Piano festival offers music students a unique opportunity
YOUNG music students in Co Wexford will have the ideal opportunity to get up close and personal with a professional classical musician at the end of the month.
As part of the New Ross Piano Festival, Waterford’s Billy O’Brien is holding court at St. Mary’s Church in New Ross on Friday, September 28, giving an informal talk on life as a professional pianist and playing short pieces of music he loves.
Billy O’Brien, who began his piano studies at 13, completed a BA in Piano Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2015, before studying in Paris for two years at the Rueil Malmaison Conservatoire, where he was recently awarded a Prix de Perfectionnement, and the Prix d’Excellence as the highest placed piano student.
Billy has played with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and performed as soloist with RIAM Symphony Orchestra, Wexford Sinfonia and Trinity College Orchestra, in venues such as the National Concert Hall and the National Opera House. He has won many awards and twice represented Ireland in the Dublin International Piano Competition.
His New Ross Piano Festival session for students, starting 11.30 a.m., is open (and free) to second-level music students from all schools in the South East, but places are on a first-come, firstserved basis, and immediate booking is advised.
The general public are being invited to join in and attend from noon and the event will finish at approximately 12.45 p.m.
To reserve places, contact Sinead Stafford at Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School, New Ross (087 9805086, sineadstafford@hotmail.com) or Connie Tantrum (info@newrosspianofestival.com), leaving your contact details.