Mayo Chamber Music Festival back for another year

Westport Festival of Chamber Music is set to take place from Thursday, September 11 until Sunday, September 14. Back for its twelfth year, the festival will once again present the best in chamber music performed by the finest of musicians from Ireland and around the world.

Uniquely, the Westport Festival of Chamber Music invites the fifteen or so musicians to stay in Westport for a week to work on their pieces and spend time together rehearsing. 

The festival was founded in 2013 by Artistic Directors, Catherine Leonard and Hugh Tinney along with manager, Madeleine Flanagan. Following the first festival, which took place that year in Westport House and Holy Trinity Church, the event group has now been registered as a charity. The programme has expanded considerably which includes a number of new venues. 

The last number of years has been a great success for the festival.

This year's concerts will be held in some of the area's most established spots, which includes Westport Town Hall Theatre, St Patrick’s Church, Newport Grove House and Holy Trinity Church. This year’s audiences can look forward to sounds from a line up of acclaimed artists such as Pablo Hernán Benedí, Ji Hye Jung, Lise Berthaud, Benjamin Schmid, Guy Johnston, Daria van den Bercken, Adrian Brendel, John Finucane, the Modigliani Quartet, Andreea Banciu, Diknu Schneeberger, and Julian Wohlmuth.

READ MORE: 'One Night for All' – Mayo programme released for Culture Night 2025

Thursday 11th September

'Taster Concert' Town Hall Theatre

 6.00pm - 7.00pm

Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op.69 Adrian Brendel (cello) & Daria van den Bercken (piano)

Emma O’Halloran 'Dream On' For Violin, Clarinet And Marimba (2022)Pablo Hernán Benedí (violin), John Finucane (clarinet) & Ji Hye Jung (marimba)

Joseph Schwanter: Velocities (Moto Perpetuo) For Solo Marimba(1990, Rev. 2007) Ji Hye Jun

Friday 12th September

St. Patrick's Church, Newport

8pm - 10pm

Newport Church Gala with Irish Chamber Orchestra

Haydn: The Seven Last Words of Christ, IntroductionMozart: Adagio and FugueJ.S. Bach: Violin Concerto No.2 in E Major with soloist Benjamin Schmid (violin)

INTERVAL

Donnacha Dennehy: 'Woven'  - Duo for Cello and Marimba, WORLD PREMIERE Commissioned by Westport Festival of Chamber Music and a festival patron.For Ji Hye Jung (marimba) and Guy Johnston (cello)

J.S. Bach: Concerto for two violins in D Minor, BWV 1043Soloists Benjamin Schmid and Pablo Hernán Benedí (violins)

Free Admission for Students & Under 18's

Saturday 13th September

Westport Town Hall Theatre

11.30am - 12.15pm

Ruby Boland (soprano) with accompaniment on piano

Free Admission for Students & Under 18's

Grove House (Mill Street, Westport - entrance at the rear of the building)

2.00pm - 3.00pm

Feature Concert

Schubert: C Major String Quintet (D.596)The Modigliani Quartet with Guy Johnston (cello)

Westport Town Hall Theatre

(Sean Staunton Suite)

 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Workshop: Marimba Musings with Ji Hye Jung.

Westport Town Hall Theatre

 6.00pm - 6.30pm

Concert from the Balcony

A return for our popular outdoor concert from the balcony of The Town Hall Theatre featuring Vienna guitarists, Diknu Schneeberger & Julian Wohlmuth.

Tickets: Free Admission

Town Hall Theatre

7.30pm - 9.30pm

Beethoven: Trio in Bb Major,  Op. 11 for clarinet, cello and pianoJohn Finucane (clarinet), Guy Johnston (cello) & Daria ven den Bercken (piano)

Turina: Escena Andaluza Op. 7 for solo viola and piano quintet Lise Berthaud (solo viola), Daria van den Bercken (piano), Benjamin Schmid (violin), Pablo Hernán Benedí (violin), Adrian Brendel (Cello) & Andreea Banciu (viola)

INTERVAL

Schumann: Piano Quartet in Eb Major, Op. 47Pablo Hernán Benedí (violin), Daria van den Bercken (piano), Lise Berthaud (viola) & Adrian Brendel (cello)

10.00pm - 10.45pm

Classical/Jazz Late-night Extravaganza

Benjamin Schmid, violin, with two guests from ViennaDiknu Schneeberger & Julian Wohlmuth (guitars)

Free Admission for Students & Under 18's

Sunday 14th September

Grove House (Mill Street, Westport - entrance at the rear of the building)

11.30am - 12.30pm

Sunday Morning Feature Concert

The Modigliani Quartet

Élise Bertrand (b. 2000): Lui e Loro (Him and Them) for string quartet (Commissioned by the Modigliani Quartet. (2023) Beethoven: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor Op. 59 No. 2 "Razumovsky"

Westport Town Hall Theatre

3.30pm - 5.30pm

Mozart: String Quintet No. 4 in G MInor, K. 516Modigliani Quartet with Lise Berthaud (viola)

Osvaldo Golijov: 'Mariel' Duet for Marimba and Cello (1999)Ji Hye Jung (marimba) & Adrian Brendel (cello)

INTERVAL

Arensky: String Quartet No.2 in A Minor, Op. 35 (1894)Adrian Brendel (cello), Guy Johnston (cello), Benjamin Schmid (violin) & Lise Berthaud (viola)

Tickets are available: https://westporttownhall.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873673773