The Goo 1
Words: Cliodhna Ryan MAR '25 CLASSICAL Dublin off
ers an eclectic mix of performances this month, from intimate recitals to grand operatic productions. On March 11th, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane take to the stage at The Studio in the National Concert Hall (NCH), with their latest collaboration, Hexagons. Both Shaw and Kahane have made their marks in classical, pop, and experimental music. Inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’ short story The Library of Babel, Hexagons is a reflection on the infinite possibilities of language and meaning. The following day, on March 12th, Yukine Kuroki, winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition in 2022, performs at Freemasons’ Hall at 7:30 PM. The recital features works by Liszt, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninov. Her 2024/2025 season features eagerly awaited debuts at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Verbier Festival among others, so be sure to catch her at this beautiful setting in the heart of Dublin. Opera fans are in for a treat later in the month, as Irish National Opera presents Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman from March 23rd-29th at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. This opera tells the story of a mariner doomed to sail the seas until he finds true love. Under the direction of Rachael Hewer, with Fergus Sheil conducting, the production stars soprano Giselle Allen as Senta, the woman who hopes to save the Dutchman, played by bass-baritone Alfred Walker. This is a must-see for opera lovers. The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will be at home at the NCH on March 28th, with a concert conducted by Lio Kuokman. The concert opens with Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, with soloist Jonathan Biss, followed by Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, which takes listeners through a feverish narrative of unrequited love and madness. After the concert, in the more intimate setting of the Kevin Barry Room, you can hear Biss in conversation with psychologist and writer Dr Tony Bates, as they discuss his experience with anxiety and panic, exploring how it has influenced his music-making and approach to performing. On April 2nd, New Music Dublin festival kicks off at the NCH with a packed programme. The festival opens with line upon line percussion presenting NOCTURNE at the Dunsink Observatory. This immersive, site-specific work by Ann Cleare combines music, theatre, and multimedia to explore humanity’s relationship with the night sky. Audiences will experience celestial transmissions, outdoor walking, and live instrument-building. The bus leaves from the NCH at 5.30 pm. On April 3rd, Córas Trio are in The Cooler, Smithfield at 11 pm, with their blend of Irish folk music and experimental sounds. Featuring fiddle, guitar, and percussion, the trio will perform material from their debut album as well as new music. On April 4th at 2:30 pm, Crash Ensemble will perform You Heard It First in The Studio, premiering five new commissions by emerging composers as part of the Crash Works programme. That evening the NSO plays works by Buckley, Pärt, and Chin on the Main Stage. At 11 pm, In the Dark offers something completely different. Head to The Cooler in Smithfield, where pairs of improvising musicians will perform in total darkness, letting intuition and deep listening guide their music-making, with the identities of the performers revealed only when the lights come up. April 5th brings two major performances at the NCH. At 7 pm on the main stage of the NCH, Thurston Moore, of Sonic Youth fame, presents Guitar Explorations of Cloud Formations, a world premiere inspired by the cloud formations in Ireland’s skies. Later at 9 pm in The Studio, you can hear the Irish premiere of Barry Guy’s The Blue Shroud. This work, reflecting on the bombing of Guernica and Picasso’s iconic painting, combines improvisation and classical music in a powerful multi-movement piece performed by an international ensemble. On the last day of the festival, you can catch a performance by the Quiet Music Ensemble at 2 pm in the Kevin Barry Recital Room, where they’ll premiere new works by Scott McLaughlin, Rob Curgenven, Rory Tangney, and Cat Lamb. Known for their delicate, atmospheric performances, this concert promises to be a deep dive into experimental sound. At 7.30 pm the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Chamber Choir Ireland will be performing works by Irene Buckley, Olga Neuwirth, and Ed Bennett. Crash Ensemble is closing the festival at 9.15 pm gisewith a live promenade performance of Blue Haze of Deep Time by Jonathan Nangle with visuals by Laura Sheeran. Whether you’re in the mood for the drama of opera, the brilliance of piano, or the exploration of new soundscapes, it’s an exciting month for live music in Dublin so be sure to get out out there. 37