Westport Festival of Chamber Music starts this evening

The much-loved Westport Festival of Chamber Music is celebrating its the tenth anniversary in style. This charming boutique festival welcomes the finest of musicians from Ireland and around the world for a weekend of concerts, workshops, lectures and special events. This year’s festival – a four-day affair starting this evening – features artists from Ireland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

Programmed by the festival’s Artistic Director, Catherine Leonard, the repertoire will include some of the best-loved works in the history of chamber music, as well as lesser-known gems, performed by outstanding Irish and international artists, in a variety of locations across Westport, including the festival’s founding home, Westport House.

Highlights include the opening concert on Friday, September 8 in the splendour of Westport House, featuring music by Chausson, Massenet, Schubert and Beethoven performed by a rich roster of artists.

Watch out too for Messiaen’s evocative Quartet for the End of Time, written in a prisoner of war camp during World War II, performed by Chen Halevi (clarinet), Julius Drake (piano), Sophia Jaffé (violin) and Adrian Brendel (cello). Poet Charlotte Leport will also read from her work.

There’ll also be a vocal recital by Irish soprano, Anna Devin, whose voice is consistently described as sumptuous, flexible, silvery-toned, crystal and spine-tingling; a number of performances by leading Irish pianist Hugh Tinney, one of the festival’s founders; and an ‘emerging artist’ concert by 15-year-old violinist, Peter Ryan, who is currently a student at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School, and his pianist brother, Liam.

This evening will see an event called ‘Shared Traditions: The Common Ground between Traditional Irish and Classical Music’ in Matt Molloy’s, from 7pm to 9pm, featuring Niamh Ní Charra (fiddle, concertina, vocals) and Kevin Corbett (guitar).

Saturday evening includes a talk from performers on Messiaen’s seminal work, ‘The End of Time’, Chen Halevi, Julius Drake, Sophia Jaffé and Adrian Brendel. Afterwards, a treat for all returns in the form of the festival’s ‘Concert from the Balcony’, and this year Dermot Dunne (accordion) will headline the popular outdoor concert from the balcony of The Town Hall Theatre.

In addition to its main events, the festival also hosts a number of free admission concerts, workshops, lectures, pre-concert talks and a year-round schools programme.

• For more, visit www.westportchambermusic.ie, or contact the Westport Town Hall Theatre on: 098 28459 for tickets.