Entertaining S li go
CON BRIO’S 20TH SEASON
Sligo’s classical music organisation Con Brio put on its first classical music concert in Sligo in 1999 and each year over the past twenty years it has presented concerts by the cream of Irish classical ensembles and soloists. These have included the Irish Concert, Baroque and Chamber Orchestras, the Vanbrugh, Contempo and Callino Quartets, Hugh Tinney, Finghin Collins, Catherine Leonard and John O’Conor. It has also presented a host of highly renowned international artists. In recent years these have included pianists Alessandro Taverna, Nikolay Khozyainov, Joanna McGregor and Nicolai Demidenko, violist Maxim Rysanov, Emmanuelle Betrand and Pascal Amoyel, Trio di Parma, Chloe Hanslip with Danny Driver, and cellists Leonard Elschbroich and Marc Coppey.
Over that twenty-year period, which included the severe recession which started in 2008, Con Brio has managed to develop a significant audience for these concerts in Sligo itself and in the surrounding area – patrons regularly come to its concerts, which take place in the performance space in The Model, from counties Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon.
Its 2018/2019 series of concerts which gets underway on September 7 th promises to be one of its best ever. Featured musicians include one of the world’s finest clarinettists Julian Bliss, exceptional Irish pianist and former winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition Barry Douglas, a superstar ensemble comprising cellist Natalie Klein, pianist Julius Drake and soprano Claire Booth, the extraordinary French cellist Marc Coppey who makes a long-awaited return to Sligo, an exciting duo comprising young Russian violinist Yury Revich and German cellist Benedict Kloeckner. The line-up also features two Irish ensembles, the Contempo Quartet and the Irish Baroque Orchestra. The Baroque orchestra, leader Peter Whelan, will perform the opening concert. The programme for this event features some sublime music by Handel for solo soprano and orchestra - Con Brio are delighted to welcome British soprano Joanne Lunn who is a leading Baroque singer in great demand the world over.
Tickets for this first concert (€25, students €10 on the night, children €5) can be obtained from The Model, phone 071 9141405 or online at www.themodel.ie.
BOYLE ARTS FESTIVAL
2019 will mark the 30 th Anniversary of Boyle Arts Festival!
The Festival will open on Thursday, July 18th and continue until Saturday, July 27 th 2019. We promise to bring you yet another spectacular and memorable experience.
Put these dates in your diary now!
GRETCHEN PETERS
On Saturday the 8th of September, Grammy-nominated, Nashville singer-songwriter, Gretchen Peters comes to the Hawk’s Well Theatre as part of her current tour of her new album, Dancing with the Beast.
New York born Peters has written hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, Neil Diamond and she has co-written songs with Bryan Adams. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014, Peters has released seven studio albums.
Tickets for this event are €20 with a special rate of €10 for those under 18.
All tickets have a €1 Development Fee surcharge and are available from the Hawk’s Well Theatre box office on 071-91/61518 or book online at www. hawkswell.com
SLIGO TRAIL RUNNING FEST
Sligo’s First Trail Running Festival (September 28-30) offers a series of thrilling and picturesque guided trail runs and activities on the surf coast of the Wild Atlantic Way in the Northwest of Ireland. From the picturesque trails of the rugged coastline to the iconic peaks that tower above it.
Get all the latest news from the Sligo Trail Running Festival. Find out about the trails and discover Sligo’s breathtaking beauty.
INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL
Applications are now open for the 30 th Sligo International Choral Festival which will take place from Friday 16 th to Sunday 18th November 2018.
Closing Dates: National and International Choirs: Sunday 24 th June 2018
School Choirs: Friday 21st September 2018
All music must be received by Friday 21st September 2018
For more information see www.sligochoralfest.com