National Concert Hall announces 2024–25 Season

Via The Journal Of Music: The National Concert Hall (NCH) has announced its 2024–25 season which includes performances by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), the Philip Glass Ensemble, Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, as well as a range of world and Irish premieres including works by Ailís Ní Ríain, Deirdre McKay, Finola Merivale, Barry O’Halpin and Daniel Slatkin.

This is the first integrated season since the National Symphony Orchestra moved to the NCH in 2022, and combines the NCH’s International Concert Series with the NSO season to create over 60 events.

The season launches on 7 September with Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra performing the Irish premiere of Aquifer by Thomas Adès as well as Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4. This will be followed by the NSO’s first performance of the season on 13 September, featuring British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly. Under conductor Mihhail Gerts, they will perform Six Songs by Alma Mahler as well as Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and Dvořák’s In Nature’s Realm.

The NSO concerts throughout the season will also feature guest artists mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, soprano Claudia Boyle, The National’s Bryce Dessner, conductor André de Ridder, cellist Camille Thomas, violinist Simone Lamsma, cellist Steven Isserlis, clarinettist Jessie Grimes, pianist Yukine Koroki and more.

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Premieres

The 2024–25 season will also include a number of world premieres. On 27 September, the NSO will perform under American conductor Leonard Slatkin the world premiere of his son Daniel Slatkin’s new work Voyager 130. Next year will also see the NSO present two world premieres by Irish composers – on 7 February, a new work by Deirdre McKay, commissioned by the NSO; and on 21 February, The Land Grows Weary of its Own by Ailís Ní Ríain, co-commissioned by the NSO, BBC Radio 3 and Manchester International Festival. In January 2025, the NSO Composer Lab participants – Finola Merivale, Amelia Clarkson, Yue Song and Barry O’Halpin – will have their new works premiered by the NSO.

Throughout the season, there will also be a number of Irish premieres, including Anna Meredith’s Nautilus and John Adams’ Panic from his Doctor Atomic Symphony (29 September); Philip Glass’s Naqoyqatsi, performed by the Philip Glass Ensemble and the NSO with cellist Kate Ellis (11 October); Unsuk Chin’s Subito con forza (18 October); Colin Jacobsen’s A Short While to be Here – based on American traditional songs collected by Ruth Crawford Seeger, Akshaya Tucker’s Hollow Flame and Andreia Pinto Correia’s Aere senza stelle, performed by Brooklyn Rider (23 November); Stephen McNeff’s The Celestial Stranger, co-commissioned by the NSO and BBC Orchestra of Wales (31 January); James McMillan’s St John’s Passion with the NSO, National Symphony Chorus and Chamber Choir Ireland (18 April); and Ukrainian composer Victoria Polevá’s Symphony No. 3, While Interment (9 May).

Other new commissions include Forgotten Dances by Adès which will be performed by Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe (17 September) and a new work by Natalie Klouda to be performed by siblings Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason on cello and piano (24 April).

Artists in residence

The season will include a number of concerts and performances from Artists-in-Residence Bryce Dessner, Tara Erraught and Jessie Grimes. Dessner, the American composer, guitarist and member of indie band The National, will take part in two concerts with the NSO. On 15 November, he will present the Irish premiere of Mari and his violin concerto, performed by Pekka Kuusisto; and on 11 April, Dessner will perform alongside guitarist David Chalmin and the NSO for his piece St Carolyn by the Sea, followed by the Irish premiere of his Concerto for Two Pianos performed by Katia and Marielle Labèque.

Mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught will perform in two concerts with NSO, the first on 1 November with works by Haydn and Mozart led by conductor and harpsichordist Laurence Cummings. Her second concert with the orchestra will feature popular arias by Puccini, Donizetti and Rossini with conductor Clelia Cafiero (2 May). As part of her residency, Erraught will also lead a week-long professional development programme with pianists Morgane Fauchois-Prado and Dearbhla Collins in February.

The NCH’s Learning and Participation Artist-in-Residence, clarinettist Jessie Grimes, will present and lead a series of family concerts with the NSO with screenings of classic children’s stories as well as a concert focusing on nature with flautist Catriona Ryan (29 September) and Britten’s classic Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra performed by the NSO and led by Gavin Maloney (9 February).

Commenting on the programme, NCH Chair Maura McGrath and CEO Robert Read said:

With this season, the first being presented as one since the transition of the NSO to the NCH in 2022, we are confident that the integrated and enhanced programme will not only fulfil our remit to promote and support music as an integral part of Irish life but will inspire audiences by offering a wealth of music experiences of the highest standards to look forward to.

We are particularly excited to welcome new Artists-in-Residence for the first time, who will each work with the NSO bringing their talent and experience to bear in a suite of concert performance and developmental activities, promoting a diverse and accessible season that we hope will inspire and uplift.

Throughout the season, there will also be concerts featuring pianist Hugh Tinney (27 September); soprano Máire Flavin, mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty, bass John Molloy and tenor James Way performing with the National Symphony Chorus (NSC) Stanford’s Requiem (22 November); conductor David Brophy leading the NSO and NSC in Arvo Pärt’s Berliner Messe and Mozart’s Requiem with soprano Aoife Miskelly, mezzo-soprano Gemma Ní Bhriain and tenor Robin Tritschler (7 February); and Peter Whelan conducting the NSO and NSC in Haydn’s The Creation with soprano Anna Devin, tenor Lawrence Kilsby and bass William Thomas, (23 May).

General booking for tickets opens on 31 May – find out more here, and read more from The Journal Of Music here.