Composer Ryan Molloy has been awarded a commission to create a ten minute piece of music for the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, to be premiered in July 2017.
Ryan will work with the Trad Orchestra, gathering ideas and influences from the group to help create this new composition.
Dr Ryan Molloy is currently a composer and performer, Ryan’s work has been performed to international audiences on four continents for over ten years, including major concert venues such as Tanglewood (U.S.A.), Lucerne Hall, KKL (Switzerland), Kölner Philharmonie (Germany), Holywell Music Room (England) and Waterfront Hall (N. Ireland). In great demand as an accompanist, Ryan has recorded over a dozen albums and his repertoire spans numerous genres from traditional Irish music to contemporary classical music. The confluence of these two genres formed the basis of his PhD in composition at Queen’s University, Belfast, studying under Simon Mawhinney and Piers Hellawell.
In September 2013, Ryan joined the Department of Music at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth as a lecturer in composition.
A weekend of workshops and performances celebrating the harp and the uilleann pipes, bringing together musicians from Sligo, Donegal, Louth, Carlow and Laois.
Tutors: Leonard Barry (Pipes), Timothy Doyle (pipes), Fionnan MacGabhann (pipes) , Gay McKeon (pipes), Paul Harrigan (pipes), Conor Day (pipes), David Power (Pipes), Siobhan Buckley (harp), Deirdre Ni Bhuachalla (harp), Ramune Sakalauskaite (harp), Jolene McLaughlin (harp), Catriona McKay (harp) and Cormac de Barra (harp)
Friday 4 November
1pm-2pm: Registration Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
2-4pm Instrumental workshops, Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
5-6pm communal music-making/ session, Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
8pm Tutor Concert, Dunamaise Arts Centre (all students are to attend and student tickets are free of charge, parents can book tickets through Dunamaise.ie/ call 057 8663355)
Saturday 5 November
9am-11am Instrumental workshops Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
11:30am-1pm Instrumental Workshops Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
2pm-4pm Harp Instrumental Worksops, Ensemble Workshop, Reed Making WorkshopPortlaoise Youth Education Centre
5-6pm Communal Music-Making/Sessions Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
8pm Concert featuring soloists plus harp ensembles Portlaoise Youth Education Centre (all students are to attend and student tickets are free of charge, open to the public, no charge however donations welcome)
10pm-11pm Student Ceilidh Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
Sunday 6 November
9am-11am Instrumental workshops Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
11:30am-1pm Instrumental Workshops Portlaoise Youth Education Centre
2pm Student Concert, programme of music made up of repertoire covered throughout TionolPortlaoise Youth Education Centre
4pm Depart
Lunch is included
Standards: A range of classes are available, open to recent beginners to advanced students. You must have your own instrument to participate, a limited number of harps are available for Music Generation Laois students only.
Supervision: under 18s will be supervised during break times.
Open to ages 7 and upwards.
There will be an exhibition of Salvi harps at 1pm on Sunday 6 November.
Friday 4 November: Some of Ireland’s finest harpists and pipers, and the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra with Accordionist Martin Tourish will perform as part of the opening concert of the inaugural Music Generation Laois Tionól, a national gathering for harpists and pipers across Ireland. Dunamaise Arts Centre, 8pm
Featuring Leonard Barry (Pipes), Timothy Doyle (pipes), Fionnan MacGabhann (pipes) , Gay McKeon (pipes), David Power (Pipes), Conor Day (pipes), Siobhan Buckley (harp), Ramune Sakalauskaite (harp), Jolene McLaughlin (harp), Catriona McKay (harp) Cormac de Barra (harp) and the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra with Martin Tourish who will perform ‘1916: Visions and Voices’ a newly commissioned work that reflects on the events of the Easter Rising.
Free admission for Tionól students, €10/€5 for general public, booking through Dunamaise.ie/ call 057 8663355)
Saturday 5 November: Student concert and the Music Generation Laois Harp Ensemble with Catriona McKay, Portlaoise Youth Education Centre, Railway St, 8pm
Concert featuring students and groups from the Tionól including the Music Generation Laois Harp Ensemble with Catriona McKay perform ‘Rising of the Harps’ a newly commissioned work created by virtuoso Scottish harpist in collaboration with the Music Generation Laois Harp Esnemble.
Free admission, donations welcome.
Sunday 6 November: Student concert, Portlaoise Youth Education Centre, 2pm
Student Concert, programme of music made up of repertoire covered throughout TionolPortlaoise Youth Education Centre
Free admission, donations welcome.
The Music Generation Laois Tionól: Harps and Pipes 2016 is funded under the Music Generation National Projects Fund.
The Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra was established in January 2016 under the directorship of Paul Finn and Siobhan Buckley. Earlier this year the orchestra collaborated with Donegal Accordionist Martin Tourish to create a new 30 minute suite of music ‘1916 Visions and Voices’ funded by the Laois 2016 Community Fund, Per Cent for Art through Laois County Council and the Music Generation Arts Council Partnership. The music was premiered on the 22 of May, as part of the Music Generation Laois New Works Series, to unprecedented public response! The work has since been performed in Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Ennis 2016, and will be professionally recorded in Golden Egg Studio Portlaoise later this year.
Music Generation Laois are auditioning for new Trad Orchestra members. Auditions will take place on Saturday 8 of October in Portlaoise. This opportunity is for advanced traditional music students with 4 years experience and upwards, and aged 18 and under.
Please note: Current orchestra members do not need to re-audition.
Weekly rehearsal: Successful applicants must be available for weekly rehearsal on Saturdays from 10am-11:30am. Attendance is strictly monitored, if members miss more than 3 rehearsals throughout the academic year, their membership will be relinquished.
Fee: Annual orchestra membership fee €100.
To apply for an audition send an email to musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie stating your name, age, instrument, and some information about your experience as a musician to-date (no more than 200 words) by 10am on Friday 7 October 2016.
Please include your parent/ guardian mobile telephone number. If selected for an audition, you will receive a text message with all relevant info. Applications from parents on behalf of their children will not be accepted.
Top notch trad musicians descended on Co Laois at the weekend, as part of the 3rd annual Music Generation Laois Trad Summer School. Well-known musicians, Cormac de Barra, Maire Ní Chathasaigh, Brendan Begley, Noel Hill, Nollaig McCarthy, Eamon Murray, Harry Bradley, Aidan O Donnell, Denise Boyle, Siobhan Buckley, Aine McQuaid, Sean Hill and Barry Leonard were among the musicians who came to tutor young musicians from Laois and surrounding counties.
The Trad Summer School, which took place from the 15-17 of July, attracts lots of young trad musicians, who avail of the wide range of classes on offer, including uilleann pipes, harp, concertina, button accordion, bodhrán, fiddle, tin whistle and trad flute.
Speaking at the tutor concert, which took place on Saturday evening in Portlaoise Youth Education Centre on Railway Street in Portlaoise, Rosa Flannery Co-ordinator of Music Generation Laois said, ‘there is huge interest in traditional music among young people in Laois, and we want to do everything we can to support, sustain and develop this interest. Young people should be able to access music tuition in their own area, without having to travel or without the barrier of high tuition fees. We are thrilled at how successful the Summer School has become, and we look forward to doing it all over again in 2017.’
Pop, Rock, Traditional or African Drumming? Music Generation Laois are delighted to announce that bookings are now open for our Summer Camps for 2016. This year will see a variety of camp choices and a range of musical genres. Our experienced and renowned tutors will work with students to unleash their creative side through classes, workshops, performances and masterclasses.
Bookings are now being taken for
– School of Rock & Pop (4 – 8 July)
– Music Generation Laois Traditional Summer School (15 – 17 July)
– Stampede Drumming Junior and Senior Camps (11 – 13 July)
See below for more information on each camp.
To make a booking or for information contact Music Generation Laois on 057-8664176 or email musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie
llaig McCarthy, Eamon Murray, Harry Bradley, Aidan O Donnell, Denise Boyle, Siobhan Buckley, Aine McQuaid, Sean Hill and Barry Leonard were among the musicians who came to tutor young musicians from Laois and surrounding counties.
