Friday, February 17 | 8 pm Friday, March 23 | 8 pm Friday, May 11 | 8 pm
A new series showcasing Ireland's contemporary songwriters, bringing the richness of the busking tradition of Dublin's Grafton Street to New York City.
In February, March and May, IrishArtsCenter invites you to spend an evening with some of Ireland's best contemporary songwriters as they tell their stories up close and acoustically in the intimate Donaghy Theatre.
Friday, May 11 | 8 pm
Mark Geary and Ann Scott
U.S. album release show for songs about love, songs about leaving. Geary’s songs have been featured on various television shows including One Tree Hill and Bones.
“Stardust” by Mark Geary
Twice nominated in the Best Female category for the Irish Meteor Awards, Ann Scott has developed a reputation as an intense performer and a firebrand songwriter.
“Imelda” by Ann Scott
Friday, May 11 | Mark Geary and Ann Scott
Admission: $18 non-member / $15 member
If you need assistance placing your order, call 866-811-4111.
This program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and Culture Ireland, the agency for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide.
Past Events in the SongLives Series:
Friday, February 17 | 8 pm
Susan McKeown and Declan O’Rourke
Susan McKeown has won a Grammy award and a BBC Folk Award nomination for her strong, expressive voice. She has recorded many albums spanning the realms of world music and rock and has performed with Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Linda Thompson, Billy Bragg, The Klezmatics, Mariachi Real de Mexico, Ensemble Tartit, Flook, Lúnasa, Andy Irvine and Johnny Cunningham.
Susan McKeown performs "No Jericho" from her album Belong:
Declan O'Rourke has been praised for his richly resonant voice and beautifully crafted songs. Fan Josh Groban covered O'Rourke's "Galileo" on his 2010 album Illuminations.
Declan O’Rourke performs “Time Machine” from his album, Mag Pai Zai on the BBC Transatlantic Sessions
Friday, February 17 – Susan McKeown and Declan O’Rourke
Admission: $18 non-member / $15 member SOLD OUT
Friday, March 23 | 8 pm
Michael Brunnock and Brendan O’Shea
Album Release show! Brunnock’s album, The Orchard, will be released the evening of the concert. Listen for him on David Byrne’s soundtrack for the film This Must Be the Place (2012), starring Sean Penn.
Brendan O'Shea and Michael Brunnock sit with Susan McKeown for the second podcast from IAC's SongLives series. Both musicians discuss their influences and early days, plus a live sneak peak at Brunnock's "Down by the Araglin" and O'Shea's "Old Clock."
Brendan O'Shea and Michael Brunnock sit with Susan McKeown for the second podcast from IAC's SongLives series.
“The Orchard” by Michael Brunnock
Brendan O’Shea is a veteran of New York City’s songwriter scene. Brendan and friend Karl Geary (Sin-é) began hosting a successful Sunday night concert series in NYC’s East Village called the Scratcher Sessions, which features musicians from around the world.
“No Mystery” by Brendan O’Shea
Friday, March 23 – Michael Brunnock and Brendan O’Shea
Admission: $18 non-member / $15 member
Past Events – Spring 2012
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Irish Arts Center at Symphony Space!
Celtic Appalachia
The Wondrous Story of Irish and African Influences on Old Time American, Country andBluegrass Music
in association with American Irish Historical Society and Glucksman Ireland House – New YorkUniversity
Starring MICK MOLONEY and THE GREEN FIELDS OF AMERICA
ATHENA TERGIS, MARTIN O’CONNELL, JOEY ABARTA, BRENDAN DOLAN, NIALL O’LEARY and PARKER HALL
MUSICIANS FROM VIRGINIA’S CROOKED ROAD SAMMY SHELOR, EDDIE BOND, LEIGH BEAMER, KIRK SUTPHIN, and LINDA LAY
with special guest CHEICK HAMALA DIABATE, a griot (storyteller) and master of the West African precursor to the banjo
and Eoin and Moley O’Suilleabhain and TheWashington Square Harp andShamrock Orchestra
This St. Patrick’s Day season, join us for a real toe-tapping, knee-slapping, singing and dancing fête celebrating the Irish traditional music influences on old time American, country and bluegrass music.
For one-night-only, the beloved Green Fields of America meet some of the best musicians to come from the Crooked Road region in Virginia, including Sammy Shelor (SPBGMA Banjo Performer of the Year; Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass 2011) and Wayne Henderson, to celebrate the cultural links between Ireland and Celtic Appalachia.
Peter Norton Symphony Space 2537 Broadway at 95th Street
Admission:
Tier 1: $45 non-member / $36 member
Tier 2: $35 non-member / $28 member / $18 student with ID SymphonySpace.org or 212-864-5400
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, waves of Northern Irish immigrants, known today as the Scotch-Irish or the Ulster Scots, ended up in theSouthern Appalachian Mountains. They brought with them the music, songs and stories of Ireland and Scotland and settled in Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky and northern Georgia. They met and lived beside Cherokee, German, Scottish and English settlers who moved to the mountains from the Southern East Coast Tidewater, and African Americans who moved there from the Southern plantations before and after the Civil War.
This program is made possible, in part, by Northern Ireland Bureau; Tourism Ireland; Elaine Pang and Michael George; Mary Lou and Joe Quinlan; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Friday, April 13 | 8 pm
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
with Martin Hayes, artistic director, fiddle Iarla Ó Lionáird, vocals
Dennis Cahill, guitar Máirtín O’Connor, accordion Cathal Hayden, fiddle Seamie O’Dowd, guitar David Power, uilleann pipes
"This star-studded concert brings together some of the brightest luminaries in traditional Celtic music." – TIME OUT NEW YORK
"not to be missed" – THE NEW YORKER
“an exploration of old-fashioned style and raw musical virtuosity deftly curated by fiddle icon, and the show’s artistic director, Martin Hayes. Each of these musicians is worth seeing individually, but having them together in one show is something very special, indeed.” – IRISH ECHO
"terrifically enjoyable show…accomplished line-up…thrilling climax of galloping jigs and reels."
– THE AUSTRALIAN
Purity, power and intimacy—traditional Irish music at its finest!
Seven of the most compelling artists in Irish music today come together at Symphony Space to explore the heart of Irish traditional music, based on a famous festival curated by Martin Hayes in the West County Cork town of Bantry. Having mesmerized audiences in Ireland and Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, Masters of Tradition is now touring the U.S. In solos, duets, trios, and full group collaboration, these acclaimed musicians bring an unparalleled level of mastery to the spellbinding music they play.
Tune into Martin Hayes on the radio on WFUV 90.7 FM, Saturday, March 31, 9:00am-noon EDT, on Kathleen Biggins's Celtic show "A Thousand Welcomes." The radio show will be available online at www.wfuv.org.
Admission: Orchestra: $45 non-member / $36 member
Tier 2: $38 general / $28 member / $18 student SymphonySpace.org or 212-864-5400
Sneak Peek of Masters of Tradition
This program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and Culture Ireland, the agency for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide.
“Blending the pop ambitions of Gaga with Elvis Costellvian wordplay” – VILLAGE VOICE
“an innovator, an original; incomparable with any of her contemporaries" – THE IRISH TIMES
Stylish and dramatic, chamber-pop singer, composer and orchestrator Julie Feeney is a powerhouse of creative energy. Hailed as “The Emerald Isle’s Original” (THE WASHINGTON POST), Julie has captivated audiences around the world with her mesmerizing voice and unique stage presence. Over a residency of 10 performances, this Irish sensation will amaze with new material and songs from her masterpieces pages and 13 songs in an innovative pop and theatrical live show. Co-directed by Vallejo Gantner of Performance Space 122 with Julie Feeney, the shows will fuse beautiful melodies, unique fashion and avant-garde arrangements with Julie’s ensemble of singers, strings, accordion, recorders, pianos, and trumpets.
“13 songs…a charming…dreamy record” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
Julie Feeney is a critically acclaimed and award winning singer, composer, songwriter, orchestrator and producer Julie Feeney is winner of the Choice Music Prize for ‘Irish Album of the Year’ (Ireland’s equivalent of the Mercury Music Prize)—an album on which she played most of the instruments herself. She combines her “mesmerizing stage presence and eccentric pop genius” (Hot Press) taking an avant-garde approach to her innovative, one-of-a-kind sound, which, while rooted in classical music, straddles both the pop and theatrical worlds.
Her music, videos and performances are widely broadcast on TV and radio and her sold-out performance at the main auditorium at Ireland’s National Concert Hall received a 10-minute standing ovation. She has performed many sold out shows in America, Ireland, England, France, Italy, Germany and Holland solo; with her own ensemble or with numerous orchestras for which she orchestrated and composed for including the Ulster Orchestra for BBC Northern Ireland and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for RTÉ. Her compositions have also been performed by contemporary ensembles Icebreaker and Crash Ensemble.
She has just completed her third album having crowd-funded to make it, where fans pledged 24 K Euros in 31 days. She has also just received her first opera commission which will be completed in 2012 and she embarks on a large tour in November where she will perform with a different choir for 10 nights featuring her own composed music. She co-presents a popular radio series in Ireland, High Fidelity on RTÉ Radio One which traces the history of recorded song.
Previously, after graduating from university with three Masters’ degrees, Julie performed as a professional choral singer world-wide; as a model and as an educator in Ireland and abroad. She worked as a movement actor and as an electronic music composer for contemporary dance films and live performances.
Vallejo Gantner (Co-director) has been Artistic Director of Performance Space 122 since 2005 and became effective CEO in mid 2010, responsible primarily for all programming, strategic direction and external affairs. P.S. 122 is one of United States’ leading multi-disciplinary presenters of innovative contemporary performing arts.
Prior to this, he was Director of the Dublin Fringe Festival from 2002 – 2004, (CEO and artistic director of this semi-curated three week annual event), and Artistic Associate of the Melbourne Festival 2000/01 (responsible for programming the free and outdoor programs). Originally from Melbourne, Gantner has worked in a range of capacities throughout the arts in the US, Asia and Australia - as a director, writer, performer, agent, producer and programmer. He was the co-producer of Spiegelworld from 2006-2008, a commercial producer / presenter of contemporary circus, cabaret, music and entertainment across the US.
Recently, Gantner has appeared as a performer in “The Curator’s Piece” by Tea Tupajic and Petra Zanki across Europe, Executive Produced the hit indie feature, “Your Sister’s Sister”, by Lynn Shelton (and her upcoming feature, “Touchy Feely”) and directed a new concert performance by Irish composer / singer Julie Feeney.
He is a partner in a micro-brewery - Mountain Goat Beer and in Melbourne bars Double Happiness, Lily Black’s, and New Gold Mountain. In 2006, he was a Deakin Lecturer in Melbourne’s Deakin series.
Gantner sits on the board of the National Performance Network (USA), Jianguo Pty Ltd (Aus), and Four Winds Foundation (Aus) and the advisory board of Fortnight Journal (USA).
Formerly he was a board director of the Myer Foundation (Aus), Kage (Aus), Mountain Goat Beer (Aus), National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) (Aus), and has sat on more award, funding and other panels than he can remember.
David Baranowski (keyboard, vocals) is a highly versatile keyboardist, performing a variety of styles on piano, keyboards, organ and harpsichord. For the past nine years, he has been touring internationally with rock icon Ritchie Blackmore, as a member of Blackmore’s Night. He is also the accompanist for the Westchester Choral Society, harpsichordist for the American Baroque Orchestra, and Director of Music at Saint Joseph Church in Danbury, CT. In 2010, he made his debut as an opera conductor with the Delaware Valley Opera in Mozart’s Così fan tutte from the harpsichord. That same year, David met and performed with Ms. Feeney for the first time. He has never been the same…
Joseph Brent (Guitar, mandolin) displays a unique musical versatility that has captivated audiences around the world, Joseph Brent has made his mark on several instruments and in several genres. As a classical musician, he has distinguished himself in solo performances with The International Contemporary Ensemble, The Boston Symphony, New World Symphony, and The San Francisco Symphony, among many others, and has given solo recitals and clinics on six continents. In the pop and improvisational musical worlds, he has performed with artists such as Regina Spektor, Jewel, Erin McKeown, Woody Allen, and Stephane Grappelli. He has released several CDs under his own name and appears on countless others. He has also written two books of mandolin pedagogy, and is a faculty member at Mannes, the first mandolin instructor to hold a faculty position with a major American conservatory.
Michael Kuennen (Double bass, electric bass) is an active Broadway musician. Kuennen has been the bassist for The Droswy Chaperone, Promise, Promises, and Elf. Currently playing such shows as Porgy & Bess, Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business, some of his other credits include The Producers, West Side Story, and The Little Mermaid. Rooted in classical music, he has also performed in such NYC venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher, Birdland, Joe's Pub, Symphony Space, Feinstein's and Don't Tell Mama's. His Off-broadway credits include Jolson & Company, Roadside, The Road to Qatar and I Sing. Michael is also a regular performer with the New York Pops, the Riverside Symphony and many other groups throughout the New York Metro area.
Jennifer Marshall is a multi-faceted classically trained soprano with a varied musical career. She recently made her debuts with the Delaware Valley Opera as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and the Connecticut Lyric Opera as the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. At the New York Classical Singer Convention, she was a Professional Division Winner and as a Jenny Lind Competition First Prize winner, she performed in a concert tour of Sweden. Jennifer has been touring with Julie Feeney in the U.S. since the spring of 2011 and is proud to be a member of her ensemble once again for this special IAC engagement.
Laura Metcalf (Cellist), lauded for her “sensitive, melodic touch” (BlogCritics Magazine), is active as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and teacher. Laura has been a soloist with the One World Symphony, Ensemble 212 and the Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa, and has recently given recitals on the Hewlett-Woodmere Gold Series, Shandelee Music Festival, Livingston Music Club, Church of Beethoven, and Strad for Lunch series. She is cellist of Sybarite 5, a string quintet who won the prestigious Concert Artists Guild competition in 2011, and with whom she has given over 200 concerts at such venues as the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center. Sybarite5 will make their Carnegie Hall debut in 2012 at Zankel Hall, and their CD reached the Top 10 of the Billboard charts this year. As a member of the Ansonia Trio she won the 2009 Rutenberg Chamber Music Competition, and is a member of the Salome Chamber Orchestra. She has attended the Aspen, Taos and Sarasota Music Festivals, the London Masterclasses, the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau (France) and the IMS Prussia Cove Masterclasses and Open Chamber Music. Laura is a member of the cello and percussion ensemble Break of Reality, and has appeared on the Today Show, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, and the View. Laura received her Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music, where she studied with Timothy Eddy and won the James E. Hughes award. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston University's College of Fine Arts, where, as recipient of the prestigious Trustee Scholarship, she won the 2003 Bach Competition.
Terry Szor (Trumpet), is a freelance musician and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Bronx Arts Ensemble among many others. He has performed for numerous Broadway shows, Radio City Music Hall, several television, radio commercials and soundtracks for video games. As a member of the award winning (Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award) Saturday Brass Quintet, Mr. Szor performed recitals and led educational programs at such venues as The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He performs as the principal trumpet with Opera Saratoga, Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players.
Admission: $20 non-member / $18 member
If you need assistance placing your order, call 866-811-4111.
Watch Julie Feeney perform 'Impossibly Beautiful' on The Late Late Show
This program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and Culture Ireland, the agency for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide.
HOME
