IIB Bank Music in Great Irish Houses June 8-17 Famous old buildings in and around Dublin, Cork and Galway, 01-6642822 www.musicirishhouses.com
The IIB Bank Music in Great Irish Houses festival is in its fourth decade. This year including Castletown House, Slane Castle, Fota House, Killruddery House and Malahide Castle, the programme is rich in piano recitals, with appearances by Irish pianists Hugh Tinney (the artistic director) and John O'Conor, and Finnish pianist Antti Siirala.
West Cork Chamber Music Festival
June 25-July 2
Bantry, Co Cork, 1850-788789
www.westcorkmusic.ie
Ireland's biggest and best celebration of chamber music runs up to five concerts a day plus master classes over nine days. Among the 70-plus musicians, the line-up of string quartets includes the T'ang Quartet (from Singapore), the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet (Ireland), the Prazak Quartet (Czech Republic), and the Carducci Quartet (half Irish, half British). The programme includes new works by John Gibson, Stephen Gardner and Dmitri Smirnov, and a concentration on the music of leading Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, as well as special strands of Mozart and Shostakovich.
MBNA Shannon International Music Festival
July 26-30
Various venues in Limerick 1890-923543
www.icorch.com
Based mainly in the atmospheric surroundings of Limerick's oldest building, St Mary's Cathedral. The festival's artistic director, violinist Anthony Marwood, will give the Irish premiere of Thomas Adés's recent Violin Concerto, which was written for him, with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. There's a visit from the Lege Artis Chamber Choir of St Petersburg, plus concerts by the Callino and Killaloe String Quartets and the early music group Red Priest, and appearances by pianist Finghin Collins, soprano Alison Roddy, and cellist Bartholomew Lafollette.
Kilkenny Arts Festival
Aug 11-20
Kilkenny city, 056-7763663 www.kilkennyarts.ie
New York-based Irish clarinettist Carol McGonnell has devised a series of concerts with her Argento Chamber Ensemble, ranging from new music to a performance of Erwin Stein's chamber orchestra arrangement of Mahler's Fourth Symphony with soprano Ailish Tynan. McGonnell also features in Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time with Catherine Leonard (violin), Guy Johnston (cello) and Finghin Collins (piano). Ex Cathedra return for a "Venetian Vespers", and vocal trio White Raven, who focus on early music and Irish arrangements, make their festival debut.
