Concerts

"What is the Irish contemporary music like? It is difficult to answer this question, because this music is not commonly known. Even if a music lover is able to list the 20th century composers’ names from other countries, it may be a problem with Irish ones. In general, it should be said that generally this music is very diverse and interesting. Among Irish contemporary composers there is no predominate trend nor technique. There are compositions which clearly refer to musical traditions of the different epochs and more modern pieces or even avant-garde ones. This is but nothing extraordinary. These musical styles we can recognize in the other countries too. There is a feature that joins all these stylistic and technique distinctions – independence of “continental” Europe music. It is difficult to find an artist or a piece, which we can say that refers to some predominate trend in Germany, Italy or in France. And this is surely the great value in art.
The Zooming: Ireland project organized by Sepia Ensemble, SONORA and Association of Irish Composers is in its intention an attempt at introducing Irish contemporary music to Polish listeners and the newest Polish music in Ireland. In the united Europe we should know a few names, pieces and phenomena which exist in our “neighbouring country” and we shouldn’t confine to beautiful Celtic music or great Irish writers like Joyce or Beckett, but we should “open ears and minds” to new music from “Green Island”. All the more it is crucial and justified that many Irish composers gained international respect and many compositions can be perceived as very original."
- Artur Kroschel, artistic director of the Sepia Ensemble

Program in Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin (1.02.2015):

Enda Bates - From the Cusp of Sleep for 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2011)
Judith Ring - Swelt Belly At Down for clarinet, violin and cello (2013)
Ed Bennett - My Broken Machines for 3 instruments [variable], piano and percussion (2004)
(flute, violin, trombone)
***
Ewa Fabiańska-Jelińska - Miniatures sonoristiques for solo trombone (2011)
Witold Lutosławski - Grave. Metamorphoses for cello and piano (1981)
Artur Kroschel - Fracture for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, percussion and piano (2006/07)
Rafał Zapała - Scherzo for 6 instruments (2014)
Kazimierz Serocki - Swinging music for clarinet, trombone, double bass and piano (1970) 

Program in Aula Nova, Poznań (28.02.2015):

Mary Kelly - Mime for solo trombone (1987)
Siobhán Cleary - The Whitening for violin and piano  (2010)
John McLachlan - Extraordinary Rendition for violin, cello and piano (2008)
Gráinne Mulvey - entropy for string quartet (2009)
Jenn Kirby - Moments for clarinet, trombone, percussion and cello (2013)
Enda Bates - From the Cusp of Sleep for 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2011)
***
John Buckley - Winter Echoes for solo flute (2008)
Judith Ring - Swelt Belly At Down for clarinet, violin and cello (2013)
Ed Bennett - My Broken Machines for 3 instruments [variable], piano and percussion (2004)
(flute, violin, trombone)
Andrew Hamilton - Frank O’Hara on the phone piece for piccolo, clarinet, piano, violin, cello and double bass (2003)

Both concerts will be preceded by meetings dedicated to the presentation of contemporary music of Poland and Ireland respectively.