Media Release 9 December 2015

The National Concert Hall’s Spring Programme to include Glen Hansard, The Gloaming, Lesley Garrett, Angela Gheorghiu, Donovan, the Kilfenora Céilí Band, Chamber Choir Ireland and more

The National Concert Hall’s spring programme for January to March 2016 reveals a varying range of artists, orchestras, soloists, ensembles, duos, writers, thinkers, poets and musicians all scheduled to perform over the three month period.

The events range from The Harlem Gospel Choir to American pianist Jeremy Denk; The Kilfenora Céilí Band, Liam O’Flynn and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra to Lesley Garrett with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra; renowned singer-writer Donovan to Chamber Choir Ireland and the Irish Baroque Orchestra performing Handel’s rarely heard oratorio Samson, and so much more.

Some of the highlights of the January to March calendar period at the National Concert Hall include the following:

Seven nights of concerts by leading Irish writers, thinkers, musicians and artists in ‘IMAGINING HOME ’, the first of the National Concert Hall’s projects as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme - starring Glen Hansard, fiddler Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, Rosanne Cash, Camille O’Sullivan, Colm Toibín, Anne Enright, Lisa Dwan, Barry Douglas, Fintan O’Toole, Paul Brady, Lisa O’Neill and many more (28 March - 3 April).

The National Concert Hall 15/16 International Concert Season continues with Chamber Choir Ireland and the Irish Baroque Orchestra performing Handel’s rarely heard Oratorio Samson, a recital by award-winning American pianist Jeremy Denk, Gala concert with opera star Angela Gheorghiu and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, an all-Mozart programme by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra featuring baritone Christian Gerhaher and more.

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra continue their Signature Series with the ever-popular Lesley Garrett as well as presenting a number of special evenings with ‘A Celebration of Nat ‘King’ Cole’, ‘Essential Classics with John Wilson’, ‘A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein’, ‘Peter & The Wolf live screening with orchestral accompaniment’, and ‘A Celebration of MGM Film Musicals’.

• ‘One of the great forces in Irish music’ - so called by The Irish Times – are The Gloaming who return for 5 sold-out nights (Feb 27/28 & March 1/2/3).

• The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra start the New Year with a special celebration concert with Claudia Boyle on 1st January (2.30pm & 6.30pm). They continue their Friday night subscription series concerts with special guest soloists: Leonard Elschenbroich (cello), Lawrence Power (viola), Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor & piano), Narek Hakhnazaryn (cello), Denis Kozhukhin (piano), Peter Donohoe (piano) and more.

• St. Patrick’s Weekend at the National Concert Hall offers a real treat with the array of concerts on offer. First up, the Kilfenora Céilí Band with special guest dancers (15 March), followed by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra with uilleann piper Liam O’Flynn and conductor David Brophy (17 March) to perform Bill Whelan’s Riverdance Suite and The Brendan Voyage by Shaun Davey. St. Patrick’s Festival presents 60s poet and renowned singer-songwriter Donovan for a celebratory evening that marks his fiftieth anniversary (Sat. 19 March).

• The Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition for 2016 will see semi-finalists and finalists battle it out for the top prize (25, 26, 28 January)

• The Dublin International Piano Competition Debut Recital by Nathalia Milstein (first prize winner in 2015 competition). Wednesday 17 February

For the complete list of concerts between January and March at the National Concert Hall, see our Digital Calendar of Events

The National Concert Hall is rated by performing artists as one of the finest concert halls in Europe. With weekly performances by its resident orchestra, The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, as well as a range of performances covering classical, opera, traditional, jazz, musicals and popular music, the National Concert Hall caters for all musical tastes. The National Concert Hall’s vision is to excite and engage audiences with a musical programme that will enhance immeasurably the cultural life of Ireland.

Box Office Tel: 01 417 0000 or www.nch.ie
ENDS
For further information on the above please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 417 0057/0871775334