The inaugural performance in a series of classical recitals that brings music to our museums took place in the Shaw Room of the National Gallery of Ireland last week.
A novel initiative called "Music for Museums" will comprise four concerts in the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin, and three concerts in the United States; at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York; The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, in Boston and The Getty Centre, in Los Angeles.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ensemble in residence, presented the opening concert in Music for Museums, with guest, Carol McGonnell. A thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting recital that ended in a long and rapturous ovation for the artist's performance.
My experiences of museums are usually based around visual and mental stimulus. The majority of museum buildings are quiet where noise is kept to a minimum. However the same buildings are acoustically speaking perfect for musical recitals. I thoroughly recommend if one gets the opportunity to attend and event such as the "Music for Museums" please do so, you won't regret it.
There were times during the concert when you could almost feel the Shaw room coming to life, with the musical notes whirling through the air. I'm sure Geroge Bernard Shaw who the room was named after would have approved of such an initiative. Museums unlike libraries should never be places where the only sounds heard are followed swiftly with a shushhh.
Dublin born clarinettist, Carol McGonnell, is artistic director of the Music for Museums project. She says: "This programme will provide a very special opportunity for audiences on both sides of the Atlantic to experience the pinnacle of Irish and American musical talent."
Thanking Culture Ireland for their support for Music for Museums, Raymond Keaveney, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, says: "Music has long been a traditional feature of the Gallery's public programme. We are delighted to host this intercontinental cultural exchange and look forward to introducing audiences to the wonderful talents of these participating groups who will also be appearing in our sister institutions in the United States."
Among the other groups taking part are: The Knights Chamber Orchestra, with guest soloist, Carol Mc Gonnell, who will perform in the Shaw Room on Friday 14th December at 8pm and leading New York based contemporary group, Argento Chamber Ensemble, led by conductor, Michel Galante, who will present Irish premieres by composers; Gerard Grisey and Valerio Sannicandro, at their concert on Saturday 22th December at 8pm.
The first of three concerts in the Music for Museums series in the United States will begin on Sunday 20th January at 1.30pm with a performance by The Irish Baroque Orchestra, Ireland's only professional period instrument orchestra, at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, in Boston. Soprano Ailish Tynan and pianist Hugh Tinney two of Ireland's most celebrated musical ambassadors will perform in The Getty Centre Los Angeles on Friday the 8th of February at 7.30pm with a recital of songs by Brahms, Fauré and arrangements of Irish folksongs by Herbert Hughes. On Friday, 16th May at 8pm, Carol McGonnell will perform as guest soloist with the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Tickets A limited number of tickets for the National Gallery concerts in the Shaw Room are available from the Gallery Shop in the Millennium Wing, price twenty Euro and twelve Euro with Concessions (Tel. 01-663 3518). Some tickets may be available at the door. An official programme accompanies the Music for Museum series of concerts in the Gallery which includes full programme notes by Michael Dervan.
http://www.nationalgallery.ie or http://www.metmuseum.org/
Feeds