Music and Musings puts a spotlight on contemporary music

The Galway Music Residency is hosting a new series, Music and Musings, in association with the Contemporary Music Centre.

This series of short concerts will feature the ConTempo Quartet and guest artists performing work by emerging and established composers from Ireland. It begins this Friday, October 20, at 8.30pm in the Black Gate Cultural Centre on Francis Street in the city, with an exploration of Kevin Volans’ well-known work, White Man Sleeps.

Written in 1982, it was performed by the Kronos Quartet who subsequently shot to international fame, and was the first of Volans’ compositions to reach a wide audience.

ConTempo will perform this extraordinary piece alongside a selection of Béla Bartók’s works in his unique ‘Night Music’ style.

The idea of this series is to present quality chamber music in an intimate setting where audiences can meet the artists and composers and enjoy refreshments. Conversations with Kevin Volans and ConTempo in between their performances will be chaired by a member of the Contemporary Music Centre, and audience participation is welcome.

The second concert in the series will take place on November 17 and will feature the world premiere of Amanda Feery’s new piece for string quartet and uilleann pipes, Something Like Light But Not.

This work has been co-commissioned by Galway City Council and will be performed by ConTempo and renowned piper Pádraic Keane. ConTempo will also perform Jane O’Leary’s The Passing Sound of Forever while PádraIc Keane will perform a short solo set. Again, there will be a discussion between composers and artists, with audience participation welcome.

Ticket for these unique events, which kick off this Friday, cost €12/7 each and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.ie or on the door.