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]

Overview

Since May 2022, Thomas Zehetmair has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Partner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.[4]

Irish composers who have worked with the orchestra include Frank Corcoran,[5][6] Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin,[7][8][9] and Bill Whelan.[10]

Plectrum & Bow, a CD release, marked a collaborative recording with US composer and guitarist Steve Mackey.[11] 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,[12] and Hommage, which features works by Irish composer John Kinsella.[13][14]

It owns a custom built studio, which has been acoustically modelled, on campus at UL, Limerick.[15]

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. ^ a b "Thomas Zehetmair – Classical Music". Irish Chamber Orchestra. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  5. ^ Adams, Martin. "Showcase for strings". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Reviews". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin obituary: Exceptional musician who straddled classical and Irish traditional music". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin Composer". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin". The Journal of Music. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  10. ^ Wallace, Arminta. "Irish-America comes out in force for night of island arts". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Plectrum and Bow". Irish Chamber Orchestra. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  12. ^ Gérard Korsten, Night Moves
  13. ^ "Hommage – John Kinsella". Irish Chamber Orchestra. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Reviews". The Irish Times. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Irish Chamber Orchestra to move to €3m campus studio". Irish Examiner. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  16. ^ 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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