and technique uses an 8-string guitar in the position of a cello.  He has performed at major concert halls and events throughout Europe such as Passau International Guitar Festival, Germany, Irish National Concert Hall, Royal Dublin Society Concert Hall and Hallein Guitar Festival, Austria . He has held residencies at the National Opera House Wexford and the National Concert Hall Dublin has performed as soloist with orchestras such as BBC Ulster and the Irish Baroque and has toured extensively as guitarist for legendary Irish group ‘The Chieftains’. He is a former member of the critically acclaimed Dublin Guitar Quartet.

O’Toole is an important ambassador for the classical guitar in Ireland and has given concerts the length and breadth of his country. He has performed for two Irish Presidents and was part of the televised concert for Queen Elizabeth’s historic visit to Ireland in 2011.

Recent projects include collaborations with world renowned cellist, Raphael Wallfisch, the Vanbrugh String Quartet.and Soprano Kim Sheehan. He also performed with the LA guitar Quartet, Derek Gripper and his former teacher Paul Galbraith. He has also performed with many different and varying ensembles such as Crash Ensemble, The Callino Quartet and the UFO Orchestra amongst others. In 2012 Redmond set up Music Generation Wicklow:  part of a national music education programme funded by U2 and the Ireland Funds. O’Toole was coordinator for the initial 18 months of the programme,

O’Toole’s principal teacher was Oscar Ghiglia with whom he studied privately in Athens, Greece and at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena (under scholarship). Prior to that he studied at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin.  During his time at DIT he won an unprecedented number of awards for guitar, most notably the RDS Music Bursary ( Ireland’s largest Music Prize ). In 2008 he was the recipient of an Irish Arts Council Bursary which supported  intensive periods of study over a three-year period with lutenist Nigel North at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana.

Redmond has to date recorded three CDs ; ‘Movements’ and ‘Baroque’ for German label Bornheim Klassik and ‘October on Achill’ for VGO recordings (San Francisco). He has premiered numerous contemporary works by composers by Nico Muhly, Kevin Volans, Marc Melitts and Ian Wilson amongst others.

See also http://www.redmondotoole.com

 

Fresh from their recent critically acclaimed concert at The National Concert Hall of Ireland, The Moorings are delighted to be performing at O’Connell House, on 22nd April.

A host of wonderful Irish musicians, led by Simon Morgan, and with Special guest, Lisa Lambe, join us to celebrate the wordsmith and bard Thomas Moore and the old Irish airs he rejuvenated. THOMAS MOORE – REAWAKENED will be an unforgettable afternoon of music.

Staying true to the words of Thomas Moore, The Moorings have reimagined Moore’s Melodies with beautiful simple arrangements interspersed with Salsa, Jazz, and Eastern European influences, reflecting a modern international Ireland.

The Moorings are magnificent musicians Simon Morgan, Karl Nesbitt, and Drazen Derek who will be joined by renowned artists Myles Drennan, on piano, and internationally acclaimed singer Lisa Lambe.

Don’t miss this unique gathering of musicians as they perform Oft In The Stilly Night, Oh! Breathe Not His Name, Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms. Many other favourites will be interspersed with Melodies rarely, if ever heard, in the past century.

The concert setting, in the drawing room of Daniel O’Connell’s grand Georgian House, is just the setting in which these beautiful airs would first have been heard, and we hope that you can join us.

 

Feature Musicians in “The Moorings”:

Simon Morgan:
One of the country’s most versatile singers, Simon has had leading roles in Award winning Irish Operas, had a number one album, with “I’ll be seeing you”, performed at the first ever Irish Night at The BBC Proms in The Royal Albert Hall, and toured globally as a soloist and with numerous ensembles including The Three Irish Tenors, Anuna, and Druid.

Drazen Derek:
Originally from Croatia, Drazen is the foremost World music and Jazz guitarist in Ireland; living in Ireland for the past 20 years, in that time he formed the Café Orchestra, played with Ravi Shankar, Carlos Nunez, Harry Allen, and The Chieftans, among many others. He plays with all the top Jazz ensembles in the country.

Karl Nesbitt:
A versatile musician, playing Bazouki, Flute and Bodhran, Karl has performed all over the world, including renowned European Music Festivals, Celtic Connections (Scotland), Festival Interceltique (Brittany), Dranouter (Belgium), and Folkest (Italy).

Myles Drennan:
Myles is a key figure on the Irish jazz scene, both as a pianist and drummer. He had a famed association with world renowned Irish guitarist Louis Stewart, performing with him every Thursday at JJ Smyth’s (with Ritchie and Hugh Buckley). Myles has performed with many visiting American and European artists such as Scott Hamilton, Herb Geller and many others.

 

Also joining The Moorings will be special guest Lisa Lambe!

Lisa Lambe:
Described by The Irish Times as “The finest singer and actress of her generation” Lisa is one of Ireland’s most sought after performers both at home and overseas. Lisa has recently signed a three album solo record deal in Los Angeles, with recent performances including Glastonbury, Radio City New York, The Tokyo Dome, and Red Rocks Colorado.

Programme will include Bach, Philip Glass, Eric Sammut, Takatsugu Muramatsu, Gordon Stout and Keiko Abe.

An Irish musician of Romanian origin, Alex is quickly establishing himself both nationally and internationally as a percussionist of the finest calibre. His debut album, “Alex Petcu: In Time” has recently been released on the RTE lyric fm label and showcases both seminal works and new contributions to the percussion repertoire.

Alex performs in a wide variety of settings with a multitude of orchestras, ensembles and groups, however, his main speciality lies in solo and chamber music. As a soloist, recent appearances include performances at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Kilruddery House and National Concert Hall to name a few. He has performed as a soloist with both RTE orchestras and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and had successes in major national and international competitions such as the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year, Tromp and A.R.D. International competitions.

Alex regularly collaborates with composers and enjoys being involved in the creation of new music. Examples of recent projects include “Beats, Bells and Bridges” and the Abbey Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, both collaborations with composer Tom Lane, “A Most Peculiar Wintry Thing”, a children’s show jointly commissioned by The Ark and Music Network with music composed by Brian Irvine and “Invitation to a Journey”, a dance/theatre/music collaboration with music by Deirdre Gribbin. He is a regular performer with the Crash and Hard Rain ensembles, two of Ireland’s main contemporary groups, and is a founding member of the Bangers and Crash Percussion Group, a new exciting percussion ensemble.

Alex also enjoys performing in an orchestral setting and is a regular extra player for the various professional ensembles in Ireland such as the RTE Symphony, RTE Concert, Irish Chamber, Irish Baroque and Ulster orchestras.

Aside from his performing activities, he is also a keen teacher and has given lecture recitals at Ireland’s universities, taught at the CIT Cork School of Music, given workshops for West Cork Music’s “Tuning Up” outreach scheme and more. He also holds an MA in music performance from the CIT Cork School of Music, an MSc and BSc in Physics from University College Cork and is currently studying for a doctorate at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

My Funny Valentine – Niall O’Sullivan & Shóna Hannebury

It’s that time of the year! Love abounds and what better way to spend a Sunday with loved ones and friends than listening to the beautiful sounds of Niall O’Sullivan’s trumpet playing and Shona’s singing.

‘My Funny Valentine’ celebrates some of the world’s best loved songs and melodies. Hear jazz classics, pop ballads, classical masterpieces and unforgettable numbers from stage & screen performed by Ireland’s foremost trumpet player Niall O’Sullivan. Following their recent sold out Irish and US shows, Niall will be joined on stage with his musicians and guest vocalist Shóna to perform works from his three #1 selling albums including the timeless Moon River, the Godfather, Stardust, Libertango, and of course, My Funny Valentine.

BRONTË: A Solo Portrait of Charlotte Brontë

By William Luce

Performed by Sharon Mc Ardle

Directed by Declan Gorman

Produced by Vere Lenox-Conyngham, Anaverna

Costumes by Sinead Roberts

 

William Luce’s multiple award-winning drama, BRONTË: A Solo Portrait of Charlotte Brontë, has been presented in a new production specially commissioned by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of the author of Jane Eyre, who was of Irish heritage.  

On a windswept evening Charlotte returns to her home in a bleak Yorkshire parsonage having buried her last surviving sibling, Anne.  Faced with the daunting prospect of minding her Irish father into old age, she reminisces about her childhood, her gifted sisters Emily (author of Wuthering Heights), Anne (Agnes Grey) and other family members all deceased, and reflects on her own journey to literary fame.  In spite of her sadness she manages to find courage and laughter, wondering as the evening passes if another Irish clergyman might call by, the Rev. Arthur Bell Nicholls in whom she has an interest.

Performed by Sharon McArdle, a professional actor, who now lectures in Drama Education at DCU, directed by Declan Gorman, award-winning Fingal theatre artist and former artistic director of Upstate Theatre Project and produced by Vere Lenox-Conyngham at Anaverna, Ravenstale.

It has recently enjoyed very well received public performances at the Bronte Homeland Museum in County Down (through whom it was part-funded by Banbridge District Council), Ardgillan Castle, Anaverna House (which has produced the work) and Beaulieu house (as part of the Drogheda Arts Festival, 2017).

The running time of the show is 1 hour 20 minutes plus interval.

Roman Simovic (leader LSO), Milena Simovic & Tim Hugh (principal cellist LSO)

25 Mountjoy Square, Sunday 22nd October 2017 4.30pm

Mozart Divertimento in E flat, K.563
Beethoven Trio in C minor
Dohnanyi Serenade in C, Op. 10

ROMAN SIMOVIC

Roman Simovic’s brilliant virtuosity and seemingly-inborn musicality, fueled by a limitless imagination, has taken him throughout all continents performing on many of world’s leading stages including the Bolshoi Hall of the Tchaikovsky conservatory, Mariinsky hall in St. Petersburg, Grand Opera House in Tel-Aviv, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Art Centre in Seoul, Grieg Hall in Bergen, Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow and in the Barbican Hall in London where he is currently leader of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Roman Simovic has been awarded prizes at numerous international competitions among which are ‘Premio Rodolfo Lipizer'(Italy), Sion-Valais (Switzerland), Yampolsky Violin Competition (Russia) and the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (Poland), placing him among the foremost violinists of his generation. As soloist, Simovic has appeared with the world leading orchestras: London Symphony orchestra, Mariinsky theatre symphony orchestra, Teatro Regio Torino, Symphony Nova Scotia (Canada), Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra (Hungary), Camerata Bern (Switzerland), Camerata Salzburg (Austria), CRR Chamber Orchestra (Turkey), Poznan Philharmonia, Prague Philharmonia,
North Brabant (Holland).

A sought-after artist, Roman Simovic has been invited and continues to perform at various distinguished festivals such as the ‘Verbier Festival’, ‘White Nights’ Festival St. Petersburg, Easter Festival Valery Gergiev Moscow, Dubrovnik Summer Festival in Croatia, ‘Kotor Art’ Montenegro, the BEMUS and NOMUS Festivals in Serbia, ‘Sion Valais’ Switzerland, Norway’s Bergen Festival, ‘Moscow Winter’ Festival in Russia, Portogruaro Festival in Italy, ‘Granada music festival’ in Spain, collaborating with renowned artists including Leonidas Kavakos, Evgeny Kissin,Yuja Wang, Gautie Capuson, Antoine Tamestit, Misha Maisky, Schlomo Mintz, Francois Leleux, Itamar Golan, Simon Trpceski, Janine Jansen and Julian Rachlin.
As an educator, he has presenter master-classes in the US, UK, South Korea, Serbia, Montenegro, Israel, Italy. Roman Simovic plays a 1709 Antonio Stradivari violin which was generously given to him on loan from Jonathan Moulds, Bank of America’s president. In the 17/18 season Roman Simovis is relising the cd with Tchaikovsky and Glazunov concertos with Gergiev and Mariinsky orchestra for the Mariinsky label.

 

Milena Simovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia.
She achieved several significant appearances in Austria, Sweden, Italy, USA, Brazil,
Israel and Great Britain where she was praised as “unique talent with wonderful
musicality”. She has performed in many important venues in Belgrade and throughout Serbia and Montenegro. She is regular participant in the most important festivals in Europe, such as “BEMUS” , “NOMUS”, “BELEF” (Serbia), as well as “Kotor Art” and “Budva City- Theatre” in Montenegro, Musical Evenings in St Donatus in Croatia, “Campos do
Jordao” in the state of Sao Paulo and festival of Ouro Preto in Brazil, Fondazione musicale ‘Santa Cecilia’ in Portogruaro, Italy, Keshet Eilon in Israel, and Musikdorf Ernen in Switzerland where she also performed with festival chamber orchestras.

Milena is resident viola and chamber music coach at the Culture Festival in Sardinia, teaching and performing alongside Ivry Gitlis, Konstantin Lifshitz, Itamar Golan, Olga Sitkovetsky, Gordan Nikolitch, Roman Simovic, Giovanni Gnocchi, Alexander Zemtsov
among others.

Milena is “Keshet Eilon” alumna, where she worked with renowned musicians such as Shlomo Mintz, Vadim Gluzman, Ani Schnarch, Haim Taub, Ida Haendel and Hagai Shaham, performing at the final concerts in Opera House in Tel Aviv. In June 2009 Milena completed Bachelor and Master Degree at Belgrade University- Faculty of Music and Arts, under Professor Maja Jokanovic, with whom she continues to study as a Phd student.
In 2011 Milena pursued Master of Music Degree at Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Distinction where she was a violin student of Professor Krzysztof Smietana. At Guildhall Milena has received coaching from Belcea Quartet and has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Gustavo Dudamel and James Gaffigan. Milena has furthermore pursued her studies with Lawrence power as viola player at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK.

Milena recorded several music programs for radio and television in many countries
across Europe and South America.

Milena is grateful for generous support of Albert Cooper Music Charitable Trust, Leverhulme Trust and Leathersellers’ Company throughout her master studies in London. She is also a recipient of a scholarship by Rotary Club “Skadarlija” in Belgrade and Young Talent Award given by the Government of Serbia.

Milena is currently playing on a Paolo Antonio Testore viola.

 

TIM HUGH BIOGRAPHY 
Tim  studied with Aldo Parisot at Yale and then in London with Jaqueline Du Pre whilst reading Medicine at Cambridge University. Following his success at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he has enjoyed an international career as soloist alongside his position as Principal Cellist with the LSO.

He has worked as soloist with many of the great conductors including Previn, Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Andrew Davis, Rostropovich, Menuhin, Harding, Xavier-Roth, Myung-Whun Chung and Tortelier. His recordings of Brahms Double and Beethoven Triple with the LSO and Haitink together with Nikolitch and Lars Vogt are released by LSO Live.  He also recorded Beethoven triple with Howard Shelley and Tasmin Little and in 2014 performed it with Leonidas Kavakos and Enrico Pace with the LSO.

His interest in contemporary music led to performances of Boulez’ Messagesquisse with BBC symphony and LSO, Dutilleux “ Tout un Monde Lontain”, Britten Cello Symphony , Hugh Wood concerto, all at the Albert Hall Proms. For Naxos he recorded the 3 Britten suites from a live performance and other recordings include Walton, Bliss, Finzi, Boccherini, Hoffman, Holst, and CPE Bach concertos. The Bach Suites  were reviewed by BBC music magazine as “the best performance on a modern cello” – available from LSO Live iTunes and his solo disc “Hands on Heart” in memory of his brother Steve featuring a live performance of Kodaly solo sonata on NAIM records.

As solo cellist with the LSO he has performed Elgar, Strass Don Quixote, Shostakovich, Tischenko, Dutilleux, Haydn, Dvorak, Messiaen and Walton concertos and at the Barbican gave recitals with Andre Previn, Helen Grimaud, Nikolai Znaider, Viktoria Mullova and Andrew Marriner. In recent years he toured the UK playing Elgar and Brahms an Shostakovich concertos with Moscow Philharmonic and in Spain with LSO at Alhambra Palace. He performed Saint-Saëns concerto with Pamplona Symphony and also recorded and performed the Tabakov and Saygun concertos in Ankara , Turkey and Rousse Bulgaria as well as giving recitals in Beirut, Dubai , New York and Portugal.

With Maestro Valery Gergiev he gave the UK premiere of the Tischenko Cello concerto with the LSO at the Barbican and also premiered it with him at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Rotterdam Festival. In Nürnberg he opened the season playing the Walton concerto with their Principal Conductor Alexander Shelley and recently performed the  Elgar concerto  in Frankfurt, Brandenburg and India.

 

Rachel Croash & Deborah Collins

Rachel is an exciting emerging soprano from Dublin, recently graduated with a masters degree in performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she has taken roles in a number of student productions.

Oratorio engagements include Mozart’s Requiem and Vaughan Williams’ A Serenade to Music at The National Concert Hall, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle with The Culwick Choral Society and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore and Bach Cantata BWV 41 Jesu, nun sei gepreiset at St.Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.

She has performed in recital for Lismore Opera Festival, Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Wexford Festival Opera, The Contemporary Music Centre and the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition.

She has sung in concert for The Drogheda International Classical Music Series, The Glasnevin Musical Society, conducted by Colman Pearce, Lyric Opera in Puccini by Candlelight, conducted by John Gibbons and recently made her debut with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in a lunchtime concert conducted by Christopher Bell. Rachel has also had the privilege of performing at the Metropolitan Club, New York, where An Taoiseach Enda Kenny was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish-US Council.

Roles include Miss.Wordsworth Albert Herring, Fox The Cunning Little Vixen, Parasha Mavra, Woman Greed (RIAM), Gorm Flatpack (Ulysess Theatre Company), Narrator The Oldest Woman in Limerick, Banana 2 Things We Throw Away (Wide Open Opera), Ein Frau/Jenny’s girl The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Rough Magic/Opera Theatre Company) Annina La Traviata, Bridesmaid 1 Trial by Jury (Wexford Festival Opera), Frasquita Carmen (RTÉ Concert Orchestra) and Valencienne The Merry Widow (Lyric Opera).

At the Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil, Rachel won the Lieder Prize, Nancy Calthorpe Cup, The Mrs.P.J. Geoghan Memorial Cup and Gus Smith Award and was the winner of the inaugural Mollie Murray Award for most Promising Singer. She was a recipient of the John McCormack Society Bursary and has also been a finalist in the NCH Bernadette Greevy Vocal Bursary. She was recently awarded a Young Emerging Artist Award by Wexford Festival Opera and PwC.