Composer Ailís Ní Ríain: ‘Because I’m not bringing full hearing to any situation, I rely on other tools’
The musician, who is deaf/hard of hearing, talks about her latest work, The Land Grows Weary of its Own, which has its Irish premiere this month
National Concert Hall
Celebrating the Voice expert Paul Kwak: ‘I live and breathe singing and voices all day long’
With her National Concert Hall programme, the mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught is on a mission to fill gaps in the way singers are trained and cared for
Dervish Present the Great Irish Songbook review: Breathing exceptional life into old standards
Amplifying the Irish song tradition at the National Concert Hall is a welcome pitstop on the band’s winding career path
‘That I wore a dress for all those years boggles my mind. I was afraid to be queer’
The clarinetist and National Concert Hall artist-in-residence on navigating conservatoire culture and what ‘holding space’ means to her
Lyle Lovett in Dublin review: Rich reminder of a stellar songwriting talent
With his acoustic band, this idiosyncratic musician displays the extraordinary breadth and depth of his talent
‘I would now identify as Irish rather than British. It was a very proud day when my Irish passport showed up’
Composer Stephen McNeff was born in Belfast, then grew up in south Wales. His Irishness has become increasingly important to his identity
Steven Isserlis: ‘The last straw was with Nigel Kennedy in a gambling arcade ... That did not go down well’
The disarmingly direct cellist, who plays in Ireland this month, leaped to fame with John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil. It was the start of an illustrious career
The Guide: Dara Ó Briain, Lisa O’Neill, TradFest and other events to see, shows to book and ones to catch before they end
January 18th-24th, 2025: The best movies, music, art and more coming your way this week
Lyle Lovett: ‘I’ve never enjoyed anything more than being my children’s dad’
The singer is loving his relatively newfound role as a father, which began at the age of 59
Anohni at the National Concert Hall review: A night of nourishing melancholia conjuring an ocean of warmth
In homage to Lou Reed, Anohni gives late musician’s work the creative approach she feels it deserves
Orchestrating change: ‘Once we are on stage, the disability becomes irrelevant as it’s all about how good the artists are’
The world’s first orchestra of musicians with and without disabilities will perform in the National Concert Hall on November 30th
Anohni: ‘The Irish are fighting the good fight in so many regards’
The Mercury Prize-winning singer on Trump’s misogyny, climate change and preparing to celebrate her mentor Lou Reed in Dublin
Max Richter in Dublin: Stunning show moves from gripping In a Landscape re-creation to breathtaking Blue Notebooks moments
On the first of two evenings, the composer leads his ensemble through first his new album and then his Iraq War ‘protest record’
Tara Erraught: ‘I was terrified. I was, like, Callas probably touched this doorknob’
Singing the same role in the same place as the opera great was a goal fulfilled for Ireland’s leading mezzo and NCH artist-in-residence
‘The script is Sinéad O’Connor – it’s the music’: Christeene on The Lion the Witch and The Cobra
The performance artist, musician and drag experimentalist is bringing her reimagining of the late Irish singer’s first album to Dublin
Heart of Philip Glass: A musical through line from Blondie and Talking Heads to maverick minimalism
Michael Riesman, music director of the Philip Glass Ensemble, on the works by the composer that they’re bringing to Ireland
Béatrice et Bénédict: A mischievous, playful Fiona Shaw brings extra energy to Berlioz’s opera
Opera: Conductor Ryan McAdams draws lively, fresh playing to a concert performance featuring Paula Murrihy, Anna Devin and Niamh O’Sullivan
Sally Rooney gets photographed with an owl, looking unimpressed. I’m asked to ‘look zany’
My comedic, commercial fiction has been described as ‘fluffy’ or ‘an easy read’ more times than my heart and ego can take
Niamh O’Sullivan: ‘I am obsessed with singing. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else’
Cork mezzo-soprano on her packed schedule, shifting pitch and the sadness of being away from home with constant travelling for performances and rehearsals
Sally Rooney: what the critics say about her new novel, Intermezzo
Plus, what the writer said in conversation with Fintan O’Toole in the National Concert Hall on Saturday
Thomas Adès on Simon Rattle: ‘He really does have a composer’s understanding’
The British composer discusses the inspiration behind his new orchestral work, Aquifer, which gets its Irish premiere next weekend
Mari Samuelsen: ‘I was probably the rebel. I was not interested in going down the same rabbit hole as the others’
The Norwegian violinist, who is giving a series of performances in Ireland, stands out in the classical world as a widely admired outsider
The extraordinary life of a Waterford composer who was the leader of 19th century English opera
In Ireland, as an 18-year-old, he had been organist of Thurles cathedral and also taught at the Ursuline convent there, and he had been a violinist at the Theatre Royal in Dublin
Elaine Howley: ‘It’s nice that there are many layers to the way music can find its way ... It doesn’t have to be instant’
Experimental musician will collaborate with composer Irene Buckley and Crash Ensemble on an ambitious reinterpretation of her work
Nils Frahm at NCH review: German classical ambient wizard blasts into orbit right from the start
Avant-garde superstar even finds time to joke about England’s advance to the semis in Euro 2024
Riverdance composer Bill Whelan: ‘I think we forget how important ritual is, and we’re losing it’
Composer, arranger and performer on Riverdance’s effect on Ireland, contemporary trad music, AI and facing down eternity
Labèque sisters: ‘We hear Philip Glass played mechanically. He’s not like that. He’s the last romantic composer of our century’
The celebrated French piano duo talk about the new scores for three Cocteau films they’ll be playing at the NCH
‘I’ve always put a small amount away each month for my children since they were born’
Me & My Money: Robert Read, CEO, National Concert Hall
Bryce Dessner of The National on his NCH residency: ‘It’s special for me. Ireland is a place where we feel comfortable and inspired’
The guitarist and classically-trained composer has a number of orchestral projects planned for autumn at the historic Dublin venue
Kronos Quartet in Dublin: Five Decades celebration marks the end of an era for this passionate ensemble
Second violinist John Sherba and viola player Hank Dutt will retire at end of tour
Trad singer Ruth Clinton: ‘I got a little tired of certain tropes being repeated about women in songs’
At the Tradition Now festival, the singer will be showcasing songs from the folk canon that challenge stereotypes
Kronos Quartet in Ireland: ‘Every note, every piece we play, every composer, every collaboration - everything has meaning’
The United States’ best-known string quartet, famous for its crossover projects and advocacy of new music, is bringing its Five Decades season to Dublin
‘When my life was more stable, my music was more active, more gritty. When my life has been chaotic my music has calmed down’
New Music Dublin 2024: The composers Bekah Simms, Raymond Deane, Linda Buckley and Rhona Clarke on their creative processes
Samara Joy in Dublin: The young jazz star who earned a standing ovation from Adele, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift
The Grammy winner, who performs at the National Concert Hall this month, only has to sing a note or two for you to realise how exceptional she is
SUNN O))) live in Dublin review: drone kings deliver part pummelling rollercoaster ride, part spiritual awakening
Sunn O))) compositions come at you like glaciers on fast forward, their Godzilla-like quality accentuated by menacing song titles such as CandleGoat and Rxanlord
Bach’s St Matthew Passion: ‘When you’re unpacking a role like the Evangelist, it’s so vast, so enormous’
The tenor Gavan Ring on the work that he’ll be singing at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on Good Friday afternoon
Jamie Duffy at NCH review: Whether he decides to be Ireland’s answer to Hans Zimmer, the future is bright
His hands fly along the open Steinbeck with such ease that it’s difficult to believe a career in music wasn’t in his original plans
Who was this dancing man with ashes on his forehead in the National Concert Hall?
Something beautifully incongruous during a concert in the National Concert Hall causes my mind to rush with questions
Elina Garanca at the NCH review: A pleasure from beginning to end
The Latvian mezzo-soprano, with her husband on the podium, was effortlessly attractive in her self-assurance and ownership of her surroundings
Migrations weekend at the National Concert Hall: Five string quartets, one five-star performance and some puzzling decisions
Review: The Belcea, Carducci, Solas, Pavel Haas and Modigliani Quartets played works by Jonathan Dove, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Julian Anderson, among others
Classical review: Finghin Collins a tower of strength in Killian Farrell’s unusual, stimulating NSO concert
Show’s Irish half includes music by Ina Boyle and Charles Villiers Stanford
The Bothy Band: Traditional music’s most influential group blaze back after four decades
The revolutionary group, reunited for the making of a documentary, now plan to perform a series of shows in Belfast and Dublin
Meredith Monk: ‘What I love about Ireland is that there is still a belief in magic’
The New York-born artist, who is about to give a rare Irish performance, has reinvented vocalisation from the ground up and inside out
Ann Murray Gala Concert review: No name-dropping here as stellar singer’s life and work take centre stage
Mezzo-soprano was epitome of modesty as she chatted amiably and openly
Ann Murray: ‘If I’d had my time again, I would have stayed in Ireland. That’s one of my biggest regrets’
The London-based mezzo-soprano has built a stellar opera career abroad. This week the National Concert Hall is honouring her with a lifetime-achievement award
Gabriela Montero: ‘As a Latin American I really feel as though the Irish are the Latins of the north’
The Venezuelan pianist on the mysterious art of improvisation and why she remains outspoken about the political situation in her home country
‘Most conductors today don’t really have technique. They also don’t believe there is such a thing’
Paavo Järvi is from a family of conductors – but a strong technical schooling is still vital before anybody takes to the podium, he says
‘The woman who loaned me the Stradivarius offered to sell it for £140,000, but my own fiddle sounded better’
Master luthier Jim McKillop has crafted one final instrument for musician Zoë Conway, a process preserved in the new film From a Forest to a Fiddle
Richard Goode at NCH: A beautiful recital communicated like intimate confidences between close friends
Renowned pianist Richard Goode finally made it to the NCH stage for a recital to remember
Cormac Begley at Tradition Now: A glorious rollercoaster of an experience
To think solo concertina can take unequivocal possession of the main auditorium is an act of imagination
Violinist and conductor Fabio Biondi: ‘In The Four Seasons you feel love, disappointment, desperation, happiness’
The Europa Galante founder, who is bringing his baroque orchestra to Ireland next week, on the concert’s centrepiece
Matthew McDonald and NSO/Jaime Martín review: The orchestra is in better form than it has been for years
Playing Gerald Barry’s From the Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal double bassist is heroic in the face of impossible odds
András Keller: ‘These were people with young families. Their electricity was switched off. There was no money’
The conductor has had to get his orchestra, the Concerto Budapest Symphony, through punishing times. It’s just one of the unexpected twists in his life
Dance music event at National Concert Hall to be repeated despite ‘abuse of facilities’ and ‘worrying feedback’
Last October’s Haunted Dancehall featured over 25 dance artists taking over NCH and its grounds for a series of late night gigs
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