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Family Concert - Farmyard Carnival

Irish Chamber Orchestra / Fiachra Garvey & Soo-Jung Ann (Piano Soloists)

Family Concert
Family Concert
Date & Time
Sunday 18th May 2025, 11am and 1pm
Venue
The Tramway Theatre, Blessington
Ticket Info
Adult: €15, Child: €10 + booking fee

For group bookings or for those having any issues booking, please contact manager@westwicklowfestival.com
Artists
Irish Chamber Orchestra
Fiachra Garvey & Soo-Jung Ann / Piano
Programme

Farmyard Carnival (NEW COMMISSION)

Composer / Paul Rissmann
Poet / Lucinda Jacob

Bring the whole family along for the world premiere of Farmyard Carnival, a vibrant and enchanting new family-friendly work commissioned by the festival, to delight listeners of all ages! This exciting collaboration between award-winning Irish poet Lucinda Jacob and British composer Paul Rissmann promises a joyous celebration of farmyard life!

The festival’s commitment to commissioning and education sees the delivery of a new, colourful and enthralling family friendly work this festival, Farmyard Carnival. Collaborating in the creation of this new commission are award-winning Irish children’s poet Lucinda Jacob (recipient of the 2023 Irish Children’s Book of the Year Award) and British composer Paul Rissmann (prize-winner at the British Composer Awards). Through descriptive poetry narration and enchanting music, audience’s favourite farm and domestic animals, from the cat to the cow, will be brought to life by the Irish Chamber Orchestra and piano soloists Soo-Jung Ann and Fiachra Garvey, delighting listeners of all ages. Artistic Director Fiachra Garvey explains:

"Growing up as a pianist and farmer in West Wicklow, for quite some time now I have wanted to commission a new work inspired by the wonderful flora and fauna the Irish countryside has to offer. Having performed Saint Saens' much-loved Carnival of the Animals for many years, which celebrates exotic animals like lions, elephants, kangaroos etc. I felt it would be of enormous value to commission a work celebrating animals children in Ireland have more direct experience with: sheep, cows, horses, pigs, dogs, cats etc.

In commissioning "Farmyard Carnival", I have asked Paul Rissmann to compose music for the same instrumentation as Saint Saëns' Carnival (for Chamber Orchestra with the ability for the work to upscale to include a full symphony orchestra). Carnival of the Animals is often a child’s first introduction to programmatic music, offering a playful yet profound way to explore key musical elements such as pitch, timbre, and rhythm, while sparking their imagination through its vivid characterisations of animals. Saint Saëns' work has 14 movements and our Farmyard Carnival will have 10-12 exciting movements, each accompanied by stunning new poetry from Lucinda Jacob.

Farmyard Carnival will be a vital new addition to the currently very limited family friendly concert repertoire. I can’t describe in words how excited I am about this new commission, and I can’t wait for our audiences to experience the world premiere in Wicklow!"

played with a keenly developed sense of balance and clarity
Journal of Music (on Irish Chamber Orchestra)
an inspiration beyond excellence, beyond time and space.
Die Rheinpfalz (on Soo-Jung Ann)
…a deep and infectious enthusiasm, combined with insight and technical comfort.
Sunday Times (on Fiachra Garvey)

We’re the orchestra that invites you in. That saves you a seat. That wants you to feel the same heart-stirring, hair-raising, on-the-edge-of-your-seat feelings that we feel. We do so by pouring heart, soul, and no small measure of skill into our art. By playing old, by playing new, by playing everything with guts and fire.

We are one of the world’s most inspiring chamber orchestras, performing to the highest artistic standards for the widest possible audience, and a catalyst for integration and social change through inclusive engagement with children and local communities.

For fifty years, wherever we’ve played - from Castlebar to Carnegie Hall – we’ve tried to live by our principles as artists and as a charity.

It's our rich creative musical heritage that inspires us. It's our unstoppable enthusiasm for what we do, and the people we do it with. As Ireland's national chamber orchestra, we are lucky to call the University of Limerick home and are funded by The Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Whether it's your first time meeting us, or your hundredth time, we are the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and you are in for a treat.

Soo-Jung Ann has consistently pushed the boundaries of classical music throughout her career as a concert pianist. Her exceptional artistry has earned her international acclaim, including numerous prestigious awards such as first prize at the 5th International Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn (2013), the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize from the Piano Academy in Eppan (2013), and first prize at the Concurs Maria Canals in Barcelona (2012). These accolades have solidified her status as one of the foremost pianists of her generation.

Ann’s academic journey is equally impressive. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where she studied under the tutelage of renowned professors John O’Conor and Thérèse Fahy. She later refined her skills under Pavel Gililov at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, completing a Postgraduate Course that enriched her technical and interpretative abilities. Her dedication to her craft is further reflected in her acclaimed recording of Soler’s 12 Keyboard Sonatas No. 75-86 with Naxos, which highlights her mature musical sensibility and technical virtuosity.

Known for her captivating performances that combine technical precision with deep emotional resonance, Soo-Jung Ann continues to engage audiences worldwide. Her interpretations consistently push the limits of piano repertoire, offering fresh perspectives on well-established works.

Ann remains active as both a soloist and collaborator with various orchestras worldwide. Beyond her performances, Ann is deeply committed to music education, frequently offering masterclasses to nurture and inspire young musicians. In 2025, she plans to embark on a unique concert project that integrates music and visual art through an innovative collaboration.

Leading Irish pianist Fiachra Garvey is possessed of a maturity and profound understanding of his art, which when combined with his infectious enthusiasm for music-making, has already captivated audiences in concert halls across Europe and beyond.

1st prizewinner at the prestigious Jaques Samuel Competition (2012), London, Fiachra made his Fazioli Auditorium (Italy) and Wigmore Hall debuts in 2013. Other notable international competition successes including prizes at AXA Dublin International Piano Competition (Brennan Prize and McCullough Bursary), EU Piano Competition Prague (concerto finalist), 3rd Soirees-Concours Internationales de Piano a Collioure, France (Audience award) and Feis Ceoil Dublin (Morris Grant Bursary and Mabel Swainson award). The National Concert Hall Dublin awarded Fiachra the coveted “Rising Star” prize in 2011, which led to a number of solo and concerto debuts.

Fiachra graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2013 with 1st class honours and distinction in the M.A. in Music Performance. This follows a 1st class honours B.A. in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2011 and a 1st class honours DipMus (performance and teaching) from the RIAM in 2008.

Concerto appearances include the Janáček Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra, RIAM Symphony Orchestra, Hibernian Orchestra and UCD Symphony Orchestra; working with eminent conductors including John Wilson, Duncan Ward, Ruth Reinhardt, Theodore Kuchar, Stephen Bell and Mihhail Gerts.

Recent highlights include Google Dublin (first classical artist to be invited), Spoleto Italy, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, NCH Dublin, Snape Maltings Aldeburgh, Petworth Festival, New Ross Piano Festival, St Martin in the Fields, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Brighton Festival, Geneva Festival Switzerland, West Cork Music, St Magnus Festival Orkney, Wexford Opera House, Ortús Chamber Music Festival, Killaloe Chamber Music Festival, Drogheda Classical Music, Clifden Arts Festival, a series of solo and two piano recitals in Japan and a tour of China.

Fiachra’s debut CD “For the Piano”, under the Lyric FM label, was released in 2012:“brings a deep and infectious enthusiasm, combined with insight and technical comfort.” (Sunday times). His second cd, a live performance from Wigmore Hall was released in 2014.

Fiachra is the founder and artistic director of the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival (Ireland) described as“One of the best classical music festival in Europe” (BBC Music Magazine) and Classical Vauxhall (London) described as“Everything the classical concert in the 21st Century should be” (iNews) .

Fiachra was awarded an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London(ARAM) in 2018, served on the Board of Directors of the Dublin International Piano Competition from 2016- 2022 and was made a Feeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 2021 and a Freeman of the City of London in 2022.

When not performing, Fiachra loves nothing more than returning home to help on the family farm with the yearly lambing, dipping, shearing, harvesting and all the other elegant and refined activities on the farm! Fiachra feels this makes him a more inspired and fulfilled musician.

Fiachra's website