ARTIST PROFILE: National Symphony Orchestra Ireland

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland has been at the centre of Ireland’s cultural life for over 75 years. Formerly the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, it was founded in 1948 as the Raidió Éireann Symphony Orchestra. In 2022, the Orchestra transferred from RTÉ to the remit of the National Concert Hall.

Resident orchestra of the National Concert Hall since its opening in 1981, it is a leading force in Irish musical life through year-long programmes of live music – ranging from symphonic, choral and operatic to music from stage and screen, popular and traditional music, and new commissions – alongside recordings, broadcasts on RTÉ and internationally through the European Broadcasting Union. Schools concerts, family events, initiatives for emerging artists and composers, collaborations with partner promoters and organisations extend the orchestra’s reach.

As a central part of the National Concert Hall’s Autumn/Winter 2025 Season, NSOI will collaborate with acclaimed artists, conductors, ensembles and composers. Repertoire ranges from masterpieces from the symphonic, choral and operatic repertoire, world premieres by Rhona Clarke, Bryce Dessner and Bill Whelan, and Irish premieres including Bád ón Alltar by Fedora Prize 2025 winner Michael Gallen, to events for film fans, families and students, as well as Composer Lab in partnership with the Contemporary Music Centre and in association with RTÉ lyric fm.