Music Network’s traditional music tours are specially curated to offer something unique to our partner promoters and audiences across Ireland.
Each year, we curate up to three tours featuring leading musicians who have not performed together before. Over the years, some very special collaborations have taken place and very often tour line-ups curated by Music Network continue to work together beyond the life of the tour.
Music Network also curates a number of classical music tours each season. As well as exploring new territory as an ensemble, these tours always feature a new work by a contemporary Irish composer which Music Network commissions especially for the collaboration.
Recent examples of traditional curated tours include:
- Ye Vagabonds and Cormac Begley performing together on an 8 date tour in September 2020
- Anxo Lorenzo, Jim Murray, Dónal O'Connor and Jack Talty performing together on a 14 date tour in January 2020. Their tour included new Music Network commissions composed by each of the artists
- Tara Breen, Laoise Kelly, Josephine Marsh and Nell Ní Chróinín performing in St. Marylebone Parish Church in London in partnership with Irish Music and Dance in London during their 12 date tour in September 2019. Their tour included a new Music Network commission from Josephine Marsh
- Niamh Parsons, Ciarán Tourish, Liam Kelly and John Doyle performing together on an 11 date national tour in January 2018
- Heidi Talbot, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich, John McCusker and Paul Meehan performing at the Feakle International Traditional Music Festival in east Clare in August 2018
- A newly-commissioned work, Edges of Light, a collaboration between Colin Dunne, Tola Custy, Maeve Gilchrist and David Power was performed following their tour at the Irish Arts Centre, New York in June 2017, and at Dungarvan Summer Music Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival in August 2017
Recent examples of classical curated tours include:
- Claire Duff and Benjamin Alard's tour to Dublin, Birr, Clifden, Dún Laoghaire, Waterford and Listowel in February 2019, premiering Fantasia (homage to J. S. Bach) for Baroque violin and harpsichord by Jane O'Leary
- Thibaut Garcia and Isang Enders’ tour to Wexford, Castlebar, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Tralee, Clifden and Dún Laoghaire in April 2018, premiering sin títolo by Benjamin Dwyer
- Mia Cooper, Katherine Hunka, Ioana Petcu-Colan and Helena Wood’s tour to Dublin, Birr, Newbridge, Dún Laoghaire, Castlebar, Clifden, Limerick, Cork and Tinahely in April 2017, premiering Quattro Stagioni by Ian Wilson.
- In September 2018, Mia Cooper, Katherine Hunka, Ioana Petcu-Colan and Helena Wood went on to perform a series of concerts presented by Moving On Music in Northern Ireland, and gave Ian Wilson’s ‘Quattro Stagioni’ its UK premiere.
