Latest news with #NationalConcertHall
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Shortlists for annual Business to Arts Awards announced
Shortlists for the annual Business to Arts Awards , which take place at the National Concert Hall September, have been announced. The awards, which recognise businesses that have partnerships with artists and arts organisations, will be judged by representatives from CBRE , ESB , Community Foundation Ireland, Irish Life, The Irish Times, and TileStyle. Louise O'Reilly, chief executive of Business to Arts, said this year's shortlists 'attest to businesses engaging at a deep and considered level, ensuring there is a positive impact on both partners and wider society'. The ESB is supporting a new category in the awards this year. Its creative sustainability award recognises partnerships that address issues around the environment, climate crisis, and the circular economy. ESB corporate reputation manager Sarah Sharkey said the group 'recognises the important role that artists play not only in recording and interpreting social and economic developments, but also in engaging communities by fostering creativity and innovation'. Denise Charlton, chief executive of Community Foundation Ireland, said access to the arts is 'an equality issue'. The Juggle: the issues facing women with young children when balancing childcare and their careers Listen | 44:30 'Our partnership with Business to Arts is to recognise and grow awareness around this important contribution by Irish philanthropy and its ability to deliver projects and work which elevate voices. Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves through the arts,' she said. The awards have 10 categories and three bursaries, celebrating arts sponsorship, commissioning, philanthropy, staff engagement programmes, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, access programmes, and creative community initiatives. The companies shortlisted range from small-scale initiatives to large-scale and long-term engagements with national reach. The event will take place on September 8th. A total of €25,000 will be presented to successful artists and arts organisations through bursaries and awards on the night.
RTÉ News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
'Judy Garland had that indefinable star quality'
Get Happy! The Judy Garland Songbook is coming to the National Concert Hall in Dublin and Wexford Opera House. RTÉ Entertainment's John Byrne talks to the conductor and brains behind the show, Niall Kinsella. Niall Kinsella is a man on a mission. A bit like Tom Cruise's IMF agaent Ethan Hunt, he's taken on a task that would seem impossible to most folk. Maybe not as dangerous, but it's certainly demanding, ambitious and not for the faint-hearted. Following the success of a programme of Rodgers & Hammerstein's music, which was recorded for broadcast on Lyric FM, and last year's sold-out show celebrating the best of MGM musicals, he decided to set up his own orchestra. And not just any oul' orchestra either. 42-strong, The Niall Kinsella Orchestra is dedicated to bringing audiences the best tunes from film and musical theatre, beginning with Get Happy! The Judy Garland Songbook. On vocals is US singer Joan Ellison who has performed songs associated with Judy Garland coast to coast in the States with more than 70 concert orchestras. Such is her stature in the world of Judy Garland all of Joan's arrangements come with the full support of the Judy Garland Heirs Trust. The show takes place on Friday July 18th at the Wexford Opera House, and the following night at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. It promises to be a spectacular show. The hit parade includes: The Trolley Song, The Man That Got Away, Get Happy, Come Rain or Come Shine, Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart, Stormy Weather, The Boy Next Door, Chicago, That's Entertainment and - of course - Over the Rainbow. Catching up with Niall Kinsella, it's self-evident that this is very much a labour of love for him. John Byrne: Hi Niall. What is it about Judy Garland that she remains this massive icon more than a half-a-century since her death back in 1969? Niall Kinsella: Firstly, it's her voice. She has this amazing, strong voice. And when you hear it you kind of just drop your jaw, and you just go 'Wow, someone's actually singing like that '. As well as that, I think it's the fact that her singing is so emotional and everything she sings is rooted in emotion. Whether it's a painful song like The Man That Got Away or something like Get Happy, which is joyous. And she also had that indefinable star quality. And a lot of the character she played in her films were just so loveable. You couldn't help but love her as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and then she did Meet Me in St Louis as well. You felt that Judy Garland could be your friend. And you've assembled your own 42-piece orchestra. Not exactly the sort of thing you could put together in an afternoon! Can you tell us a bit about that? I was talking about this to a friend the other day. And I said: 'You just have to be a little bit mad to do it'. The thing is, I really wanted to do these sort of concerts, where we celebrate this music from classic Hollywood and Broadway music. It's so uplifting - and it brings me so much joy. I've done a few of these concerts before, with different orchestras, and the audience response has been breathtaking. They are so there to enjoy themselves. They love this music. So I just thought, okay, I really want to set out my stall now, doing these types of concerts. And I thought probably the most effective way to do that is to set up an orchestra, more like a brand, that would become associated with big, Hollywood concerts. Last year I did a concert of MGM musicals and that was the genesis for this. The MGM musicals are so uplifting - and nostalgic as well. I remember seeing all this films on TV when I was a child. Music's obviously been the number one, major obsession in your life. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got to this point? I've always loved music, all kinds of music, since I was a child and trained as a classical musician. I started as a pianist, and eventually worked with choirs and started conducting then. In the last five or six years I've really tried to shift the focus of my work towards conducting orchestras, and working with these kind of West End musical theatre singers. It's such an upbeat and joyous genre of music - and people always need a bit more joy in their lives. Now especially . . . There's so much that's terrible in the world right now. I don't watch the news anymore. I find it so, so difficult. So, to go to a concert and experience this music live is complete, total escapism. It brings totally joy - particularly if it's uplifting music. I think it's really important to put the phone down, stop all the doom-scrolling - that we all do - and go to a concert. Go to something. I think live stuff is great because it really forces you to engage with it. It's an immersive experience and we're here - literally - to entertain you. There's nothing like a concert for cheering you up. And our concert is called Get Happy! Can you tell us a bit about Joan Ellison, who'll be the featured vocalist in the show? Joan is a fantastic singer from America. She's been performing Judy Garland concerts right across the States as a guest vocalist. There's so many orchestras over there. As well as singing, she has also reconstructed and restored all of the scores for the music that we're using from Judy's original arrangements. So we're not just getting the songs that Judy sang, we're getting the original versions that you hear on her records and in her films. I came across her work last year when I was doing research for my MGM concert, and I went: 'Oh. My. God!' Firstly, I was blown away by her singing. Then there's the work she does to bring that authenticity back, playing off Judy's own arrangements that she had for her concerts. That, for me, was a real thrill. Not just to do it, but to do it really authentically, was really exciting. And she's fantastic. She's just a great person and a great singer. We're really excited having her on board. And it'll be her first time in Ireland so these are her first concerts here.
Extra.ie
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Succession's Brian Cox coming to Ireland for VERY special show
Succession star Brian Cox is set to bring his first-ever one-man show to Ireland with a show in Dublin's National Concert Hall on October 6 and in Belfast's Waterfront on October 7. Best known for his embodiment of the infamous character Logan Roy from the international hit Succession, for which he received a Golden Globe, Cox now returns to tell his own life story on the stage. In his first ever one man show, It's All About Me!, Cox is said to take the viewer 'from the backstreets of Dundee to starring in Hollywood blockbusters, a journey full of laughter and pathos. 'Expect candour,' the official description continues, 'searing honesty, and hilarious stories. Not known for pulling his punches, an evening with Brian Cox is like no other.' Speaking to Hot Press in 2023, Cox had reflected on his first project since the end of Succession, Prime Video's Bond-inspired adventure series, 007: Road To A Million, explaining his choice to work on the series by saying: 'I'm always up for a new adventure.' 'That's how you keep young when you get to my age,' he continued, 'by not ruling anything out. You just go, 'Okay, I'll see what happens.'' Tickets for Brian Cox's Irish shows in October go on sale next Tuesday, July 1, here.
RTÉ News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Succession star Brian Cox to bring one man show to Dublin
Scottish actor and Succession star Brian Cox is to go on tour with a one-man show It's All About Me tour and will appear at the National Concert Hall in Dublin this October. Cox said: "I am looking forward to this tour as it marks something a little different for me - sharing the stage with myself. "As the title indicates, the show will focus more than ever on my life and career. It should be a lot of fun." Cox, who was born in Dundee, will be joined on stage for the show's second half by producer Clive Tulloh, who will put questions from the audience to him. Publicists said Cox will "take audiences on a journey through his life and incredible career - from the backstreets of Dundee to the glittering lights of Hollywood - a journey that is full of laughter and pathos. "Expect candour, searing honesty and hilarious stories." Cox trained at Dundee Rep Theatre before going on to work at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he first gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear. His accolades include two Olivier Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He also won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Logan Roy in Succession. Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday here.
Korea Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Berlin Philharmonic to return to Seoul for three concerts
The Berlin Philharmonic will return to Korea after a two-year absence, this time under the leadership of Kirill Petrenko. For the first time, the orchestra will give three performances in Korea, Nov. 7-9. Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook, who debuted with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2021, will join the orchestra in performing Schumann's Piano Concerto on Nov. 7 and 9. Also on the program for the two dates are Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll," Schumann's "Manfred" Overture and Brahms' Symphony No. 1. The Nov. 8 program will feature Leos Janacek's "Lachian Dances," filled with lively Czech folk influences; Bela Bartok's "The Miraculous Mandarin Suite," driven by bold percussion rhythms; and Igor Stravinsky's "Petrushka," one of the composer's three great ballets. All three concerts will take place at the Seoul Arts Center. In 2023, returning to Korea for the first time since 2017, the Berlin Philharmonic's concerts in Seoul sold out in just 40 seconds, demonstrating the orchestra's immense popularity in Korea. At that time, celebrated pianist Cho Seong-Jin, the orchestra's artist in residence for the 2024/25 season, joined the orchestra as the soloist for the second concert, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. The November performances in Korea will mark the first leg of the orchestra's Asia tour, during which it will stop in major Asian cities such as Taipei, Shanghai and Tokyo. In Taipei, the orchestra will perform at the National Concert Hall on Nov. 12 and 13. On Nov. 15 and 16, the orchestra will take the stage at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. In Japan, the orchestra will offer four concerts between Nov. 19 and 23 at Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Minato Mirai Hall in Yokohama, and Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall in Kawasaki, before returning to Suntory Hall on Nov. 23 to wrap up the Asia tour. Ticket prices for the Korean concerts range from 110,000 won ($80.26) to 550,000 won.
