The Four Seasons Chamber Music Series: Na Séasúir

Máire Carroll, piano

Tchaikovsky – The Seasons
Chaminade – Automne : Étude de Concert No.2, Op.35

Four Seasons Chamber Music Series: inviting audiences on a journey through the seasons, with music exploring themes of light and shadow, water and ice, and the passing of time.

Curated by cellist Aoife Burke, this programme of works explores the months and seasons. The concert will begin with the second of six études by nineteenth- to twentieth-century French composer and pianist Cécile Chaminade – Automne – a poignant and richly expressive piece which reflects the beauty of Autumn, evoking images of falling leaves, fading light, and a sense of nostalgia. Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons, written between December 1875 and May 1876, will follow, comprising the following twelve characterful miniatures: January – By the Fireside, February – Carnival, March – The Lark’s Song, April – The Snowdrop, May – Starlit Nights, June – Barcarolle, July – The Reaper’s Song, August – Harvest, September – The Hunt, October – Autumn Song, November – Troika and December – Christmas.

Dr Máire Carroll is a hugely versatile artist who has performed throughout Europe, Asia and North America, including performances at Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, the National Opera House in Tallinn, the Liszt Academy in Budapest, and the Princess Grace Library in Monaco. As the first pianist in Ireland to be awarded the prestigious RDS Music Bursary, Máire maintains a diverse wide-ranging programme of solo and collaborative work, from baroque to twenty-first-century repertoire.

Her recently acclaimed album Máire Carroll:The Complete Piano Études of Philip Glass was released on Delphian Records in 2024 and was chosen by The Scotsman as one of the top five classical music records of 2024, “..She does everything Glass asks for, then applies the expert pianist’s touch”. BBC Music Magazine describes the record as “..a testament to her achievement, in performances that also always stay true to the spirit of the composer” while Gramophone hails Máire as “..a most persuasive exponent”.

With collaboration at the core of Máire’s artistic output, exciting partnerships include an ongoing project of song and literature recitals at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival alongside actor Barry McGovern. Other exciting 2025 collaborations include performances of Jennifer Walshe’s opera MARS with Irish National Opera at Galway International Arts Festival and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. In 2024, Máire gave a complete performance of the Ros Tapestry Suite alongside pianist Finghin Collins at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Her solo composition ‘Lavinia Fontana’ was commissioned by the National Gallery of Ireland in celebration of their exhibition, Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rulebreaker.

Presented by NCH