John O’Conor and Ailbhe McDonagh join forces to bring an intimate evening of cello and piano music to the Regional Cultural Centre.
They will perform sonatas by Beethoven and some glorious shorter works by Faurè, Chopin and McDonagh herself. Ailbhe has also composed a new piece, especially for this concert tour. This world premiere is written to celebrate John on his 75th birthday.
Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh is an international soloist, chamber musician and composer who performs throughout Europe, Asia and the USA. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, she studied with world-renowned cellists Steven Doane, Nora Gilleese, Aisling Drury-Byrne and William Butt.
McDonagh is also an established composer with numerous compositions and commissions to her name. Boosey & Hawkes, London published two books of her piano music entitled “It’s a Piano Thing” and more recently “It’s a Cello Thing,” two books of her pedagogical pieces for cello. Further works for cello include a solo suite commissioned by the Arts Council of Ireland and the title piece for her recent Skellig album for cello and piano. McDonagh has also been published by ABRSM, RIAM and Hal Leonard.
The Irish pianist John O’Conor has been gathering wonderful reviews for his masterly playing for over forty years. “A pianist of unbounding sensitivity” (Gramophone); “He represents a vanishing tradition that favours inner expression and atmosphere over showmanship and bravura” (Chicago Tribune); “Impeccable technique and musicality … it would be hard to imagine better performances” (Sunday Times – London); “This artist has the kind of flawless touch that makes an audience gasp” (Washington Post); “Exquisite playing” (New York Times).
