Welcome

Music for Galway heads into this season with its ‘From Galway to the World’ strategy in mind: We welcome our new collaboration with the PR company Synch and Swim. We are delighted to announce the renewed partnership with the University of Galway, a reconnection to ATU as they will host our offices in the CCAM campus from this Autumn, and a new relationship with the RDS. We aim to report on our collaboration with the Galway Dance Project on the feasibility study for a dedicated venue for music/dance soon. There are a number of community outreach and participation projects planned: we link in with the Galway Music Residency Young Ensemble Skills programme, the St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Singers will enrich the Midwinter Festival with their performance of the Fauré Requiem, we have two school-outreach programmes planned, one aimed at secondary school level and the other at elementary level. Sustainability is in our minds as we team up with other arts organisations locally to learn from one another.

At the heart of all this remains our reason for existing – presenting world-class performers to inspire the communities of Galway and beyond. We kick off the season with a celebration of the 150th birthday of one of the great composer-pianists of our time - Sergei Rachmaninov. Beloved of Galway audiences, pianist Lucy Parham is accompanied by famed actor Tim McInnerny to bring Rachmaninov’s story to glorious life in music and words. Another genius is celebrated in our annual Emily Anderson Concert and that is of course Mozart with a visit from the Castalian Quartet. A major highlight of our season is the Galway debut of the star British sibling duo Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason - truly icons of their generation - their  programme is truly unmissable.

A very different composer is the focus of our Midwinter Festival in January - the prolific and highly revered Frenchman Gabriel Fauré, who died a hundred years ago in 1924. His compatriot, the pianist Michel Dalberto, has curated a wonderful showcase of his long career and output, with songs, chamber music and piano works. The season also includes contemporary concerts with artists as diverse as percussionist Alex Petcu, clarinettist Carol McGonnell and singer/improviser Cansu Tanrikulu as well as a piano showcase with the winners of the Dublin and Santander International Piano Competitions. And once again Mark Duley has put together a mouth-watering programme of sacred music for Good Friday, with Herbert Howells’ Requiem at the heart of it. Our lunchtime series, in association with Arts in Action, presents four contrasting programmes from a variety of Irish and international artists. Finally - for a week in May - Cellissimo! Details of our international cello festival will be unveiled later in the year.

Thanks to our funders, sponsors, Patrons, Friends and audiences!

Enjoy the new season.

Anna Lardi, CEO
Finghin Collins, Artistic Director