In 2017, Music Network hosted a sensational tour by a quartet of Irish-based violinists and this October sees them do it again, only this time with a quartet of leading local cellists: William Butt, Rosalie Curlett, Martin Johnson, and Ailbhe McDonagh. The previous tour was a way of showing off the four women players who happened then to be leading the four major orchestras of the island of Ireland, but now the choice of locally-based artists offers the benefit of avoiding quarantine issues – and giving audiences a rare chance to hear live music once again.
Performing together for the first time, the ensemble will be playing arrangements of music by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Bartok, along with Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango, songs from George Gershwin’s ‘Porgy and Bess’, and Debussy’s Clair de Lune. As well, the tour will see performances of two works written specially for the quartet, with Ailbhe McDonagh’s Cellango and a new Music Network commission by Conor Linehan.
The six-date nationwide tour will include performances in Bray, Clifden, Listowel, Castlebar, Dublin, and Waterford from October 10-15. This tour reflects a great deal of behind-the-scenes work by promoters and venues to comply with current rules for the safety of audiences, artists and venue staff, and will hopefully see the return of more performances to stages around the country.
For more details, see musicnetwork.ie
Tour Dates
- Sat 10 October, 8pm – Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray – Tickets
- Sun 11 October, 8pm – Station House Theatre, Clifden – Tickets
- Mon 12 October, 8 pm – St John’s Theatre & Arts Centre, Listowel – Tickets
- Tue 13 October, 8pm – Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar – Tickets
- Weds 14 October, 7.30pm – St Ann’s Church, Dawson St, Dublin 2 – Tickets
- Thurs 15 October, 8pm – Theatre Royal, Waterford – Tickets