Irish Chamber Orchestra

The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) is an Irish classical music ensemble, administratively based at the University of Limerick. János Fürst founded the ICO in 1963.[1] The ICO consisted only of strings as its regular ensemble for many years, adding wind, brass and percussion players on a freelance basis when needed. The ICO was reformed in 1970 under the name of the New Irish Chamber Orchestra and the principal conductorship of André Prieur.[2] The orchestra first toured North America in 1978. In 1995, the orchestra was again reconstituted, reverting to its original name of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.[3] The ICO formally added horn players and oboes to its roster in 2008.

Overview

Following a number of artistic directors including Fionnuala Hunt, Nicholas McGegan and Anthony Marwood, the orchestra took a new approach, appointing two artistic partners: Hungarian conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy (Principal Artistic Partner) and the clarinettist and composer Jörg Widmann (Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner).[4] Since May 2022, Thomas Zehetmair has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Partner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.[5]

The orchestra visits various venues nationwide, and also runs a regular concert season, which takes place in Limerick and Dublin.[6] In the past, the orchestra has also toured across Europe, Australia, South Korea, China and the US.[4]

Irish composers who have worked with the orchestra include Frank Corcoran,[7][8] Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin,[9][10][11] and Bill Whelan.[12]

Plectrum & Bow, a CD release, marked a collaborative recording with US composer and guitarist Steve Mackey.[13] It features his Concerto for Violin and Strings, Four Iconoclastic Episodes, which was jointly commissioned by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, US. Other recordings include Night Moves, conducted by Gérard Korsten,[14] and Hommage, which features works by Irish composer John Kinsella.[15][16]

The Irish Chamber Orchestra is resident at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

It owns a custom built studio, which has been acoustically modelled, on campus at UL, Limerick.[17]

Music and artistic directors

See also

References
  1. Martin Anderson (10 January 2007). "Obituary for Janos Furst". The Independent. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  2. Boydell, Brian (June–September 1984). "Half a Century of Music in Dublin". Dublin Historical Record. 37 (3/4): 117–121. JSTOR 30100640.
  3. "Take a bow". The Irish Times. 7 June 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  4. "Irish Chamber Orchestra". Heidelberger Frühling (in German). Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  5. "Thomas Zehetmair – Classical Music". Irish Chamber Orchestra. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  6. "Irish Chamber Orchestra". Music for Galway. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  7. Adams, Martin. "Showcase for strings". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  8. "Reviews". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  9. "Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin obituary: Exceptional musician who straddled classical and Irish traditional music". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  10. "Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin Composer". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  11. "Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin". The Journal of Music. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  12. Wallace, Arminta. "Irish-America comes out in force for night of island arts". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  13. "Plectrum and Bow". Irish Chamber Orchestra. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  14. Gérard Korsten, Night Moves
  15. "Hommage – John Kinsella". Irish Chamber Orchestra. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  16. "Reviews". The Irish Times. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  17. "Irish Chamber Orchestra to move to €3m campus studio". Irish Examiner. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  18. Scully, Meghann (19 April 2022). "Jörg Widmann hosts his final concerts as Principal Conductor in UCH". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 9 May 2022.


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