FINDING A VOICE - Music Of Women Composers Through The Ages Returns in March

On this Women's Christmas, Finding a Voice has announced that the fifth edition of the innovative concert series will take place from March 3rd to 8th 2022. The festival will again focus on the music of women composers through the ages, building and expanding on the first four highly successful editions, including 2021's series of online concerts.

In 2022, Finding a Voice will be back in front of live audiences where it will continue to broaden the genres covered to include musical theatre and contemporary singer-songwriting, in addition to music from the Middle Ages to the present day. Over the course of the last five years Finding a Voice has programmed music by more than 100 remarkable women.

The theme for 2022 is #Relationships and several concerts will explore the concept of "relationships" in their different iterations, whether the interaction between performers, the connection between performers and the music they perform, or the relationship between words and music.

One of the festival highlights will be the first visit to Ireland of celebrated pianist Samantha Ege who will give the Irish premières of works by Black American composers Florence Price and Margaret Bonds as well as Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová. Dr Ege is a internationally-recognised authority on the music of all three and has recorded and published extensively on their work.

Another first for 2022 will be the inclusion of musical theatre in the concert 'Broadway Babes & West End Girls'. Produced by renowned musical director David Hayes and featuring an ensemble, live band and guest performers, this event will introduce audiences to the legendary women of Broadway including Jeanine Tessori, Sarah Bareilles and Nell Benjamin.

Once again, there is also a strong emphasis on Irish composers and the series is book-ended by two concerts featuring a world première by Linda Buckley with text by Doireann Ní Ghríofa, and a newly commissioned song-cycle by Ailís Ní Riain.

Artistic Director Róisín Maher says "I can't believe that 2022 will be the fifth year of Finding a Voice and I'm proud of the fact that we have programmed so many incredible concerts featuring women composers in that time. We are really looking forward to being back in front of live audiences in 2022 and have a fantastic line-up of musicians and events that we hope will entice people to Clonmel."

As the only concert series of its kind in Ireland and the British Isles Finding a Voice offers a unique opportunity to hear unforgettable music by remarkable women.

Finding a Voice 2022 - Programme of Concerts

Thursday 3rd March 2022

Lina Andonovska (flutes) & Michelle O'Rourke (voice)

Music for flutes and voice from two outstanding performers including the world première of a newly commissioned work for the duo by celebrated Irish composer Linda Buckley

Friday 4th March 2022

Samantha Ege (piano)

Internationally recognised concert pianist Samantha Ege visits Ireland for the first time to give the Irish premières of piano music by Black American composers Florence Price and Margaret Bonds and Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová

Broadway Babes & West End Girls

David Hayes (musical director), Phoebe Dipple (voice), Sinéad O'Donovan (voice), CSM Musical Theatre Ensemble

Music by Broadway legends including Jeanine Tessori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Shrek The Musical), Sara Bareilles (Waitress), Brenda Russell & Allee Willis (The Color Purple) and many more

Saturday 5th March 2022

Cassiopeia Winds & Fiachra Garvey (piano)

Music by French and American composers including Grammy & Pulitzer Prize winning Jennifer Higdon and Louise Farrenc's Sextet for Piano and Winds, a monument of nineteenth-century chamber repertoire

Sunday 6th March 2022

Pauline Scanlon and band

Singer-songwriter Pauline Scanlon brings her unique voice and emotionally charged material from her new album The Unquiet and more.

Tuesday 8th March 2022 (International Women's Day)

Yonit Kosovske (piano), Julie Comparini (contralto), and Jessica Brown (poetry)

A closing recital that brings poetry to life, featuring music by Lili Boulanger and a newly commissioned song cycle by Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain.

For more information visit https://www.findingavoice.ie/.

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