NSOI: New Music Dublin: Brabbins conducts World & Irish Premieres

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Martyn Brabbins conductor

Ed Bennett New Work (World Premiere, NSOI & NMD Commission)
Dobrinka Tabakova Earth Suite (Irish Premiere) 
Sir Harrison Birtwistle Deep Time (Irish premiere)

As part of the annual New Music Dublin festival, National Symphony Orchestra Ireland present two major Irish premieres united by reflections on nature, time and the forces that shape our natural world, alongside a world premiere commissioned by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and New Music Dublin, by Irish composer Ed Bennett. Characterised by its strong rhythmic energy, extreme contrasts and the combination of acoustic, electronic and multimedia elements, Ed Bennett’s music was described by The Guardian as ‘unclassifiable, raw-nerve music of huge energy and imagination’. 

A Grammy nominee, Dobrinka Tabakova’s music has been described as ‘thoughtful and approachable’ (Gramophone) with ‘glowing tonal harmonies and grand, sweeping gestures [which] convey a huge emotional depth’ (The Strad). Her distinctive style can be heard in Earth Suite, a meditation on the natural environment.

Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s Deep Time offers a vast, elemental work inspired the geological concept of "deep time" in which landscapes are continually formed and reformed over vast spans of time. Dedicated to composer Peter Maxwell Davies, it was premiered in 2017 by Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin.

Conductor Martyn Brabbins, who had a close relationship with Birtwistle acting as both a champion of his works and a collaborator, will bring this thought-provoking and compelling programme to life with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland for New Music Dublin 2027.

Presented by New Music Dublin supported by the Arts Council, RTÉ & NCH