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Artistic adventures in

Irelands medieval city

0716
AUGUST

kilkennyarts.ie

2015

01

Photo Matthew Thompson

Photo Jean-Baptiste Millot

Welcome to ten days of artistic adventures

The great Martin Hayes returns as host and cocurator of the MARBLE CITY SESSIONS, gathering
extraordinary musicians from around the world for
nine collaborative concerts.

Giants of world music bound for Kilkenny include


Toumani Diabat and Amjad Ali Khan.

Photo Conor Horgan

Major international artists making their Irish debuts in


our Bach series include Iranian harpsichordist Mahan
Esfahani and Chinese Bach specialist Zhu Xiao-Mei.
Front Cover image: Alexander Haiden/Grafenegg

Musical titans joining us this year include pianist Sir


Andrs Schiff and viol master Jordi Savall.

One of the worlds finest writers, Robert Pinsky, is


Visual artist in residence Mick ODea will be creating
A Festival Portrait, painting and sketching Festival artists, Festival poet in residence for 2015.
scenes and performances throughout the ten days.

Photo Eric Antoniou

Photo Nadia F Romanini

The legendary William Christie & Les Arts Florissants


return to Ireland after 20 years for ETERNAL
HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH, a unique series
of 18 concerts exploring Bachs timeless music.

Photo Marcoborggreve

In the historic Castle Yard, were joining forces with


Druid and Lincoln Center Festival to present
DruidShakespeare, an epic theatrical experience which
many are calling one of the events of the decade.

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For 42 years our funders and partners have played an invaluable role in helping Kilkenny Arts Festival to
flourish. We greatly appreciate their continuing support.
PRINCIPAL FUNDER

Book your seat


ONLINE today at kilkennyarts.ie
BY PHONE from 6 July on +353 56 775 2175
IN PERSON from 6 July at the Festival Box Office

PUBLIC FUNDERS

14 John Street, Kilkenny


Weekdays: 10am - 5.30pm (closed Monday 3 August)
During the Festival: daily 10.30am - 7.30pm

HEADLINE EVENT PARTNERS

For terms and conditions go to kilkennyarts.ie


oneill foley

MAJOR DONORS
Mrs Loretta Brennan Glucksman

Mrs Joneen Casey

EVENT PARTNERS

Bank

MEDIA PARTNERS

SUPPLY PARTNERS
KILKENNY
HONDA
CENTRE

Hotel

CULTURAL PARTNERS

OPERA THEATRE COMPANY

BUTLER

GALLERY

BUTLER

GALLERY

BUTLER

GALLERY

DruidShakespeare. Photo Reg Gordon

Leisure Club & KO Spa

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05

an exhilarating epic ... nothing can quell the


extraordinary vitality of Hynes production, its ability to
match the plays shifting moods and its visual appeal ...
it is a staggering venture Michael Billington, The Guardian

DRUID (IRELAND) IN A CO-PRODUCTION WITH


LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL (USA)
AND IN ASSOCIATION WITH KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL

DruidShakespeare

Director
Garry Hynes
Associate Director
(design)
Francis OConnor

Richard II, Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2)


and Henry V

Associate Director
(movement)
David Bolger
Co-Costume
Designer
Doreen McKenna

by William Shakespeare
in a new adaptation by Mark ORowe
directed by Garry Hynes

Lighting Design
James F Ingalls
Sound Design
Gregory Clarke
Music
Conor Linehan

This epic theatrical event distils four of Shakespeares


greatest plays into one thrilling drama played over six hours.

Dramaturg
Thomas Conway

A sweeping narrative of family, ambition, war and the


making of nations, DruidShakespeare is performed with
an exceptional ensemble cast and a rousing parade of
characters, including one of the playwrights greatest
comic creations, Falstaff.

Voice Coach
Andrew Wade
Fight Director
Donal OFarrell

The production can be seen either as a full cycle


on a single day, or over two successive evenings.
Please note: this is an outdoor performance.
Please dress for the weather.
With thanks to Kilkenny Design Centre

THU

FRI

5PM
FC

5PM
FC

SAT

SUN

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

7.30PM
P2

5PM
FC

5PM
FC

6 7 8 9 12 13 14 15
7.30PM 6.30PM
7.30PM
P1
P2
P1

THE CASTLE YARD


Full Cycle - FC Part 1 - P1 Part 2 - P2
ADMISSION
ALL PERFORMANCES (FULL CYCLE OR IN TWO PARTS) 60/52
EXCEPT THU 6 AUGUST PREVIEW (40) & WED 12/THU 13 AUGUST (45/40)

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

Duration
Full Cycle: 6 hrs 30 mins approx., including three intervals (2 x 15 mins & 1 x 30 mins)
Part 1: 3 hrs 15 mins, including 15 min interval
Part 2: 2 hrs 45 mins, including 15 min interval
SHAKESPEARE AND IRELAND
Rothe House, Sunday 9 August 4.30pm
Garry Hynes and members of the Druid company discuss the challenges of staging
Shakespeare for an Irish audience in conversation with Fintan OToole. Free but ticketed.
SEE ALSO TYRONE GUTHRIE & THE SHAKESPEARE REVOLUTION P.17

Cast
Clare Barrett
Derbhle Crotty
Peter Daly
Gavin Drea
Garrett Lombard
Karen McCartney
Charlotte McCurry
Aaron Monaghan
Marie Mullen
Rory Nolan
John Olohan
Aisling OSullivan
Marty Rea
Photo Matthew Thompson

Experience Druids most ambitious project ever in the


unique atmosphere of the Castle Yard, Irelands finest
open-air theatre space.

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07

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH


THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK 1

Mahan Esfahani

OPERA THEATRE COMPANY (IRELAND)

The Human Voice

a love affair at the


end of the line

by Francis Poulenc
harpsichord

Iran

IRISH DEBUT

Esfahanis performance of the first book of Bachs


Well-Tempered Clavier was riveting
The Guardian

Director Tom Creed


Soprano Kim Sheehan
Piano Michael McHale

PROGRAMME I
Friday 7 August 1pm
Preludes and Fugues 1-12

A young woman is driven to the


point of desperation as she tries
to connect with her ex-lover over
the telephone in Francis Poulencs
spellbinding one-act opera, The
Human Voice (La voix humaine).
Poulenc creates an atmospheric
and theatrical soundscape, using
unaccompanied singing (soprano
Kim Sheehan) interspersed with
evocative instrumental outbursts
(renowned pianist Michael McHale)
to convey the womans heartbreak.
Based on the classic play by
Jean Cocteau, and directed by
Tom Creed (Deep, Kilkenny Arts
Festival 2014), The Human Voice
is a profound and emotional
exploration of love and loss.

Duration 60 mins approx.


It was an idea only Bach could have conceived: to compose a collection
of preludes and fugues for keyboard, circling in turn through all 24
major and minor keys. Bach envisioned the book as a teaching aid
for the use and profit of the musical youth, but in the centuries that
followed it has become one of the most influential works in the history
of Western classical music. The idea was so good that Bach repeated
it later in life, composing a second book of 24, but the first book of
The Well-Tempered Clavier is the best known and, over two lunchtime
concerts in St Johns, acclaimed harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani makes
his eagerly anticipated Irish debut performing the complete Book I.

PROGRAMME II
Saturday 8 August 1pm
Preludes and Fugues 13-24
Duration 60 mins approx.

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

FRI SAT

ST JOHNS PRIORY
ADMISSION 16/14
1PM 1PM FOR EACH CONCERT

7 8

Bach and the


Chain of Being
In this special lecture with musical
illustrations from the harpsichord,
Mahan Esfahani examines the
cyclical patterns in Bachs works, and
explores the ways in which his music
was heard by his contemporaries.

Duration 60 mins approx.

Duration 60 mins approx.


SAT

4.30PM

ST JOHNS PRIORY
ADMISSION 14/12
SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

FRI

SAT

7 8
8PM

3PM

WATERGATE THEATRE
ADMISSION 16/14

08

09

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH


GOLDBERG VARIATIONS I

Sax Allemande
Germany

IRISH DEBUT

pure pleasure
Schweinfurter Tagblatt
Duration 60 mins approx.

FRI

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 20/17.50

9.30PM

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

The Goldberg Variations stands as one of Bachs


greatest achievements, a work in which the
composers technical ingenuity dovetails perfectly
with his inspiration. As a centrepiece of its Bach
series, the Festival is offering audiences a very
rare chance to experience three contrasting
interpretations of the Goldbergs by leading
international artists, all making their Irish debut.
This first concert is perhaps the most radical. The
saxophone is not an instrument associated with
classical chamber music, but Sax Allemande has set
out to challenge that perception, collecting an Echo
Klassik Award for best chamber music recording
and reinvigorating the classical repertoire. On
the opening night of the Festival, Sax Allemande
performs the Goldberg Variations in the candlelit
Black Abbey a spellbinding space for this blend of
timeless genius and contemporary sounds.
The Goldberg Variations series is generously
supported by Mrs Joneen Casey.

THE HUBERT BUTLER ANNUAL LECTURE

The Age of Unreason


Nationalism and Jihad
in the 21st Century
Lara Marlowe USA

Lara Marlowe with members of the Northern


Alliance mujahideen group who were fighting
the Taliban in Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11.

Introduced by Olivia OLeary

Liberal democracy triumphed over fascism in the 20th century,


but as the new century advances, the ideals of Wilsonian
democracy and European integration appear to be fading. A
significant proportion of 740 million Europeans have embraced
anti-immigrant, anti-EU populist nationalism, while growing
numbers of the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims espouse jihadism.
National Front leader Marine Le Pen is likely to lead the first round
of the next French presidential election. Meanwhile Islamic State,
an unholy alliance of Salafist extremists and survivors of Saddam
Husseins Baathist regime, holds large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
Foreign correspondent Lara Marlowe has spent most of her
35-year career covering France and the Middle East, reporting
extensively on the rise of the French National Front and on
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Marlowe looks at the historical and
ideological roots of both movements, and attempts to explain why
extremism is such a powerful magnet in the 21st century.

Imaginary
Saloon

SAT

4.30PM

LEFT BANK
ADMISSION 16/14

The irrepressible Sax Allemande returns for a second and


very different concert that takes us from the height of
German Romanticism to New Yorks Tin Pan Alley and the
early years of jazz. Mixing the waltzes and capriccios of
Brahms with the ragtime of Scott Joplin and the preludes
of Gershwin, Imaginary Saloon is a dazzlingly entertaining
musical journey in the relaxed ambience of the Left Bank.
Duration 60 mins approx.

The Diplomatic
Coffee Club
SAT

11AM

THE HOLE IN THE WALL


ADMISSION 12/10

The Hubert Butler Annual Lecture was


established in 2007 to honour the Kilkenny
writer, historian and broadcaster whose
remarkable consistency of vision and clarity of
mind made him unique among essayists and
whose work evinced an unsurpassed moral,
political and literary integrity.
Duration 60 mins approx.

SAT

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION 16/14

6PM

In the surroundings of a 16th-century townhouse, one of


Irelands leading diplomats discusses 21st-century foreign
policy in conversation with Festival Director Eugene
Downes. Rory Montgomery is Second Secretary-General
of the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility
for European and international affairs, and has served as
Irish Ambassador to the European Union and to France.
Complimentary gourmet coffees will be served.
Duration 60 mins approx.

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11

think the Starship Enterprise


crossed with the sci-fi movie
Fantastic Voyage

ARCHITECTS OF AIR (UK)

Mirazozo

The luminarium is wheelchair accessible. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.


Photo Aaron J. Montes

After two sell-out runs, Architects of Air are back for a third year in the Castle Park with
another luminarium or giant, light-filled inflatable sculpture for you to explore. Mirazozo is
the sister to Miracoco the luminarium that was such a hit back in 2013. Inspired by Islamic
architecture, and featuring a stunning labyrinth of domes, chambers and tunnels, Mirazozo
is packed with enchanting spaces and beguiling light effects. Its the perfect place to play,
wander (and wonder), or simply relax.

The Irish Times

SAT

SUN

MON

TUE

10 11

WED

12

THU

FRI

13 14

11AM-6PM 11AM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM


KILKENNY CASTLE PARK


ADMISSION 5. TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE MAIN CASTLE GATE.

SAT

SUN

15 16

11AM-6PM 11AM-6PM

12

13

Toumani &
Sidiki Diabat

OPERA THEATRE COMPANY (IRELAND)

Susannas Secret

the finest Toumani


collaboration since
his classic work with
Ali Farka Tour

Mali

The Guardian

a smoking hot comedy

Director Tom Creed


Conductor Andrew Synnott
Soprano Rachel Croash
Baritone Rory Musgrave

A man suspects his wife is having


an affair when he smells cigarette
smoke on her clothes, and sets out
to discover her secret - with hilarious
consequences. Rachel Croash (soprano)
and Rory Musgrave (baritone) star
in Wolf-Ferraris frothy comic opera
about the secrets that couples keep.
Sung in English, in a new translation
by Tom Swift, Susannas Secret (Il
segreto di Susanna) is a stylish and
wryly observant comedy of marital
misunderstanding. Directed by Tom
Creed (Deep Kilkenny Arts Festival
2014), with Andrew Synnott conducting
the OTC touring ensemble, this is a rare
opportunity for opera lovers to see
this classic short work, and a perfect
introduction to opera for newcomers.
Duration 60 mins approx.

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

SAT

SUN

8 9
6PM

3PM

WATERGATE THEATRE
ADMISSION 16/14

Photo Youri Lenquette

by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari

Toumani Diabat is a superstar of African music and the


Hendrix of the kora (The Sunday Times), the elegant and
beguiling 21-stringed harp played for centuries at the
Malian court. The 71st generation in an unbroken line of
musicians stretching back 700 years, Toumani has done
more than any artist to bring this instrument to the world,
recording a string of Grammy-award-winning albums
and collaborating with everyone from Taj Mahal to Bjrk.
His son Sidiki is one half of Malis most successful hiphop group, and a dazzlingly talented kora player in his
own right. Together, father and son produced one of
the most acclaimed albums of 2014, and this concert in

the Set offers a rare, intimate opportunity to hear two


generations of this extraordinary family playing with
dazzling virtuosity and profound spirit.
Duration 80 mins approx.

SAT

10PM

SET THEATRE
ADMISSION 27/23.50

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

14

15

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

THE MASS IN B MINOR

Chamber Choir Ireland


Camerata Kilkenny
& Paul Hillier

Ireland

UK

one of the leading choral practitioners in the world


singing of this standard is a rarity
culturenorthernireland.org on Paul Hillier & Chamber Choir Ireland

Composed over 25 years towards the end of the composers life, the Mass in B minor
(BWV 232) is the culmination of Bachs spiritual journey and one of the crowning glories
of Western music. The piece was last performed at the Festival some 30 years ago by
Malcolm Proud and Maya Homburgers Kilkenny Arts Week Baroque Ensemble: an early
incarnation of Camerata Kilkenny. This year, in a unique collaboration for the Festival,
Camerata Kilkenny joins forces with Chamber Choir Ireland the countrys flagship
choral ensemble for a one-off performance of the Mass under the direction of Paul
Hillier, one of Europes most distinguished choral conductors. From the dramatic Kyrie
to the sublime Agnus Dei, this special performance by two world-class ensembles in
St Canices is set to be a highlight of the 42nd Festival.
Duration 2 hrs approx. (including interval)
Presented in association with Chamber Choir Ireland

SAT

8PM

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 40/35
ZONE B REGULAR 35/30.50

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17

Tyrone Guthrie &


The Shakespeare Revolution

ETERNAL HARMONY:
THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
THE CELLO SUITES

Istvn Vrdai

Christopher Fitz-Simon Ireland


cello

Hungary

Istvn Vrdai is a special kind of genius


Parlando

PROGRAMME I
Sunday 9 August 1pm
Cello Suite no. 1
Cello Suite no. 4
Cello Suite no. 5

PROGRAMME II
Monday 10 August 1pm
Cello Suite no. 2
Cello Suite no. 3
Cello Suite no. 6

Duration 65 mins approx.

Duration 80 mins approx.

Bachs Cello Suites are among his best-loved compositions, a


central part of the classical repertoire often featured in films like
Bergmans Autumn Sonata. Performed at the Festival over the
decades by masters such as Steven Isserlis and Jean-Guihen
Queyras, this year the complete cycle will unfold over the course
of two lunchtime concerts by one of the rising stars of the
classical world: Istvn Vrdai. From the sunny gigue of the first
suite to the moody, dark prelude of the fifth, Vrdai will explore
the full range of these masterworks in the intimate atmosphere of
St Johns Priory.
The Hungarian cellist Istvn Vrdai is one of the most exciting
young musicians in the world, performing at major international
venues to great acclaim and collecting numerous international
prizes. Last year he won the ARD Cello Competition in Munich
the worlds leading such event and earlier this year was awarded
the Liszt Prize, Hungarys highest classical music award.

The Anglo-Irish director Tyrone


Guthrie is recognised as one of the
most influential figures in 20thcentury theatre. Working on both
sides of the Atlantic, he brought a
revolutionary new approach to the
classical repertoire and also to the
design of theatres themselves. In this
fascinating talk, Christopher FitzSimon, author and former director of

MON

1PM

1PM

9 10

ST JOHNS PRIORY
ADMISSION 16/14
FOR EACH CONCERT

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

the Abbey Theatre, explores Guthries


world through his letters, which he
is editing for publication. Addressed
to his mother Norah and his sister
Peggy, who married Hubert Butler,
they feature searching observations
on leading actors of the day, including
Siobhn McKenna, Sybil Thorndike,
Alec Guinness, John Gielgud and
Laurence Olivier.

Duration 60 mins approx.

SUN

11AM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 12/10

To Find a Heathen Place


and Sound a Bell
By Kerry Hardie and Olivia OLeary

Director Sean Hardie


Music David Power and
Ciarn Somers
Readers Barry McGovern,
Olivia OLeary, Alan
Counihan & Eamonn Hunt

SUN
SUN

Vivien Leigh, Tyrone Guthrie and


Laurence Olivier

6PM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 16/14

AD 591. Rome has fallen and Europe


is in chaos. In Ireland, a handful of
monks leave the austere rule of
Comgall of Bangor. One of them,
Fiachra, walks south to found a
monastery at Ullard. Others, led by
Columbanus of Leinster, set sail,
carrying the teachings of the Celtic
Church into the very heart of Europe
Through a mix of poetry and music,
To Find a Heathen Place and Sound a
Bell tells the story of these monks.

Written by poet and novelist Kerry


Hardie, with broadcaster Olivia OLeary,
and performed by musicians David
Power and Ciarn Somers, and readers
Barry McGovern, Olivia OLeary, Alan
Counihan and Eamonn Hunt, this
unique and poetic work resurrects the
forgotten story of Columbanus, a saint
of the early Celtic Church and arguably
one of the most consequential figures
in European history.
Duration 60 mins approx.

18

19

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

immaculately judged,
wonderfully gracious and
admirably sensuous
The Guardian

CANTATAS

Les Arts Florissants


& William Christie

France

USA/France

PROGRAMME
Wedding Cantata BWV 202
Sonata in G for two flutes and continuo BWV 1039
Cantata BWV 55 (Ich armer Mensch)
Orchestral Suite no. 2 BWV 1067
Coffee Cantata BWV 211
Duration 2 hrs approx. (including interval)

William Christie is one of the greatest musical magicians


of our time.
In the 36 years since founding Les Arts Florissants, Christie
and his extraordinary ensemble have rediscovered the
world of the French baroque, partnering with the worlds
leading festivals and venues and making close to 100
recordings. Christie himself is feted as one of the most
distinctive and compelling of artists.
More than two decades since their last Irish appearance,
Christie and Les Arts Florissants make a long-awaited
return visit with a trio of leading international soloists.
Their programme ranges across some of Bachs most
playful works, including the Wedding Cantata, the
glorious Orchestral Suite no. 2 and the Coffee Cantata,
which pokes fun at the coffee-drinking craze of Bachs own
day and is the nearest he came to writing a comic opera.
This is set to be an unforgettable evening, and a very rare
opportunity to hear these legendary artists in an intimate
programme portraying Bachs diverse genius.

SUN

7.30PM

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 50/45
ZONE B REGULAR 44/39

Photo Denis Rouvre

Musical direction, organ


& harpsichord William Christie
Soprano Rachel Redmond
Tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen
Bass Andrew Foster-Williams
Musicians of Les Arts Florissants

20

a cooking live band from a dream dance club

21

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

The Observer

BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS 1, 2 & 4

Da Lata

Camerata Kilkenny
Bojan Cicic

UK

director/violin

Croatia
it is striking how
exclusive the
Champions League
of baroque violinists
remains Croatian
baroque violinist
Bojan Cicic stands
on the threshold of
that pantheon
De Standaard

SUN

9.30PM

SET THEATRE
ADMISSION 20/17.50

Its more than 20 years since songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Chris Franck and DJ Patrick Forge joined
forces and set about redefining Brazilian music, marrying
samba rhythms to Nu Jazz to produce something stylish
and irresistible. Blending their own original material with
dazzling remixes of everyone from Bebel Gilberto to Sly
and Robbie, Da Lata have been in a class of their own ever
since. Four albums into a musical journey that has taken
them through everything from Afrobeat to hip-hop, with a
touch of electronica and house, they bring their pulsating
live show to Kilkenny with six musicians, Latin tempos and
irresistible grooves. Bring your dancing shoes!
Duration 90 mins approx.

Written for the Margrave of Brandenburg, the


Brandenburg Concertos are some of the most dazzling
classical pieces ever written. Bach set out to confound
expectations, transcending concerto conventions and
filling each piece with rich melody, virtuoso flourishes
and astonishing shifts. For Eternal Harmony, Camerata
Kilkenny, our ensemble in residence, expands to
orchestral dimensions to present three of the largerscaled Brandenburgs in the magnificent surroundings
of the Black Abbey.
Guest director and violinist Bojan Cicic is one of the
rising stars of period performance in Europe. He leads
both period and modern orchestras, including the
Budapest Festival Orchestra, le Cercle dHarmonie,
the European Union Baroque Orchestra and Classical
Opera Company, while recent projects have included
a recording of the Brandenburg Concertos with
Florilegium, Vivaldis Summer with the European
Union Baroque Orchestra and his BBC Proms debut.

The Man
Behind the
Music
Gerry Murphy Ireland
MON

10

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 12/10

6PM

Duration 60 mins approx.

PROGRAMME
Brandenburg Concerto no. 2
in F major BWV 1047
Brandenburg Concerto no. 4
in G major BWV 1049
Brandenburg Concerto no. 1
in F major BWV 1046
Duration 60 mins approx.

MON

10

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 20/17.50

7.30PM

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

Orphaned at nine, left to fend for himself in his


teenage years, widowed at 35 and losing many
of his children, Bach nevertheless forged a calm,
unruffled conviction of his musical destiny. In this
fascinating talk, Gerry Murphy goes in search
of one of the great minds of human history,
uncovering the puckish humour, mordant wit and
passion for excellence that runs through the great
composers work.
Gerry Murphy is a composer and former Head of
Music at Gonzaga College, Ranelagh. His latest
composition premiered at the New Ross Piano
Festival 2014, while the NSO performed his
overture Good Friday-Belfast: 10-4-98 as part of
this years season.

THE SPIRIT OF THE VIOL

Jordi Savall
Spain

Grand master of the viol, Jordi Savall, is a


global cultural citizen equally at home in
Western baroque or the ancient music of
Jerusalem, Istanbul or the Balkans.
Through more than 200 recordings and
thousands of performances, both as a virtuoso
solo artist and as conductor of his three
celebrated ensembles, Savall has dedicated
his working life to unearthing buried musical
treasures and introducing audiences to lost
worlds of emotion and beauty.

viola da gamba

Mr Savall, the least


ostentatious of performers,
seemed plunged in the
emotion of performance
and of life

23

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

The New York Times

PROGRAMME

Photo Marco Borggreve

22

featuring selections from

THE ART OF FUGUE

GOLDBERG VARIATIONS II

MARIN MARAIS
SAINTE-COLOMBE LE PRE
SAINTE-COLOMBE LE FILS
LE SIEUR DE MACHY
JS BACH

James McVinnie organ

Mahan Esfahani harpsichord

UK

Iran

Duration 75 mins approx.

McVinnie dispatches his performances


with great vitality

with an instinctive sense of rhythm and a


gift for interpretation, Esfahani has firmly
established himself as one of todays most
thrilling harpsichordists

The Telegraph

For this rare Irish concert, Savall presents a


programme of selected works by baroque
masters including Monsieur de SainteColombe (father and son) and Marin Marais
- whose work he has done so much to revive,
not least through his soundtrack for Alain
Corneaus Tous les Matins du Monde.

Duration 75 mins approx.

Gramophone

Composed in Bachs final years and left unfinished at his


death, The Art of Fugue (BWV 1080) is one of the most
profound and significant works in musical history.

Duration 70 mins approx.

Turning his back on the dawning rococo era, the composer


returned to the heart of the baroque and found exhilarating
new possibilities within the fugal form, based on a single
theme and increasing in complexity as the work progresses.
The score of this late masterpiece did not specify
instrumentation, and it has been performed on a startling
range of instruments from viol consorts to brass ensembles;
this solo performance on that king of instruments, the organ,
is by a rising international star.

It was Marais who first exploited the similarity


of the viola da gamba to the human voice
in Les Voix Humaines, one of the works that
Savall will perform in Kilkenny. In a candlelit
Black Abbey, the hushed whispers of Savalls
instrument will create an atmosphere at
once intimate and profound.

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

TUE

MON

10

9.30PM

James McVinnie is internationally renowned both as soloist


and ensemble player. Recent highlights have included concerts
in the Salzburg Festival with Mozarteumorchester Salzburg,
and the BBC Proms with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
A strong advocate of new music, James collaborates with
leading composers and artists including fellow members of
the Bedroom Community collective Nico Muhly and Sam
Amidon (one of our artists in residence in 2014).

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 30/26

11
1PM

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION 16/14

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

Bach described his Goldberg Variations as prepared


for the souls delight. For Mahan Esfahani, they
stand out as an example of their creators total
compositional originality.
After an exuberant saxophone interpretation from
Sax Allemande, this second of three performances
of the iconic work is by the internationally acclaimed
Iranian harpsichordist, one of the Festivals artists
in residence, following his interpretation of The
Well-Tempered Clavier over the opening weekend.
Esfahanis musical interests are strikingly diverse,
ranging from the renaissance to the present day,
but Bach is his foremost passion. This late-night
concert in the Long Gallery of Kilkenny Castle, one
of Irelands most beautiful rooms, promises to be an
unmissable experience.
The Goldberg Variations series is generously
supported by Mrs Joneen Casey.
TUES

THE LONG GALLERY


KILKENNY CASTLE
ADMISSION 20/17.50
10PM

11

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

24

25

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH


Photo Dylan Vaughan

CLAVIER BUNG III (GERMAN ORGAN MASS)

Malcolm Proud organ


Ireland
Photo David Ignaszewski

Clavier bung III (often called the German Organ Mass) is one
of the pinnacles of music written for the king of instruments.
The work follows the form of the Lutheran mass, ranging across
an astonishing variety of forms and styles to present a profound
mediation on faith. Taking on this masterpiece is artist in residence
Malcolm Proud, a regular performer at the Festival since its first
edition in 1974. His interpretations of Bach have gained widespread
acclaim, with his recording of this work hailed as a major
achievement (The Organ Magazine).

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS


CELTIC DIALOGUES

Jordi Savall
Martin Hayes
& Friends

Spain
Ireland

Duration 70 mins approx.

See page 58

Duration 2 hrs approx. (including interval)

12
1PM

ST CANICES
CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION 16//14

Dante in Dunmore
Jordi Savall testifies to a
common cultural heritage
of infinite variety. He is a
man for our time.
The Guardian

In 1996, Robert Pinsky published what many consider


to be the definitive modern verse translation of Dantes
Inferno. As poet in residence at this years Festival, Pinsky
leads an audience down into Kilkennys Dunmore Cave or Dearc Fhearna, the Cave of the Alders - for a one-off
reading of excerpts from the work. This is an unmissable
opportunity to experience Dantes work in a spine-tingling
setting, famous in ancient times as one of the three
darkest places in Ireland.

Duration 60 mins approx.


WED

12

3.30PM

Please note: Dunmore Cave is not wheelchair accessible.

DUNMORE CAVE
ADMISSION 16/14

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

Martin Hayes & David Power


SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

TUE

11

7.30PM

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 30/26
ZONE B REGULAR 26/23

Photo Con Kelleher

It was while appearing in the 1988 Festival that viola da gamba


master Jordi Savall encountered Irish traditional music for the first
time. Since then Savall has cemented his reputation as a musical
polymath and a champion of early music in all its forms, but he
remains captivated by Celtic musical traditions. For this opening
concert in the 2015 series, Savall joins Marble City Sessions host
Martin Hayes and fellow artist in residence Dennis Cahill to bring their
collaboration to a new stage, further exploring the lost connections
between the courtly elegance of early music and the old melodies
of the Irish tradition. Featuring regular Savall collaborators Frank
McGuire on bodhrn and Andrew Lawrence-King on harp, Celtic
Dialogues promises to be an encounter to remember between
legendary musicians.

WED

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT

Ireland
For this special performance in one of the citys most historic
courtyards, Marble City Sessions host Martin Hayes teams
up with his frequent collaborator David Power, a master of
the uilleann pipes whose career has encompassed All-Ireland
medals, membership of seminal ensembles (including Hayes
own Masters of Tradition tours), Broadway productions and
several critically acclaimed albums.
Duration 45 mins approx.

WED

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

12

6.30PM

1710 COURTYARD AT
SMITHWICKS EXPERIENCE
KILKENNY
ADMISSION 12//10

26

27

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

ETERNAL HARMONY:
THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
GOLDBERG VARIATIONS III

Zhu Xiao-Mei

The finest living


exponent of the sarod
The Guardian

Amjad Ali Khan

with Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan


India

piano

China/France
IRISH DEBUT

Duration 90 mins approx.

a pianist who goes right to the


essence, ignoring fear

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT

Le Monde

See page 58

In her own words, the Goldberg Variations is like the water in


a river. At the end of the work, the water continues to flow. It
is at once the same and not the same. You have lived, youve
understood something, everything is over and at the same
time everything can start again. Thats something that is much
more than simply Chinese or Taoist. It is the expression of
life itself. Madame Zhus public performances are rare and
carefully chosen, and she has decided to perform in Kilkenny
the work that lies closest to her heart.
The Goldberg Variations series is generously supported by
Mrs Joneen Casey.

12

7.30PM

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 25/22

Taoism, or Daoism, is an ancient Chinese


religious and philosophical school of thought
that emphasises living in harmony with the Tao,
the ultimate creative principle of the universe.
It has had a profound influence on Zhu XiaoMeis relationship to music and above all to
Bach. In this intimate conversation, Madame
Zhu discusses the ways in which Taoism has
nourished and informed her artistic philosophy.
Duration 60 mins approx.

11
SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

12

The Tao of Bach

TUE

Duration 75 mins approx.


WED

WED

6PM

ROTHE HOUSE
ADMISSION 12/10

9.30PM

Photo Martin Jehnichen - Accentus Music

This third and final concert in our series of Goldberg


Variations marks the Irish debut of an extraordinary artist. As
a young woman, pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei was sent to a labour
camp during Maos Cultural Revolution, where she nonetheless
managed to continue her Bach studies in secret. Since
emigrating to France 30 years ago, her interpretations of
Bach (in particular) have become celebrated for their depth of
understanding, and an approach that connects Bachs musical
philosophy with the ancient Chinese tradition of the Tao.

SET THEATRE
ADMISSION 27/23.50

One of Indian musics greatest stars makes a very rare Irish


appearance in what promises to be a Festival highlight.
There is no essential difference between classical and
popular music, Amjad Ali Khan has said. Music is music.
I want to communicate with the listener who finds Indian
classical music remote. For more than 50 years, Khan has
done just that, breathing new life into the sarod one of the
most beguiling instruments in the world composing new
ragas, releasing a string of acclaimed recordings (including
the Grammy-nominated Ancient Sounds), and collaborating
with a breathtaking array of musicians, from the Britten
Sinfonia to folk singer Carrie Newcomer. In Kilkenny, Khan
joins forces with his sons, Amaan and Ayaan (both sarod
masters in their own right), to explore the Indian classical
tradition he has done so much to renew.

28

Robert Pinsky

Photo Dylan Vaughan

no other living
American poet
- no other living
American, probably has done so much to
put poetry before the
public eye

USA

Introduced by Colm Tibn


For our 42nd edition, the Festival welcomes one of the worlds
finest writers as poet in residence. Poetry, Robert Pinsky has
said, is one of the most fundamental pleasures a person can
experience. In the course of an extraordinary 40-year career,
Pinsky has brought that pleasure to countless readers through a
series of acclaimed collections celebrated for their jazz-inflected
sensibilities and their breadth of subject matter, from the history
of the saxophone in Ginza Samba to the impassioned political
poems of Gulf Music.

The New York Times

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

29

SEE ALSO DANTE IN DUNMORE P.25

THE VIOLIN & HARPSICHORD SONATAS

Since serving three terms as US Poet Laureate, Pinsky has taken


every opportunity to speak up for poetry in public, founding
the Favourite Poem Project (see below), publishing guides for
reading poetry, and becoming the first and perhaps only poet
to appear as himself on The Simpsons. A skilled saxophonist, his
collaborations with leading jazz musicians reveal the importance
of sound and rhythm in his work, and his reading in the Parade
Tower is a rare chance to encounter at first hand one of the
finest poets of our time.

Maya Homburger violin

Switzerland

Malcolm Proud harpsichord

Ireland

Bachs six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord are seminal works which
point towards a new era in classical music. Moving from the older trio
sonata to a form which assigns the three musical lines between the violin
and the two hands of the keyboard player, these sonatas created a genre
which Mozart, Beethoven and others would take to fresh heights. These
two lunchtime concerts in St Johns offer a rare opportunity to hear the
full cycle of these marvellous sonatas performed by Maya Homburger and
Malcolm Proud, Festival artists in residence whose recording of the sonata
cycle was released to great acclaim in 2008.

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

PROGRAMME I
Thursday 13 August 1pm
Sonata no. 2 in A major BWV 1015
Sonata no. 1 in B minor BWV 1014
Cantabile ma un poco Adagio
(movement from early version of
Sonata no. 6)
Sonata no. 3 in E major BWV 1016
Duration 60 mins approx.

THU

FRI

1PM

1PM

13 14

ST JOHNS PRIORY
ADMISSION 16/14
FOR EACH CONCERT

PROGRAMME II
Friday 14 August 1pm
Sonata no. 4 in C minor BWV 1017
Sonata no. 5 in F minor BWV 1018
Sonata no. 6 in G major BWV 1019
Duration 60 mins approx.

FRI

14
6PM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 16/14

Poetry Workshop

Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet

Favourite Poem Project

In this workshop for poets,


Robert Pinsky hopes to find
examples of the relation between
sound and imagination, discovery
and purpose some of the quick,
intuitive processes of poetry.
Participation is by application:
email info@poetryireland.ie for
further details. Places are
strictly limited.

Join us at the Parade Tower to mark the publication


of Kilkenny Arts Offices Poetry Broadsheet, launched
by former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. The
Broadsheet aims to give local writers a platform for
their work, and this year poems were selected by 2015
guest editor Tony Curtis. A highly accomplished poet
and winner of the National Poetry Prize, Tonys has
published nine collections including Pony and Folk.
His latest collection, Approximately in the Key of C,
is forthcoming from Arc Publications.

In partnership with Poetry Ireland

Duration 90 mins approx.

When Robert Pinsky was appointed US Poet


Laureate, he invited ordinary Americans to read
aloud their favourite poem for an archive at
the Library of Congress. Almost 20 years later,
the Favourite Poem Project has amassed an
archive of 25,000 letters and spawned three
anthologies. Now Pinsky brings the project to
Kilkenny, where a select group of Festival artists
and local students will read their favourite poem
before a live audience, and explain why it means
so much to them.
Duration 90 mins approx.

TUE

THE HERITAGE COUNCIL


ATTENDANCE BY
APPLICATION
10AM

11

THU

13
6PM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION FREE
BUT TICKETED

SAT

15
3PM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION FREE BUT TICKETED

Photo Eric Antoniou

Duration 60 mins approx.

30

31

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

The Cork
Gamelan Ensemble
Ireland

with special guests


Colin Dunne, Kate Ellis,
Julie Feeney, Martin Hayes,
Iarla Lionird, Nick Roth,
Duke Special & West Cork
Ukulele Orchestra

In Javanese traditional music, a gamelan


is an orchestra composed of beautifully
decorated, tuned percussion instruments.
The brainchild of Mel Mercier, composer,
performer and lecturer in Music at
UCC, the Cork Gamelan Ensemble is a
groundbreaking group that creates and
performs a fresh, dynamic and enchanting
repertoire of contemporary music.
Performing a programme of original
compositions in collaboration with a
mouthwatering assembly of Irish and
international guests including artist in
residence Martin Hayes, chanteuse Julie
Feeney, saxophonist Nick Roth, cellist
Kate Ellis, West Cork Ukulele Orchestra,
fiddle player Martin Hayes, the inimitable
Duke Special and dancer Colin Dunne
the Cork Gamelan Ensemble promises
an unforgettable evening of music (and
dance) as youve never heard it before.

ETERNAL HARMONY:
THE MUSIC OF JS BACH/
MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

Partitas & Potts

Aoife N Bhriain violin


Ireland

Very few musicians feel equally at home in both


classical and traditional music, but Aoife N Bhriain
is one. A virtuoso classical violinist, she is also the
winner of no fewer than seven All-Ireland titles at the
Fleadh Cheoil.
In these unique concerts Aoife explores her
musical heritage on both sides, interweaving dance
movements from Bachs solo partitas and sonatas with
tunes from the late fiddler Tommy Potts, whose album
of radical reinterpretations of traditional airs, The
Liffey Banks, is now regarded as a classic. Bringing
together both Eternal Harmony and the Marble City
Sessions in the 16th-century drawing room of Rothe
House, Partitas & Potts charts the space between two
very different forms of dance music.
Duration 60 mins approx.

This performance celebrates the launch of


the Ensembles first CD, The Three Forges.
Duration 2 hrs approx.
SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

See page 58

the Cork Gamelan Ensembles synthesis of Javanese


and Irish trad, and more, has been a revelation
Irish Examiner

THU
THURS ST CANICES CATHEDRAL

13
8PM

ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 27/22
ZONE B REGULAR 23.50/19

SAT

13 15
10.30PM 6PM

ROTHE HOUSE
ADMISSION 16/14

32

33

LIZ ROCHE COMPANY (IRELAND)


IN A CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE ABBEY THEATRE AND
DUBLIN DANCE FESTIVAL

Bastard Amber
Roches
choreography is
delicately woven
but its threads
possess an elusive
tensile strength.
Entrancing.
The Times
TWO LECTURES
EXPLORING VISIONS
OF BYZANTIUM

Photo Luca Truffarelli

THE LOST MUSIC OF


BYZANTIUM
ALEXANDER LINGAS
(Canada/Greece)

Co-commissioned by Kilkenny Arts Festival,


Bastard Amber is a major new work by leading
Irish choreographer, Liz Roche. Moving her
rigorous exploration of the body into the realm
of the soul, this enthralling piece is partly inspired
by WB Yeats seminal poem Sailing to Byzantium
and the meditative golden paintings of the late
Patrick Scott.
A profound journey into humankinds spiritual
quest, Bastard Amber is filled with unforgettable
imagery and stunning design, conjuring a lustrous
Byzantine world of contradictory influences, a
meeting place of East and West.
With a sublime international company of dancers
performing alongside live musicians and featuring
an original score, Bastard Amber is a provocative
and haunting experience.

YEATS BYZANTIUM
ROY FOSTER (Ireland)

Co-commissioned by the Abbey Theatre, Dublin


Dance Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival. An
Affiliate Event of Yeats2015, Irelands national
celebration of WB Yeats.

See page 39 for details.

Duration 70 mins approx.

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

FRI

SAT

14 15
8PM

8PM

WATERGATE THEATRE
ADMISSION 20/17.50

34

35

Schuberts last sonata took on a rare, devotional quality


here ... Everything about this performance - from the music
itself to Schiffs own presence - felt transfigured

THE LAST SONATAS OF HAYDN, MOZART,


BEETHOVEN & SCHUBERT

Sir Andrs Schiff

piano

Sir Andrs Schiff is an artistic titan of our time.

PROGRAMME

Born in Budapest, for decades he has performed in


the worlds leading festivals and venues, releasing a
string of acclaimed recordings, receiving countless
international awards and becoming not only a
towering representative of Central European culture
but also a vocal advocate for broader civil rights
and freedoms.

HAYDN
Sonata no. 62 in E flat major Hob XVI:52

Direct from the Salzburg Festival, Sir Andrs comes


to Kilkenny to perform works at the very heart of his
repertoire: the last sonatas by the great masters of
Viennese Classicism Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and
Schubert. From Beethovens transcendent Sonata in
C minor to Schuberts otherworldly Sonata in B flat,
Sir Andrs takes us on a journey through the sublime,
leavened with surprising touches of humour. This will
be his first appearance in Ireland since 2011, and an
unmissable chance to witness a master at work amid
the splendour of St Canices.

SCHUBERT
Sonata in B flat major D960

14
8PM

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 50/45
ZONE B REGULAR 44/39

BEETHOVEN
Sonata in C minor op. 111
MOZART
Sonata in D major K576

Duration 2 hours approx.


(including interval)

Photo Nadia F Romanini

FRI

The Sunday Telegraph

oneill foley

36

37

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

The Brooklyn Rider


Almanac USA

Brooklyn Rider
Martin Hayes
& Dennis Cahill

USA

Ireland

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

Maighread &
Trona N
Dhomhnaill
& Friends Ireland

Maighread and Trona N Dhomnhaill


delivered from the get-go theirs were
voices of the gods, sent to elevate us all
The Irish Times
Maighread and Trona N Dhomnhaill have been at
the heart of the Irish traditional music scene for over
40 years. Born into a celebrated singing family from
the Donegal Gaeltacht, the sisters (along with their
brother Mchel) formed the legendary group Skara
Brae while still in their teens. Trona went on to join
The Bothy Band, one of the most significant groups
in the history of Irish music, and it was not until
the 1990s that the sisters began to work together
again, producing the classic album Idir an Da Sholas/
Between the Two Lights. Their live performances are
heart-rending events, and the Black Abbey is the
perfect venue for their spellbinding harmonies, with
some special guests dropping by.

one of the wonders of contemporary music


The Los Angeles Times
Brooklyn Rider are one of the
most adventurous string quartets
of the 21st century. Named after
the New York borough where they
make their home, the quartet has
spent the last ten years gleefully
dissolving the boundaries between
musical worlds and performing
a repertoire that stretches
from Bartk to contemporary
composers like John Zorn, John
Luther Adams and Philip Glass.

USA

The Marble City Sessions storm


into the final weekend with this
mouthwatering collaboration
between artists in residence
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
and one of New Yorks hottest
ensembles, Brooklyn Rider. This
pioneering group is celebrated for its
collaborations with leading musicians
from jazz, traditional, indie rock and
a wealth of non-Western forms, and
tours globally with Yo-Yo Ma and the
Silk Road Ensemble. Tonight these
extraordinary artists come together
for the first time in Europe on a new
journey across musical frontiers.
Duration 90 mins approx.

Making their Irish debut as artists


in residence at the Festival, in
this late-night concert Brooklyn
Rider perform music from their
new album, The Brooklyn Rider
Almanac. Featuring compositions
by members of the quartet and
favourite collaborators including
Bill Frisell and Wilcos Glenn
Kotche, The Brooklyn Rider
Almanac ensures that any
previous notions you had of string
quartet music will get shaken up
and ultimately thrown out for
good (Times Union).
Duration 75 mins approx.

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT

Duration 75 mins approx.

14

7.30PM

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 22/19

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

FRI

14

9.30PM

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 22/19

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

Photo Sarah Small

FRI

See page 58

SAT

15
10PM

SET THEATRE
ADMISSION 27/23.50

38

39

Photo Dylan Vaughan

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

GREAT CONCERTOS

A BACH MEDITATION:
THE VIOLIN SONATAS AND PARTITAS

Camerata Kilkenny
with
Maya Homburger (Switzerland) director/violin
Rachel Beckett (UK) flute
Claire Duff (Ireland) violin
Malcolm Proud (Ireland) harpsichord

PROGRAMME
Keyboard Concerto no. 1 in D minor BWV 1052
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043
Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in D major BWV 1050

Maya Homburger
(Switzerland) baroque violin

PROGRAMME
The Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006
Duration 3 hrs approx.

Duration 60 mins approx.


This mouthwatering programme from Camerata Kilkenny
features three of Bachs greatest concertos. Malcolm
Proud is the soloist in the Harpsichord Concerto no. 1 in
D minor, a revolutionary piece with the expressive drama
of Beethoven or Brahms. Two of Bachs most popular
creations follow: the sublime Concerto for Two Violins in
D minor, with soloists Maya Homburger and Irish Baroque
Orchestra leader Claire Duff; and Brandenburg Concerto
no. 5, with Rachel Beckett joining Maya Homburger and
Malcolm Proud as soloists.

SAT

15
1PM

ST JOHNS PRIORY
ADMISSION 16/14

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

For this free late-night event in The Black Abbey,


distinguished violinist Maya Homburger, who has
recorded the magnificent sonatas and partitas to
great acclaim, proposes a radical new approach.
Instead of a conventional concert, Homburger will
play in one continuous flow, moving around the
abbey in a remarkable, contemplative journey for
performer and audience alike.

SAT

15

9.30PM

THE BLACK ABBEY


FREE AND UNTICKETED

The Lost Music of


Byzantium

Yeats
Byzantium

Alexander Lingas

Roy Foster Ireland

Canada/Greece
In parallel with the performances of
Bastard Amber, co-commissioned by the
Festival and inspired in part by Yeats
great poem Sailing to Byzantium, two
talks explore visions of that ancient city.
In the first of these, Alexander Lingas
uncovers the lost traditions of Byzantine
music. When Constantinople fell to the
Ottomans in 1453, sacred Byzantine
chant (the eastern sibling of Gregorian chant) was lost and
almost forgotten. Lingas founder and Artistic Director of
Cappella Romana, an ensemble celebrated for its recordings
of this repertoire takes us in search of the sacred music
that was heard in Hagia Sophia, the great church built by
the Emperor Justinian in the same century in which Canice
founded his monastic settlement at Kilkenny.

In the 150th anniversary of Yeats birth, Roy Foster


discusses the background and meaning of the two
famous poems about Byzantium. His talk traces some
unexpected Irish inspirations and echoes, as well as
exploring what the poems say about sex and death:
the two topics (according to Yeats) of the least
interest to a serious and studious mood.

Duration 60 mins approx.

Duration 60 mins approx.

SAT

15
11AM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 12/10

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

Roy Foster is Carroll Professor of Irish History at


the University of Oxford and a well-known cultural
commentator, critic and broadcaster. His many
books include the two-volume authorised biography
of Yeats, a number of works on Irish history and
literature, and the widely praised Vivid Faces: the
revolutionary generation in Ireland 1890-1923, just
published in paperback.

SAT

15
6PM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 16/14

SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

40

The Cardinalls
Musick
UK

In 2010, The Cardinalls Musicks performance of works by Tallis and Byrd


was one of the highlights of the Festival and, this year, the celebrated
British ensemble makes an eagerly awaited return with two concerts. This
first programme presents a selection of masterworks by Thomas Tallis, the
great Elizabethan who wrote some of the most beautiful and profound
music of the Renaissance. As a special addition to the programme, The
Cardinalls Musick joins forces with leading Irish choral singers to perform
Tallis spectacular 40-part motet Spem in alium one of the summits of
choral music in the glorious acoustic of St Canices.
Formed by Andrew Carwood in 1989, The Cardinalls Musick has
established itself as one of Britains foremost choral ensembles. Taking
its name from Cardinal Wolsey, the group has developed an outstanding
reputation in the music of the English Renaissance, winning no fewer
than four Gramophone Awards for Early Music (including one for their
recording of Tallis Ave rosa sine spinis), while also embracing a wide
variety of styles and periods from Bach to world premieres by composers
such as Michael Finnissy, Simon Whalley, Matthew Martin and Judith Weir.

ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH

the voices of
Andrew Carwood
and his eight
cohorts could
probably start
a blaze in the
Antarctic!

Photo Dylan Vaughan

THOMAS TALLIS:
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

The Times

THE MUSICAL OFFERING

BACHS MOTETS AND THEIR FOREBEARS

Maya Homburger (Switzerland) violin


Rachel Beckett (UK) flute
Marja Gaynor (Finland/Ireland) violin/viola
Sarah McMahon (Ireland) cello
Malcolm Proud (Ireland) harpsichord

the best ensemble singing talent Britain


can produce

Camerata Kilkenny
PROGRAMME
Videte miraculum
Een like the hunted hind
Jesu salvator saeculi
Why bragst in malice high
Gaude gloriosa
Magnificat a 5
Iam Christus astra ascenderat
Homo quidam fecit
Homage to Tallis (by Cheryl Frances-Hoad)
Spem in alium
Duration 1 hr 45 mins approx.

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 30/26
7.30PM
ZONE B REGULAR 26/23
SAT

15

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

The Cardinalls Musick UK


International Record Review

PROGRAMME
The Musical Offering for harpsichord and chamber
instruments BWV 1079
Duration 55 mins approx.
In 1747, when Bach was finally admitted to the presence
of Frederick the Great of Prussia, the king played a
theme and commanded Bach to improvise a fugue,
which he did in a manner that astonished those present.
Bach followed this feat by composing one of the
pinnacles of his art: The Musical Offering, a collection of
works all based on that same theme. On the final day of
the Festival, ensemble in residence Camerata Kilkenny
perform this mysterious late masterpiece, which they
recorded in 2011 to great critical acclaim.
SUN

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT

16

See page 58

ST JOHNS PRIORY
ADMISSION 16/14

1PM

Airs on a Bach String


Ian Fox Ireland
SUN

16
11AM

oneill foley

41

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 12/10

PROGRAMME
JS Bach: Lobet den Herren BWV 230
JS Bach: Frchte dich nicht BWV 228
JS Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229
JS Bach: Singet dem Herrn BWV 225
And works by Heinrich Schtz,
Melchoir Franck and Johannes Eckard
Duration 80 mins approx.
Bachs magnificent Motets look back to the composers
who first merged the Renaissance motet with the
German Lutheran chorale. For this final programme in
the Bach series, The Cardinalls Musick sets Bachs work
in the context of his forebears, combining the work of
masters such as Heinrich Schtz with four of Bachs six
Motets, including Singet dem Herren, which features one
of Bachs most uplifting melodies.
SUN

16
3PM

THE BLACK ABBEY


ADMISSION 25/22

No other composer has had so much of his music


adapted, orchestrated, jazzed up or messed about as
Bach an indication of his continuing pre-eminence.
As the Festivals epic Bach series draws to a close,
critic and broadcaster Ian Fox introduces and plays
some of the most intriguing examples of the afterlife
of the great composers music, from symphonic
adaptations to jazz and electronics.
Duration 70 mins approx.

SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
EVENT
See page 58

42

43

MARBLE CITY SESSIONS

Festival Finale
hosted by Martin Hayes
with
Thomas Bartlett
Brooklyn Rider
Dennis Cahill
Maya Homburger
Aoife N Bhriain
Maighread N Dhomhnaill
Trona N Dhomhnaill
Iarla Lionird
Robert Pinsky

Jane Smiley USA


Americas Tolstoy
The Guardian

Last year saw the introduction of a new Kilkenny highlight:


the Festival Finale, featuring a constellation of artists who
were in residence during the Festival, plus special guests.
Continuing the tradition of that sold-out, unforgettable
night, this years Finale is again hosted by Marble City
Sessions co-curator Martin Hayes, and features a wealth
of performers not only from the Sessions but also from
our Bach series, as well as poet in residence Robert
Pinsky. This unique evening will also premiere some
new collaborations and projects which the artists have
been developing during the Festival. With special guests
including Gloaming members Thomas Bartlett and Iarla
Lionird, it promises to be a spectacular climax to ten
days and nights of artistic adventures in the Marble City.

Since A Thousand Acres, her reworking of King Lear, won


the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, Jane Smiley has been feted as
one of the great contemporary American novelists. A
writer with Dickensian range, she has tackled everything
from fourteenth-century Greenland (The Greenlanders)
to contemporary Hollywood (Ten Days in the Hills), and
she comes to Kilkenny with her most ambitious project
yet. The 1,300-page Last Hundred Years trilogy tells the
multigenerational story of the Langdons, Iowa farming
folk, from 1920 to 2019. Told from multiple points of
view, with an unerring feel for the changing historical
landscape and the tensions of family life, the trilogy is
already being hailed as her finest achievement.

Duration 2 hrs 45 mins approx. (including interval)

Duration 60 mins approx.


SUN

SUN

16
5PM

PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION 16/14

Photo Ross Costigan

16

7.30PM

ST CANICES CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM 40/35
ZONE B REGULAR 35/30.50

44

45

Secret
Garden Music

Photo: Ross Costigan

Following a huge audience response to its


introduction in the 2014 Festival, Secret Garden
Music returns with a unique series of free, popup concerts, twice each afternoon, for audiences
of all ages from 2 to 102. Major international and
Irish musicians, many of them in residence at the
Festival, perform in six of Kilkennys most beautiful
historic city gardens. This year, the locations are
expanding to include two new garden venues: the
13th-century Black Abbey, and the River Court on
the banks of the Nore with a stunning view of the
castle. Drop by each afternoon to discover who
is playing and enjoy world-class music in these
magical, hidden spaces.
Duration 15 mins approx.
Performances are subject to weather conditions.

SAT

TUES

FRI

SAT

TUES

FRI

SUN

3PM

3PM

3PM

4PM

4PM

4PM

3PM

11 14

BUTLER HOUSE GARDEN


ADMISSION FREE

11 14

BLACK ABBEY GARDEN


ADMISSION FREE

WED

12
3PM

CASTLE ROSE GARDEN


ADMISSION FREE

SAT

SUN

3PM

4PM

15

WED

12
4PM

SAT

MON

THU

4PM

3PM

3PM

15

HERITAGE COUNCIL GARDEN


ADMISSION FREE

10 13
RIVER COURT GARDEN
ADMISSION FREE

SUN

MON

THU

3PM

4PM

4PM

16 10 13
ROTHE HOUSE GARDEN
ADMISSION FREE

SUN

16
4PM

46

47

A Festival
Portrait

Meta-Perceptual Helmets
Cleary Connolly Ireland

Mick ODea Ireland

Have you ever wondered how the world looks from the point of view
of a hammerhead shark, with its hyper-stereo vision? How about
a horse, which has exceptional peripheral vision? Or a chameleon,
which can look backwards and forwards at the same time?
Now, thanks to artists Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly, you can find
out. Cleary Connolly have developed a series of wearable sculptures
called Meta-Perceptual Helmets helmets that enable you to see
what an animal sees. Drop into Rothe House every day during the
festival, where you can try on a range of helmets for creatures both
real and imaginary and wander around the gardens, transforming
yourself into a living, moving sculpture to see and be seen.
At once playful and serious, Meta-Perceptual Helmets is an innovative
and interactive exhibition that meets arts greatest challenge to
make us see the world afresh.

Cleary Connollys meta-perceptual helmets ingeniously


invite us to set aside our preconceptions and to
experience things in ways quite different from the norm

Photo Conor Horgan

The Irish Times

a master draughtsman
and a painter who
relishes the processes
of image-making
Irish Arts Review

JAMES STEPHENS BARRACKS


SUNDAY 9 SUNDAY 16 AUGUST
2.30-4PM
ADMISSION FREE

Mick ODea is one of Irelands bestknown artists, President of the Royal


Hibernian Academy and a winner
of countless awards, including the
Arnotts National Portrait Award and
the Ireland-US Council/Irish Arts
Review Portraiture Award.

As both a portraitist and a landscape


artist who thrives on working en plein
air, ODea is uniquely placed to take
on the role of visual artist in residence
for the 2015 Festival. Throughout
the ten days, ODea will portray key
Festival artists, while also capturing
the sights, sounds and atmosphere of
the Festival, sketching performances
and events as they happen.

Mick ODeas studio will be located


in Kilkennys historic James
Stephens Barracks, home of the
3rd Infantry Battalion and just
a few minutes walk from most
venues. Festival-goers are invited
to visit each afternoon from
Sunday 9 August onwards (details
below). Why not drop in and watch
a great artist at work? And, as the
Festival progresses, look out for
completed paintings and sketches
on display in a range of venues
around the city.

ARTISTS TALK
SUN

3PM
ADMISSION FREE
BUT TICKETED

ROTHE HOUSE
SATURDAY 8 - SUNDAY 16 AUGUST
11AM-5PM
ADMISSION FREE

48

National Craft Gallery

Curated by Emmett Scanlon

Nine Lives is an exhibition showcasing the work of a new generation of architects who, together with
curator Emmett Scanlon, were selected to represent Ireland at three international architecture festivals
in 2015, as part of the New Horizon_architecture from Ireland initiative. These exciting young architects
collaborate across disciplines to develop new modes of practice for the 21st century.
The exhibition presents extracts from the ongoing life stories of nine rooms stories that were made
concrete through architectural design and continue to develop through occupation and use. Moments
from each rooms story are presented here side by side, using photographs and drawings. Featuring
the work of acclaimed architects TAKA, Clancy Moore, Hall McKnight, Steve Larkin, GKMP, A2, Ryan
Kennihan, AP+E, Urban Agency and Emmett Scanlon, Nine Lives is a fascinating contribution to the
ongoing story of how we design and use built space.
New Horizon_architecture from Ireland forms part of Irish Design 2015 (ID2015), a year-long initiative
backed by the Irish government exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design throughout Ireland
and internationally.

Installation

The Skys the Limit


with artists rla Kelly and Deirdre Rogers
Build, make and explore a magical city
using light, paper and fabric. Come on
a creative journey through this magical
handmade cityscape with artists rla
Kelly and Deirdre Rogers. ReCreate will
supply a variety of unusual materials to
make this a unique creative experience
for the whole family. This is a drop-in
activity for all ages.

Photo Noel Bowler

Nine Lives

49

TALK
Gallery 1
Tuesday 11 August, 5.30pm

Childrens
Workshops

Occupation and Craft in


Architecture talk, followed
by Q&A with curator
Emmett Scanlon, Nathalie
Weadick (director of the Irish
Architecture Foundation)
and selected architects from
the Nine Lives exhibition. See
www.nationalcraftgallery.ie
for details.

NATIONAL CRAFT GALLERY


CASTLE YARD
SAT 8 & SUN 9 AUGUST 1PM4PM

Workshops are free. Book by calling the Festival box


office from 6 July. Due to limited capacity, maximum of
one workshop per child. Parents/guardians must stay in
the Castle Yard area during workshops.

Clay Skyscrapers with Maeve Sookram


This experimental workshop invites children to construct
a skyscraper using clay and an assortment of found
objects. Create fascinating forms and see how you can
build a tall structure with ceramist Maeve Sookram.
Each child will have the opportunity to make a mini
skyscraper with air-dried clay that can also be taken
home and painted.

Modular Towers with Billy McDonald


The Modular Towers workshop gives children the
opportunity to explore architectural design through
the tactile process of model making. Participants will
transform a simple cardboard box into an apartment
unit, experimenting with form and texture. Each
apartment will then be stacked to create a modular
tower. This architectural experiment will encourage
children to play with the process of design.

Building Patterns with Caroline Ryan

4PM

NATIONAL CRAFT GALLERY, CASTLE YARD


MON-SAT 10AM-5.30PM, SUN 11AM-5.30PM
(EXCEPT FRI 14 & SAT 15 AUG: OPEN 10AM-4PM)
EXHIBITION CONTINUES UNTIL 27 SEPTEMBER
ADMISSION FREE

Photo Paul Tierney

OPENING
SAT

Create unique patterns inspired by the architecture


featured in the Nine Lives exhibition. Take a closer
look at structure, explore lines and identify shapes and
patterns through the medium of print. Each child will
learn the skill of silkscreen printing and take home their
own unique design.
NATIONAL CRAFT GALLERY, CASTLE YARD
TUES 11, WED 12 & THURS 13 AUGUST
ALL OF THE ABOVE WORKSHOPS RUN AT
2PM, 3PM & 4PM DAILY
AGES 5-13
DURATION 45 MINS PER WORKSHOP

50

51

BUTLER GALLERY &


CARTOON SALOON PRESENT

Song of the Sea:


THE EXHIBITION
Butler Gallery, one of Irelands most vibrant contemporary
art spaces, in collaboration with twice Oscar-nominated
Cartoon Saloon, presents an interactive, multimedia exhibition
of original drawings, prints, storyboards, animation and scene
realisation, revealing an insiders view of Cartoon Saloons
movie-making process.

Shapeshifters:
Character Design
Workshops

The exhibition includes a timeline of the Song of the Sea history,


from initial drawings to the delivery of a world-class animation film.
Visitors will be able to create their own animations on-site while
projections bring the gallery walls to life with music and image.
With thanks to the exhibition funders: Arts Council, ID 2015: A Year
of Design, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Gorilla Creative Post
Production, Grant Thornton, Allied Irish Bank, Kilkenny County
Council, TV Paint, Wacom, Costellos Brewing Company.

Song of the Sea animator in residence


Rory will invite participants to
discover how simple shapes can
create complex characters!
Accompanying adults may book a
place to participate, or remain on-site
for duration of workshop. Book via
Kilkenny Arts Festival Box Office.

BUTLER

GALLERY

BUTLER
GALLERY
BUTLER
GALLERY,
THE CASTLE, KILKENNY
TEL: +353 56 776 1106
WWW.BUTLERGALLERY.COM

BUTLERRECEPTION
GALLERY
SPECIAL
TO CELEBRATE KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL
(FEATURING COSTELLOS BEER)
SATURDAY 8 AUGUST 3PM - 5PM
EXHIBITION RUNS FROM 4 JULY TO 11 OCTOBER
10AM 5.30PM DAILY

Song of the Sea, Acadamy Award Nominee - Best Animated


Feature, IFTA Award Winner - Best Film.

MUNIMENTS ROOM, KILKENNY CASTLE


8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 AUGUST
11AM - 12PM
DURATION 60 MINS
ADMISSION 5 PER PERSON
SUITABLE FOR AGES 6+

52

53

Become a Festival Friend!

THE GREGORY WALKERS (IRELAND)

Bake!

The Isle is Full


of Noises, Sounds
and Sweet Airs

Bake! takes the familiar ritual of a birthday


party and turns it into something extra special
The Irish Times
Its Prince Fredriks ninth birthday, but who will bake
the royal birthday cake? As things heat up in the busy
kitchen of the queens palace, young apprentice baker
Madeleine attempts to prove herself to her father.

A delightful new theatre experience for young


audiences performed by Paul Curley, designed by Ger
Clancy and directed by Philip Hardy, Bake! invites you
into the action of the royal palace. Get stuck in, but be
warned: things could get messy.
Duration 40 mins approx.

Duration 50 mins approx.

12PM & 3PM

SUN

12PM & 3PM

PATRON
Reidy & Foley Solicitors

From Othello to The Merry Wives of Windsor,


Shakespeares plays are full of references to music
and popular songs. But how did they actually sound?
In this delightful programme for the whole family,
strolling players The Gregory Walkers perform a
collection of popular Elizabethan tunes, from timeless
folk songs like Greensleeves to fashionable dances
like the volta.

SAT

As an individual or business, youll find a range of Friend options and


benefits available, from complimentary tickets and discounts to Festival
Club membership and special events. Friends membership starts at just
95 (50 for under-35s). To join, call the Festival Office on 056 7763663
or visit kilkennyarts.ie/support-us to find out more.

Photo: Ross Costigan

PAUL CURLEY (IRELAND)

Help make Kilkenny Arts Festival one of Europes finest artistic


celebrations. For over 40 years weve brought a host of the worlds best
artists to the beautiful surroundings of Irelands medieval city, showcasing
Kilkenny on the global stage each August and generating more than
5 million per annum for the city and county. Making this possible is the
support of dozens of local businesses, hundreds of local volunteers and
thousands of loyal Festival-goers from near and far.

BARNSTORM THEATRE
AGES 4-6
ADMISSION 7

SUN

16

1PM & 2.30PM

PARADE TOWER
AGES 5+
ADMISSION 7

BEST FRIEND
Boland & Company Solicitors
OReillys Wallpaper, Paints & Gifts

SPECIAL FRIEND
Allens
Ann Phelan TD
Aut Even Hospital
Beatrice Ryan
Bluett ODonoghue Architects
Butler Court Guest House
The Butterslip
Countrystyle Foods

Dores Nostalgia Caf - Michael Dore


Edward Haydens School of Cookery
Folkster
Happy Times
Haven Pharmacy OConnells
Johns Green Medical Centre
Kilkenny Castle Tea Rooms - Michael Dore
Kilkenny Modern Printers Ltd
Mary Mahony & Jimmy Lenehan
Michael Hutchinson
Moth to a Flame
Mugshot Caf
Murphy Jewellers
Murphy Stuart Insurance
Newpark Pharmacy
OBrien Butchers
Patrick M Farrell Accountants
Patrick O Byrne
Petronellas Restaurant
PWC
Stonehouse Books

FESTIVAL TEAM

Street Entertainment
SAT 8 AUGUST
CANAL WALK 1PM
MacDONAGH JUNCTION 3PM

Street entertainment around Kilkenny City each weekend!

SUNDAY 9 AUGUST
MacDONAGH JUNCTION 1PM
THE PARADE 3PM

SATURDAY 15 AUGUST
MacDONAGH JUNCTION 1PM
THE PARADE 3PM

SUNDAY 16 AUGUST
THE PARADE 12PM
CANAL WALK 4PM

Susan Mosse
Violet Twomey
WH Good Ltd

FRIEND
Cllr David Fitzgerald
Donohoe Town and Country
Florence Ryan
The Gourmet Store
Jim Ryan
Kilkenny Crafts
Cllr Malcolm Noonan
Cllr Michael Doyle
Mochas Vintage Tea Rooms
Cllr Peter Cleere
Rudolf Heltzel
Three Sixty

PATRON

Festival Director
Eugene Downes

Marketing Manager
Nollaig Healy

Artist Liaison Assistant Graphic Design


Hazel Doyle
de Deloughry

Michael D. Higgins
President of Ireland

Festival Producer
Olga Barry

Box Office Manager


Cathy Hogan

Programme Editor
Alistair Daniel

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Festival Administrator
Valerie Ryan

Development Manager Marketing Consultant


Siobhan Donohoe
Annette Nugent

Production Manager
Aidan Wallace

Artist Liaison
Cornelia McCarthy

Publicity
Gerry Lundberg PR

Web Design
Pixel Design
Official IT Provider
BITS

Emer Foley (Chair), Fergus Cronin,


Orla Kelly, Maureen Kennelly,
Conor Langton, Anna OSullivan,
Michael OToole, Thomas OToole,
Isabell Smyth, Bill Whelan

CULTUREFOX.IE

NEVER
MISS
OUT
The Arts Councils new, upgraded CULTUREFOX events guide
is now live. Free, faster, easy to use and personalised for you.
Never miss out again.

57

Great Places to Stay

Coordinated by

Discover the past. Build the future.

22nd-30th August

heritageweek.ie

Celebrating our 10th Festival

2015 New Ross


Piano Festival

Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel


056 775 0200

Hotel Kilkenny
056 776 2000

Kilkenny Pembroke Hotel


056 778 3500

Kilkenny River Court Hotel


056 772 3388

Langton House Hotel


056 776 513

FINGHIN COLLINS / ALEXEI GRYNYUK


OLGA SCHEPS / CDRIC TIBERGHIEN
DARIA VAN DEN BERCKEN / FIDELIO TRIO
RT CONCERT ORCHESTRA

For best rates book your accommodation at kilkennyarts.ie

Newpark Hotel
056 776 0500

Lyrath Estate Hotel


056 776 0088

Great Places to Eat

Special Festival menus available

ROS TAPESTRY SUITE VI TO X

Thursday 24 Sunday 27 September


St. Marys Church, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Booking: 051 421255 www.stmichaelsnewross.com
info@newrosspianofestival.com www.newrosspianofestival.com

Callsave

1850 200 878

Campagne
056 777 2858

The Club House


056 772 1994

13

12

11

10

Anocht
056 772 2188

Ristorante Rinuccini
056 776 1575

Matt the Millers


Bar & Restaurant
056 776 1696

Paris Texas
056 776 1822

NEW ROSS PIANO FESTIVAL IS SUPPORTED BY


NEW ROSS

PIANO
WEXFORD
COUNTY COUNCIL

FESTIVAL

15

14

Rive Gauche
056 775 0016

18

17

16

Sol Bistro
056 776 4987

The Springhill Court Hotel Stathams Bar & Grill


056 772 1122
056 778 3500

Zuni Restaurant
056 772 3999

Great Places to Drink

19

20

The Blue Bar


056 777 1888

Brewery Corner
056 780 5081

21

22

Bridies
056 776 5133

Cleeres Bar
056 776 2573

26

23

24

25

Langtons
056 776 5133

Left Bank
056 775 0016

Matt the Millers Bar & Restaurant Marble City Bar


056 776 1696
056 776 1143

Smithwicks Experience Kilkenny tells the story of Irelands most popular ale, and was
recently included in New In Travel, one of the top 26 hottest new attractions in the world
to visit in 2015, by The Lonely Planet. Located in the heart of Irelands Medieval Mile,
it is a must-see for all visitors to Kilkenny.

D
OA

REET

St Canices Cathedral

SH

See the epic DruidShakespeare (p.4) over two nights


(Wed 12 & Thurs 13) and the opening night of Bastard
Amber (Fri 14, p.32) for 55 - save up to @12

Sol Bistro

S
HN

15

ST
IAM HOLE IN

WIL

THE WALL

13

Paris
Texas

T
YS
IAR

ET

FR

Rive
Gauche

STR

18

R
PE
UP
ST

R
WE

ST

RE

ET

Langton House Hotel

21

Bridies

23

Langtons

AD

BUTLER
GALLERY

KILKENNY
CASTLE
PARK

PARADE TOWER

Anocht

3 17

10

BUTLER
HOUSE
GARDEN

K ST

ROA
D

SET THEATRE

LIN

KILKENNY
RIVER COURT
HOTEL

LONG
GALLERY

EP
AR

E
Ristorante 11
Rinuccini
Pembroke Hotel
Stathams Bar & Grill

19

Butler House

The Blue Bar

OND
E
ORM

UD

Kilkenny Castle

TH

IC
PATR

Club House
Hotel

ET
RE
ST

Zuni

W
NE

To Hotel
Kilkenny

OND
ORM
Kilkenny
Ormonde Hotel

Both choral concerts by The Cardinalls Musick (Tallis on


15 August, p.40, and Bachs Motets on 16 August, p.41)
for 45 - save up to @11

Great Places to Stay


Great Places to Eat
Great Places to Drink

KILKENNY
CASTLE ROSE
GARDEN

14 24

WE

Eight concerts (including your choice of either


performance of Partitas & Potts [p.31], but excluding
the Festival Finale) for 130 save up to @60

Kilkenny
City Map

AD

RIVER
COURT
GARDEN

LEFT BANK

LO

The Cardinalls Double

E ST

EET

Marble City Sessions

T
REE

Matt
the
Millers

DG

BRI

JO

LL

Three events inspired by the ancient city of Byzantium:


Bastard Amber (Fri 14 or Sat 15, p.32), The Lost Music of
Byzantium and Yeats Byzantium (both Sat 15 & p.39)
for 35 save up to @13

To Lyrath
Estate Hotel

RO

HN
SS

LAN

25

RA

EET

CO

IN

JO
KIE

STR

S
IER

ST

HIGH

Three Epic Nights

NE
PAR

Two classic concerts in the Black Abbey on Mon 10:


Jordi Savall (p.22) and Bachs Brandenburg Concertos
(p.21) for 40 save up to @11

St Johns
Priory

ST

TREET

LAN

PEL

12

LL

Byzantine Trio

ET

Marble
City Bar

26

T
REE

CH

TRAIN
STATION

RE

BOX
OFFICE

RE

Baroque Double Bill

ST

MA

ES S

JAM

MILL S

See both The Human Voice (p.7) and Susannas Secret


(p.12) (your choice of dates) for 25 save up to @8

MacDONAGH
JUNCTION

BL

Rothe House

Opera Weekend

EL

ENT

IAM

ROTHE
HOUSE
GARDEN

BLACK

Two legendary world musicians performing with their


sons: Toumani & Sidiki Diabat (Sat 8, p.13) and Amjad,
Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan (Wednesday 12, p.27) for 45
save up to @10

ANE

ING L

ILD
W BU

MIC

1710 COURTYARD,
SMITHWICKS
EXPERIENCE

L
PAR

All three performances of Bachs Goldberg Variations


(pp 8, 23 & 26) for 52 save up to @13

Fathers & Sons

DU

HA

ET
TRE

BE

Three Goldbergs

WATERGATE
THEATRE

YS

AB

NE

Campagne

LO

The Black Abbey

BLACK
ABBEY
GARDEN

ET

ST

TR

NS

DEA

RE

TO

Cleeres Bar
& Theatre 22
Brewery
Corner 20

EET

ST

JAMES
STEPHENS
BARRACKS

WN

NIC

CA

NE

N ST

A double bill on Fri 14: Brooklyn Rider Almanac (p.36) and


your choice of either Maighread & Trona N Dhomhnaill
(p.36) or Bastard Amber (p.32) for 32 - save up to @13

ST

TO

HN

Brooklyn Friday Night

P
ES

LFE

ROSE IN

All ten lunchtime concerts for 99 save up to @70

CE

LA

Bach Quintet
Complete Bach At Lunchtime

IRI

WO

JO

Any three lunchtime concerts for 35 save up to @15

59

RR
ME

HERITAGE
COUNCIL
GARDEN

A double bill of two grand masters of music: Zhu Xiao-Mei


(p.26) and Amjad Ali Khan (p.27), on Wed 12 for 39
save up to @14

Bach Trio

R ST
VICA

Grand Masters From The East

BARNSTORM
THEATRE

To Newpark
Hotel

CO
LE
ST
CA

EN
GRE

Special Ticket Deals

Any five lunchtime concerts for 54 save up to @30

RIDG

S B

58

To The Springhill
Court Hotel

Castle Yard
NATIONAL
CRAFT
GALLERY

CA

ST

LE

RO

AD

2cm = 100m approx.

16

1 inch = 400 feet approx.

60

Kilkenny Arts Festival 2015 Schedule


Friday 07

St Canices
Cathedral

Saturday 08

Sunday 09

Hubert Butler Lecture


6pm, p.9

Bach: Les Arts Florissants


& William Christie
7.30pm, p.18

Bach: Mass in B Minor


8pm, p.14

Castle Yard

DruidShakespeare
(Full Cycle) 5pm, also
Thurs 6 August 5pm, p.4

St Johns Priory

Bach: Well-Tempered
Bach: Well-Tempered
Clavier Book 1/I
Clavier Book 1/II
1pm, p.6 1pm, p.6

Bach and the
Chain of Being
4.30pm, p.6

Black Abbey

DruidShakespeare
(Part 1)
7.30pm, p.4

Monday 10

Tuesday 11

Wednesday 12

Thursday 13

Bach: The Art of Fugue


1pm, p.23

Bach: Clavier bung III


1pm, p.25

MCS: Jordi Savall, Martin


Hayes & Friends
7.30pm, p.24

DruidShakespeare
(Part 2)
6.30pm, p.4
Bach: Cello Suites I
1pm, p.16

Sunday 16

MCS: Cork Gamelan


Sir Andrs Schiff:
Ensemble & Special Guests Last Sonatas
8pm, p.30
8pm, p.34

The Cardinalls Musick:


Thomas Tallis
7.30pm, p.40

MCS: Festival Finale


7.30pm, p.43

DruidShakespeare
(Part 1)
7.30pm, p.4

DruidShakespeare
(Part 2)
7.30pm, p.4

DruidShakespeare
(Full Cycle)
5pm, p.4

DruidShakespeare
(Full Cycle)
5pm, p.4

Bach: Violin &


Harpsichord Sonatas II
1pm, p.28

Bach: Great Concertos


1pm, p.38

Bach: Violin &


Harpsichord Sonatas I
1pm, p.28

MCS: Maighread & Trona


N Dhomhnaill & Friends
7.30pm, p.36

A Bach Meditation:
Violin Sonatas & Partitas
9.30pm, p.38

Bach: Brandenburg
Concertos
7.30pm, p.21

Bach: Goldberg
Variations III
7.30pm, p.26

Jordi Savall: The


Spirit of the Viol
9.30pm, p.22
Guthrie & Shakespeare
11am, p.17
To Find a Heathen Place
and Sound a Bell
6pm, p.17

Bach: The Man Behind


the Music
6pm, p.21

MCS: The Brooklyn Rider


Almanac
9.30pm, p.36
Kilkenny Poetry
Broadsheet
6pm, p.29

Robert Pinsky
6pm, p.29

The Human Voice


8pm, p.7

The Human Voice


3pm, p.7

Susannas Secret
3pm, p.12

Susannas Secret
6pm, p.12

Toumani & Sidiki Diabat
10pm, p.13

Da Lata
9.30pm, p.20

MCS: Amjad Ali Khan


9.30pm, p.27

Meta-Perceptual Helmets
11am-5pm, p.47

Set Theatre


Meta-Perceptual Helmets Meta-Perceptual Helmets Meta-Perceptual Helmets Meta-Perceptual Helmets
11am-5pm, p.47
11am-5pm, p.47
11am-5pm, p.47
11am-5pm, p.47

Rothe House


The Lost Music
of Byzantium
11am, p.39
Favourite Poem Project
3pm, p.29


Watergate
Theatre

Bach: The Musical


Offering
1pm, p.41

Bach: Goldberg
Variations I
9.30pm, p.8

Parade Tower

Saturday 15

Bach: Cello Suites II


1pm, p.16

Friday 14

Cleary Connolly artist talk


3pm, p.47

The Tao of Bach


6pm, p.26

Shakespeare & Ireland


4.30pm, p.4

Yeats Byzantium
6pm, p.39

Bastard Amber
8pm, p.32

Bastard Amber
8pm, p.32

MCS: Brooklyn Rider,


Hayes & Cahill
10pm, p.37

Meta-Perceptual Helmets
11am-5pm, p.47

Meta-Perceptual Helmets
11am-5pm, p.47

Meta-Perceptual Helmets
11am-5pm, p.47

MCS: Partitas & Potts


10.30pm, p.31

Bachs Motets
and their Forebears
3pm, p.41

Airs on a Bach String


11am, p.41
The Isle is Full of Noises
1pm & 2.30pm, p.52
Jane Smiley
5pm, p.42

Meta-Perceptual Helmets
11am-5pm, p.47

MCS: Partitas & Potts


6pm, p.31

WORKSHOPS
Shapeshifters:
Character Design
Muniments Room,
Kilkenny Castle
Sat 8, Sun 9,
Wed 12, Thurs 13,
Fri 14, Sat 15, Sun 16,
11am-12pm
p.51
The Skys the Limit
National Craft
Gallery
Sat 8 & Sun 9
1pm4pm
p.49
Clay Skyscrapers
National Craft
Gallery
Tues 11, Wed 12
& Thurs 13
2pm, 3pm & 4pm
p.49
Modular Towers
National Craft
Gallery
Tues 11, Wed 12
& Thurs 13
2pm, 3pm & 4pm
p.49
Building Patterns
National Craft
Gallery
Tues 11, Wed 12
& Thurs 13
2pm, 3pm & 4pm
p.49

Castle Park

Mirazozo
11am-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
11am-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
12pm-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
12pm-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
12pm-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
12pm-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
12pm-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
11am-6pm, p.10

Mirazozo
11am-6pm, p.10

STREET
EVENTS

Other Venues

Diplomatic Coffee Club


Hole in the Wall
11am, p.9

Bake!
Barnstorm Theatre
12pm & 3pm, p.52

Secret Garden Music


River Court Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Butler House Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Castle Rose Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


River Court Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Butler House Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Castle Rose Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


River Court Garden
3pm, p.44

Bake!
Barnstorm Theatre
12pm & 3pm, p.52

Secret Garden Music


Castle Rose Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Rothe House Garden
4pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Black Abbey Garden
4pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Rothe House Garden
4pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Black Abbey Garden
4pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Heritage Council Garden
4pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Rothe House Garden
4pm, p.44

Sat 8 August
Canal Walk 1pm
MacDonagh
Junction 3pm
p.52

Secret Garden Music


Butler House Garden
3pm, p.44

Secret Garden Music


Heritage Council Garden
4pm, p.44

Bach: Goldberg
Variations II
Long Gallery
10pm, p.23

Secret Garden Music


Black Abbey Garden
4pm, p.44

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

National Craft
Gallery

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Sat 15 August
MacDonagh
Junction 1pm
The Parade 3pm
p.52

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

A Festival Portrait
Mick ODea studio
2.30-4pm, p.46

Song of the Sea:


Song of the Sea:
The Exhibition 10am-5.30pm The Exhibition
(reception 3pm), p.50
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Song of the Sea:


The Exhibition
10am-5.30pm, p.50

Nine Lives
Opening 4pm, p.48

Nine Lives
10am-5.30pm, p.48

Nine Lives 10am-5.30pm


(panel 5.30pm), p.48

Nine Lives
10am5.30pm, p.48

Nine Lives
10am5.30pm, p.48

Nine Lives
10am4pm, p.48

Nine Lives
10am4pm, p.48

Nine Lives
11am5.30pm, p.48

James Stephens
Barracks
Butler Gallery

Sun 9 August
MacDonagh
Junction 1pm
The Parade 3pm
p.52

Secret Garden Music


Heritage Council Garden
4pm, p.44
MCS: Martin Hayes &
David Power
1710 Courtyard,
Smithwicks Experience
6.30pm, p.25

Imaginary Saloon
Left Bank
4.30pm, p.8

FREE EVENTS

Dante in Dunmore
Dunmore Cave
3.30pm, p.25

Nine Lives
11am5.30pm, p.48

Sun 16 August
The Parade 12pm
Canal Walk 4pm
p.52

Back Cover image: Ian Allen

BOOKING TICKETS FOR KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL 2015


ONLINE
today at

kilkennyarts.ie

BY PHONE
from 6 July on +353 56 775 2175

IN PERSON
from 6 July at the Festival Box Office
14 John Street, Kilkenny
Weekdays: 10am - 5.30pm (closed Monday 3 August)
During the Festival: daily 10.30am - 7.30pm

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