The Irish Times

Finghin Collins: ‘Ireland has done extremely well for the arts online’

The pianist on Music for Galway and working on his repertoire during lockdown

Mon Jan 18 2021 - 05:00

New cultural officer seeks to boost Ireland’s image in Germany

Berlin-based Candice Gordon is the first of seven cultural representatives to be appointed globally

Sat Aug 01 2020 - 12:35

New director takes new musical direction at Kilkenny Arts Festival

Olga Barry’s first programme was scaled down in ambition, but delivered some big moments

Wed Aug 14 2019 - 05:00

Classical music: What to see at this summer’s festivals

Master classes, talks, public interviews and recitals in Cork, Kilkenny and Galway

Wed May 22 2019 - 05:00

Musical ups and downs in a year of change and challenge

Year in Culture Review: Key directors stepped down, while performers stepped up in classical music and opera

Sat Dec 08 2018 - 05:00

U2 stars enjoy political and cultural day off in Paris

Bono meets President Macron while Adam Clayton visits Irish College

Mon Sept 10 2018 - 20:39

The highs and lows of Eugene Downes in Kilkenny

He brought an opera focus to Kilkenny Arts Festival, but new music was neglected

Wed Aug 22 2018 - 05:00

Brahms steals the show at the Kilkenny Arts Festival

Brahms’s career saw many changes in the world of piano design and manufacture

Wed Aug 15 2018 - 05:00

‘It’s still a crazy John Scott piece’: a veteran choreographer on his new work

Irish Modern Dance Theatre’s Bach-inspired ‘Inventions’ premieres at Kilkenny Arts Festival

Tue Aug 14 2018 - 05:00

A back-to-basics opera experience in the best possible way

The Return of Ulysses review: The musical equivalent of the world’s best chef using just a clutch of the finest ingredients

Fri Aug 10 2018 - 00:00

Gig of the Week: Kilkenny Arts Festival

As always, Kilkenny’s strong musical tradition is paramount

Sat Aug 04 2018 - 05:00

Three of the best classical music concerts in Ireland this week

Gavan Ring warms up for BBC Proms debut with hometown concert; the first Irish production of Monteverdi’s ‘Il ritorno d’Ulisse’ takes place in Kilkenny

Sat Aug 04 2018 - 04:00

Culture clusters: Do cities need cultural hubs?

At Kilkenny Arts Festival young architects imagine what the city might look like in the future

Wed Aug 01 2018 - 05:00

Wexford Festival Opera poised for change as artistic director bows out

Will it pivot from David Agler’s taste for still alive composers and underuse of Irish talent?

Wed Aug 01 2018 - 05:00

The NSO’s future is now secure, but why no outside expertise?

Will RTÉ, which has been killing off the orchestra, now be allowed to fill key positions?

Wed Jul 11 2018 - 05:00

Kilkenny Art Festival focusing on piano and chamber music of Brahms

Festival director Eugene Downes’ term to come to an end after five years at the helm

Wed Jun 20 2018 - 05:00

‘Shakespeare is for life, not just for the Leaving Cert’

Highlights of Kilkenny Arts Festival announced for the medieval city

Thu Apr 26 2018 - 01:00

Arts Council out of tune with needs of opera world

Kirkos Ensemble continues to stretch musical boundaries in new concert series

Wed Mar 22 2017 - 06:00

Fresh opportunities open up for Opera in Ireland

Arts Council is looking for applicants to provide ‘main-scale’ opera from 2018, as Opera Ireland finally gets something of a replacement

Wed Mar 01 2017 - 06:00

The unusual final year of Mozart’s life gets an airing in Kilkenny

The Mozart programme at Kilkenny Arts Festival featured compositions for mechanical organ and glass harmonica

Wed Aug 17 2016 - 01:00

A strange forum for Irish composers whose noses are out of joint

Dave Flynn’s Burren venture is an alternative to the massive 1916 centenary survey – but the fine print is bewildering

Wed Jul 20 2016 - 01:00

Kilkenny Arts Festival announces its 2016 programme

Stephen Rea, Loudon Wainwright III and Christian Blackshaw are among the highlights

Tue Jun 14 2016 - 14:54

Michael Dervan’s 2015: Lucky in our promoters who go with the gut

We are lucky to have a number of Irish promoters whose taste and empathy for the audience’s experience set them apart

Sat Dec 19 2015 - 05:00

The mysteries of Bach unwrapped at Kilkenny Arts Festival

Kilkenny’s 10-day immersion in Bach was a box-office success and provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Wed Aug 19 2015 - 06:00

9 things we learned at Kilkenny Arts Festival

The Marble City was taken over by Saxon saxophonists, wearable sculptures, portrait painting and a focus on Bach

Thu Aug 13 2015 - 06:00

Kilkenny Arts Festival: Fast, fun and unpredictable

‘People are going on a journey - whether they come for a day or for the whole festival’

Mon Aug 10 2015 - 11:57

Kilkenny Arts Festival goes back to Bach and the shock of the old

Shakespeare, Dante and Bach feature in a programme that’s strong on the classics

Mon Jun 15 2015 - 18:34

Kilkenny Arts Festival brings Beethoven to life

New director Eugene Downes has put classical music back at the heart of the festival, and in fine style

Wed Aug 20 2014 - 01:00

Clouds in a church and other sound moves at Kilkenny Arts Festival

In the visual arts strand, there is evidence of joined-up thinking in the inclusion of abstract painter Marilyn Lerner, sonic glass work by Róisín de Buitléar and Karen Donnellan, and Max Streicher’s celestial cloud installation

Fri Aug 15 2014 - 01:00