1. A world-class pairing of the highest calibre
Both highly sought after chamber musicians as individuals, together the Johnson/Shibe collaboration is something especially unique, with both artists bringing their collective chamber music experience to bear to produce music making of the very highest calibre.
2. Ben Johnson
One of the busiest young tenors in the chamber music and opera worlds, Ben Johnson is a multi-award winning recitalist and owner of one of the most beguiling voices around. Johnson won the Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World in 2013 and has been winning the hearts of audiences all over the world ever since.
3. Sean Shibe
Fresh from winning the Concept Album of the Year award at the October 2019 Gramophone Classical Music Awards, Sean Shibe is a young Scot who has taken the world by storm in recent years. Equally at home in whatever genre he turns his hand to, Shibe never sets boundaries on the scope of his musical exploration.
4. It’s all about love songs to set your pulse racing!
If you’re partial to love songs you won’t be disappointed here. No composer is so identified with Romantic song as Franz Schubert. He wrote more than 600 of them, three of which will be performed during the tour. While not quite 50 Shades of Grey, many of the Renaissance and folk songs on the programme deal with love and passion, and William Walton’s Anon. in Love is essentially a sort of “one-man opera” made up of separate songs about the contrary attractions of love, swooping from melancholic yearning to playful flirtation to intoxicating ecstasy.
5. Be among the very first to hear a new work by Irish composer and guitar player Brian Bolger
Lawra, a new Music Network commission by Brian Bolger will connect music, poetry and people across centuries when it receives its premiere performances on this tour. Brian is acclaimed for his work with the Dublin Guitar Quartet and also plays electric guitar with Crash Ensemble. He has worked with the legendary American composer Philip Glass.
Tenor Ben Johnson and guitarist Sean Shibe are on tour with Music Network from 21 - 27 November 2019 with concerts in Waterford, Tralee, Dublin, Kilkenny, Castleconnell and Clifden. Tickets cost €10-€25, depending on the venue. Book now at musicnetwork.ie.