The unpredictable sounds of an American Wolff in DundalkThe composer Christian Wolff, of the New York School, was central to a memorable night in LouthWed Jun 03 2015 - 01:00
Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Britten Sinfonia/James MacMillan: Vaughan Williams, MacMillan – Oboe Concertos | Album ReviewWed May 27 2015 - 18:27
Is the Dublin International Piano Competition lagging behind?The technical standard at this year’s competition has been high, but other shortcomings have become apparentWed May 27 2015 - 01:00
Comparing notes at the Dublin International Piano competitionIn the opening round, 63 young players were whittled down to 24. My verdict often diverged from the jury’sWed May 20 2015 - 05:10
Review: RigolettoMarina Carr’s new translation puts Rigoletto in the ring: can the formidable back room team whip it into shape for a knockout?Mon May 18 2015 - 12:57
Brahms & Schumann: Ann Murray and Malcolm Martineau | Album ReviewBrahms & SchumannAnn Murray (mezzo soprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano)Linn Records CKD 4434Wed May 13 2015 - 19:00
Kirkos invite their audience into the twilight zoneClassical music round-up: The young ensemble played Messiaen’s dark music – which he composed as a POW – in near-darknessWed May 13 2015 - 01:00
Liszt is dead, long live the piano recitalClassical Music round-up: Recitals by John O’Conor, Marino Formenti and Philip Glass ranged from the masterful to the radicalWed May 06 2015 - 11:02
Surprise pairings help revive Sibelius and Nielsen in StockholmWhat better excuse for a symphonic festival than the 150th anniversaries of two Scandinavian composers?Wed Apr 29 2015 - 01:00
Opera review: a routine Madama Butterfly that lacks heartA few revivalist tweaks can’t hide the age of the Moscow State’s Opera’s tired ButterflyThu Apr 23 2015 - 18:38
Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas; Piano Pieces Op 118/ Lorenzo Coppola (clarinet), Andreas Staier (piano) | Album ReviewThu Apr 23 2015 - 16:30
The New York Philharmonic introduce Dublin to the daughter of chaosThe orchestra’s appearance at the NCH kept things contemporary, unorthodox and sensualWed Apr 22 2015 - 09:48
Kirkos Ensemble are drawn to the dark sideClassical Music: The ensemble is to give a series of concerts in the dark; elsewhere, street opera proves a slippery businessWed Apr 15 2015 - 05:45
Good Friday has become a time for musical celebrationHoly Week used to be quiet in the musical calendar, but no more. This year RTÉ’s music division stepped up with Bach’s St Matthew PassionWed Apr 08 2015 - 01:00
The Rising centenary gives RTÉ a chance to rescind its one-time offersRTÉ tends to give new Irish music just one airing in concert, so its plans to celebrate the past century of Irish music is a very valuable ideaWed Apr 01 2015 - 01:00
Schumann: Violin Concerto; Piano Trio No 3 | Album ReviewSchumann: Violin Concerto; Piano Trio No 3Isabelle Faust (violin), Freiburger Barockorchester/Pablo Heras-Casado, Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello), Alexander Melnikov (piano)Harmonia Mundi HMC 9021965Thu Mar 26 2015 - 20:30
Niall Doyle is an intriguing choice for the Arts Council’s head of musicDoyle comes to the job as someone who knows how bruising the council can be to clientsWed Mar 25 2015 - 10:00
Chiaroscuro Quartet: Mozart and Mendelssohn | Album ReviewMozart: String Quartet in D minor K421; Mendelssohn: Quartet in A minor Op 13Chiaroscuro QuartetAparté AP 0924Sun Mar 22 2015 - 17:00
Classical Music: The odd imbalance of ‘Ten Thousand Miles Away’, and the place of period performanceThe Royal Irish Academy of Music’s collaborative concert was strong on Irish writers but weak on our composersWed Mar 18 2015 - 01:00
What? . . . Wow: not much new about David Lang’s festival of minimalismWhy this year’s festival turned to the US for a curator is hard to fathomWed Mar 11 2015 - 01:00
Scottish Chamber Orchestra Wind Soloists: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Divertimenti | Album ReviewMozart: Serenade in E flat K375; Divertimentos K240, K252, K253, K270Wed Mar 04 2015 - 19:00
Dukas: L’apprenti sorcier; La Péri; Symphony in C minorRTÉ NSO/Jean-Luc Tingaud | Album ReviewFri Feb 27 2015 - 09:44
John Wilson: ‘One day the conductor didn’t show up, so I just did it’The principal conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra fell in love with music in his high chair. He taught himself piano at a young age and formed a symphony orchestra at 16 before falling into the ‘terrifying business’ of conductingThu Feb 26 2015 - 06:00
Bizjak Piano Duo: Martinu, Poulenc, Shostakovich, Stravinsky – Stuttgarter Philharmoniker Radoslaw Szulc | Album reviewFri Feb 20 2015 - 07:44
Piano versus violin: the eternal battle to be the dominant playerA talk by Keith Pascoe in the NCH Insights series focused on the changing relationship between the two instrumentsWed Feb 18 2015 - 09:00
John Buckley’s enduring boyish enthusiasm for scintillating soundsThe composer compiles a classic Horizons programme at the NCH; and NI Opera bares all, with mixed resultsWed Feb 11 2015 - 01:00
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Schumann: Fantasy in C Op 17 | Album ReviewFri Feb 06 2015 - 00:44
A fantastic early history of the Irish avant-gardeWhat, you haven’t heard of Zaftig Giolla or the Guinness Dadaists? Let Jennifer Walshe enlighten youWed Feb 04 2015 - 01:00
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie: Handel – Music for Queen Caroline | Album reviewFri Jan 30 2015 - 00:44
Benjamin Grosvenor treats the National Concert Hall to a tour de forceThe pianist, just 22, delivers an unconventional programme with awe-inspiring confidenceWed Jan 28 2015 - 10:00
Alexander Raskatov: Piano Concerto (Night Butterflies); Stravinsky: Rite of Spring | Album ReviewFri Jan 23 2015 - 00:44
An incurable romantic: who is the Max Bruch of the 21st century?The German composer clung to the same style throughout his career – do any modern counterparts keep the faith?Wed Jan 21 2015 - 01:00
Plenty to celebrate on the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir’s 30th birthdayThe choir has to compete with the Fleischmann, but it’s living up to the vision behind its foundationWed Jan 14 2015 - 10:00
Some new year resolutions the NCH and RTÉ should considerThe NCH needs to give greater prominence to the music in its promotion and RTÉ needs to be braver about new musicWed Jan 07 2015 - 01:00
Michael Dervan’s cultural highs and lows of 2014Richard Goode at the KBC Great Music in Irish Houses festivalSat Dec 27 2014 - 01:00
Acoustic adventures at four Irish venues ranging from the muffled to the magicalAt four recent performances given in spaces not designed for music, the contrasting fortunes were profoundWed Dec 17 2014 - 01:00
