Autumn / Winter 2025
National Concert Hall
18 Dec. ’25
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland Season
Irish and International Soloists, Conductors, Ensembles & Composers
Fáilte Welcome
A very warm welcome to the National Concert Hall’s Autumn/Winter Season.
At the heart of this programme are the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and International Orchestras and Recital Seasons, featuring collaborations with a host of acclaimed artists, conductors, ensembles and composers, both returning and debuting.
This season will include masterpieces from symphonic, choral, operatic, chamber and recital repertoire, alongside world premieres by Rhona Clarke, Bryce Dessner and Bill Whelan. There are also a host of events for film fans, families and students, and a professional development initiative for emerging composers delivered in partnership with the Contemporary Music Centre and in association with RTÉ lyric fm.
This season celebrates milestones: the NCH Lifetime Achievement Award for composer Jane O’Leary, a pioneering and transformative advocate for music in Ireland since arriving here from her native America in 1972; the 40th anniversary of National Symphony Chorus Ireland featuring the world premiere of Rhona Clarke’s Points of Light; and concerts celebrating Bill Whelan’s 75th birthday, Arvo Pärt at 90, and the 10th anniversary of Chineke! Orchestra.
With National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, some of the many highlights include Leonard Slatkin conducting Ein Heldenleben and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 with French virtuoso David Fray as soloist; Anja Bihlmaier conducting Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 with the always compelling Boris Giltburg at the keyboard; David Brophy conducting a Culture Night celebration featuring the Irish/Persian ensemble, Nava, and the Irish premiere of Bád ón Alltar, a timely and topical work by Fedora Prize 2025 winner Michael Gallen; Jessica Cottis conducting Bizet’s opera Carmen in a concert performance; the exciting young talent and fast-rising star-in-the-making María Dueñas performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto; the acclaimed Anastasia Kobekina performing the world premiere of Trembling Earth for cello and orchestra by the celebrated composer and the National Concert Hall’s 2024-2025 Artist-in-Residence, Bryce Dessner; the 2025 Grammy Award winner Michelle Cann performing Florence Price’s virtuosic Piano Concerto; and an orchestral world premiere by Bill Whelan on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
The International Orchestras and Recitals series showcases major orchestral, choral, chamber and recital repertoire. Superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti, as part of her first solo tour for more than a decade, performs classical showpieces as well
as American and Scottish folk music; Sir Stephen Hough, one of the world’s greatest pianists, teams up with the Viano Quartet for Dvořák’s Piano Quintet and the Irish premiere of Hough’s own acclaimed Les noces Rouges; we celebrate Chineke! Orchestra’s 10th anniversary with works including Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Tai Murray and Sheku and Isata KannehMason as well as the Irish premiere of FLOURISH, a new work by the Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen; Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with Paul Lewis; the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, celebrates Arvo Pärt at 90; and the astonishing duo of Maki Namekawa and James McVinnie explore the piano and organ music of Philip Glass.
We are delighted to extend our relationship with Jessie Grimes as the National Concert Hall’s Artist-in-Residence. Her infectious energy and enthusiasm brings great orchestral works vividly to life in the NCH Discover programme for audiences of all ages.
Making music accessible and affordable is a key priority. Tickets start from €15 with, subject to availability, €10 tickets for students; a limited number of free child tickets for under-18s when purchased with a full-price ticket; and family-friendly pricing options for family events. Discounts of up to 20% are available for those who wish to buy from our range of multi-buy concert packages.
Collaboration and partnership are essential to our work. Special thanks to the many musicians, composers, commissioning partners and organisations with whom we work closely. Key amongst these are RTÉ and RTÉ lyric fm, whose work in support of the National Concert Hall and National Symphony Orchestra Ireland is essential
to reaching a wider audience nationally and internationally.
We would also like to acknowledge the generous and committed support of the NCH Patrons, Friends, Season Friends, and audiences, and to thank Minister Patrick O’Donovan and his team at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for their vital and ongoing support.
Our particular appreciation and thanks to Travel Department for its generous support in partnering with us for the opening concert of the season featuring National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and the worldrenowned conductor, Leonard Slatkin. This season promises to excite, engage and entertain music lovers from Ireland and beyond. It has been crafted alongside our ambitious plans to reimagine the National Concert Hall, which are gaining momentum. We look forward to sharing more about this journey, as well as our upcoming Spring/ Summer Season in due course.
We can’t wait to welcome you to this exciting line-up over the course of our 2025 Autumn/Winter Season.
Robert Read CEO
Maura McGrath Chairperson
Patron
Michael D. Higgins
President of Ireland
NCH Board Members
Maura McGrath Chair
James Cavanagh
Clíona Doris
Rebecca Gageby
Hilary Hough
Peter McKenna
Niamh Murray
Michelle O’Sullivan
Don Thornhill
At a glance
12.09.25 NCH Season Opening
NSOI: Leonard Slatkin conducts McTee, Mozart and Richard Strauss
David Fray, piano 7.30pm 13
19.09.25 Culture Night with NSOI
David Brophy, conductor Nava
Sarah Brazil, violin
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, voice, Irish flute
Maria Ryan, voice, viola
Michael Gallen, voice, piano
Dónal O’Connor, voice, fiddle 7.30pm 15
21.09.25 Family: The Highway Rat and Zog
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Terry Davies, conductor 12.30pm 3pm & 5pm 16
29.09.25 NSOI: Composer Lab Public Workshop with Gavin Maloney, conductor
David Fennessy, composer-mentor 10am & 1.30pm 17
30.09.25 Chineke! Orchestra 10th Anniversary
Kevin John Edusei, conductor
Tai Murray, violin
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello
Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano 8pm 21
03.10.25 NSOI: Beethoven Violin Concerto with María Dueñas, violin
Hans Graf, conductor
NCH Friends Gala 7.30pm 23
05.10.25 Family: Symphony Shorts
Discover Romeo and Juliet
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gavin Maloney, conductor
Jessie Grimes, presenter
Sir Stephen Hough, piano with Viano Quartet
10.10.25 NSOI: Carmen (concert performance)
Jessica Cottis, conductor
Natalia Kutateladze, Carmen
Sarah Brady, Micaëla
Noah Stewart, Don José
Gyula Nagy, Escamillo
National Symphony Chorus Ireland Cór na nÓg
17.10.25 Shostakovich 50
NSOI: Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Anna Clyne
Anna Rakitina, conductor
33
Mairéad Hickey, violin 7.30pm 35
18.10.25 City Hall, Cork
Shostakovich 50
NSOI: Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Anna Clyne
Anna Rakitina, conductor
Mairéad Hickey, violin 7.30pm 35
24.10.25 NCH Lifetime Achievement Award: Jane O’Leary with NSOI and ConTempo Quartet
Kensho Watanabe, conductor 7.30pm 39
31.10.25 NSOI: Psycho
Live Screening In Concert
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Anthony Gabriele, conductor 7.30pm 41
07.11.25 NSOI: Ravel, Dessner and Beethoven
André de Ridder, conductor
Anastasia Kobekina, cello
21.11.25 NSOI: Bill Whelan at 75
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gavin Maloney, conductor
Zoë Conway, fiddle
Tara Howley, uilleann pipes
Séamus Ó Flatharta, voice, Irish harp, whistle
Damien Mullane, accordion
23.11.25 Nicola Benedetti, violin with Plínio Fernandes, guitar and Samuele Telari, accordion
51 25.11.25 Music in the Classroom: Leaving Certificate
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Ellie Slorach, conductor
Presented by Jessie Grimes
28.11.25 National Symphony Chorus Ireland
– 40th Anniversary Celebration with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gerhard Markson, conductor
Ailish Tynan, soprano
Anna Stéphany, mezzo-soprano
Sunnyboy Dladla, tenor
James Atkinson, baritone
29.11.25 Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra
András Keller, director
59
09.12.25 Arvo Pärt at 90
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor
Kadri Toomoja, organ
12.12.25 NSOI: Tchaikovsky, Florence Price and Sofia Gubaidulina
Patrik Ringborg, conductor
Michelle Cann, piano 7.30pm 69 13.12.25 Family: Symphony Shorts
Discover The Nutcracker
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Patrik Ringborg, conductor
Jessie Grimes, presenter
NSOI: Home Alone Live Screening in Concert National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Ernst van Tiel, conductor Cór na nÓg
NSOI: Home Alone
Live Screening in Concert
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Ernst van Tiel, conductor Cór na nÓg
&
Paul Lewis, piano 7.30pm 61
05.12.25 NSOI: Mozart and Bruckner with Anja Bihlmaier
Anja Bihlmaier, conductor
Boris Giltburg, piano 7.30pm 63
09.12.25 NSOI: Christmas Lunchtime
Christopher Bell, conductor 1.05pm 65 International Orchestras and Recitals
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Family & Artist-in-Residence
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
NCH Season Opening
NSOI: Leonard Slatkin conducts McTee, Mozart and Richard Strauss Fri. 12 Sept. ʼ25 7.30pm
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland favourite, Leonard Slatkin, launches our new season in style, bringing with him ‘pianism of the highest class’ (The Guardian) from French virtuoso David Fray.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 moves from brooding menace to helter-skelter drama, Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) is a selfportrait in the heroic style, teeming with incident and vitality. Cindy McTee’s exhilarating Timepiece, ‘an engaging, pulsating, grooving’ (Los Angeles Times) showpiece receives its Irish premiere.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Leonard Slatkin conductor
David Fray piano
Cindy McTee Timepiece
Irish Premiere
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20
Richard Strauss Ein
Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life)
Tickets €15, €25, €29, €34.50, €39
Leonard Slatkin
Culture Night with NSOI
Fri. 19 Sept. ʼ25 — 7.30pm
NSOI Season
Traditional and orchestral music from four continents meet in a genresplicing, borders-refusing concert.
Nava bring Ireland and Persia gloriously together, folk music from Slovakia and Mexico pulses through Copland’s El Salón México and Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, Romani vitality lights up Ravel’s Tzigane, and nostalgia becomes life-affirming in Jessie Montgomery’s Strum.
The Irish premiere of Michael Gallen’s Bád ón Alltar mingles Celtic lore and ‘contemporary themes of migration, invasion and displacement’ for orchestra, voices and traditional instruments.
Tickets Free, but ticketed.
Tickets are available as part of a package now.
General tickets will be available in August.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
David Brophy conductor
Nava
Sarah Brazil violin
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh voice, Irish flute
Maria Ryan voice, viola
Michael Gallen voice, piano
Dónal O’Connor voice, fiddle
Copland El Salón México
Paddy Kiernan Crossroads of Twilight
Shahab Coohe Cerulean
Ravel Tzigane
Jessie Montgomery Strum
Michael Gallen Bád ón Alltar
Irish Premiere
Commissioned by NSOI, Ulster Orchestra, L’Orchestre National de Bretagne
Kodály Dances of Galánta
Nava
Family: The Highway Rat and Zog
with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Sun. 21 Sept. ʼ25 —12.30pm, 3pm & 5pm
Family
Terry Davies conducts René Aubry’s inspired scores for the much-loved children’s classics The Highway Rat and Zog, based on the books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
This live music, played by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, will accompany screenings of these two films by Magic Light Pictures.
The Highway Rat © Orange Eyes Limited 2017
Zog © Orange Eyes Limited 2018
IFCO Classification: G
NSOI: Composer Lab Public Workshop
Mon. 29 Sept. ʼ25 —10am & 1.30pm
A public workshop in which Composer Lab 2025 participants Solfa Carlile, Elis Czerniak, Bianca Gannon, and Caterina Schembri each explore compositional ideas for their individual works-in-progress in a live orchestral setting. Composer Lab 2025 culminates in a public performance at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday 20 January, 2026.
Composer Lab is a professional development initiative delivered in partnership between National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland, in association with RTÉ lyric fm.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gavin Maloney conductor
David Fennessy composer/mentor
Tickets Free, but ticketed.
The Highway Rat
Chineke! Orchestra 10th Anniversary
Chineke!, Europe’s first professional orchestra made up entirely of black and minority ethnic musicians, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025.
Its first decade established the ensemble as a champion of diversity in its ranks and in its repertoire. Its aim was quietly radical. Founder Chi-Chi Nwanoku summed it up in an interview ahead of their London debut as ‘raising awareness, trying to level the playing field, altering the status quo a little bit and changing perceptions’.
Born in London to a Nigerian father and Irish mother, Nwanoku says the orchestra’s name came to her late at night: ‘I literally sat bolt upright in bed. Chineke! The name chose the project’.
Derived from the Igbo language of her father’s homeland, ‘Chi’, Nwanoku explains, ‘means the god of creation of all good things and this word hit the nail on the head’. Similarly, ‘eke’ signifies the divine action that creates the world and distributes its blessings.
The exclamation mark you can take as a statement of intent.
At its launch, conductor Sir Simon Rattle described Chineke! as ‘a thrilling prospect’. Ever since, the orchestra has time and again confirmed his optimism with its acclaimed and admired approach to programming that blends core classical works with composers overlooked by the mainstream and newly commissioned work.
Such is the case with their National Concert Hall visit, bringing with them seminal Beethoven, two pioneering black composers – Englishman Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and American William Dawson – and FLOURISH, their second commissioned work from Belize-born Errollyn Wallen in its Irish premiere.
Behind the scenes, Chineke! has also fostered young talent, not least the now well-established violinist Tai Murray and superstar cello and piano siblings Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason – all coming together for the first time as soloists at the National Concert Hall.
Aged 10, Chineke!’s music-for-all agenda is just getting into its stride. Expect great things in their welcome return to Dublin, and for the decade ahead.
↓ Chineke! Orchestra
10th Anniversary
Tues. 30 Sept. ʼ25
Chineke! Orchestra
Chineke! Orchestra 10th Anniversary
with Tai Murray, Sheku & Isata Kanneh-Mason Tues. 30 Sept. ʼ25 8pm
International Orchestras & Recitals
Described as ‘immaculate and brilliant’ by Gramophone, the Chineke! Orchestra celebrates its 10th anniversary. It is an all-star line-up for one of the most renowned works for multiple soloists by Beethoven, as Tai Murray, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason join the orchestra to play Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.
Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade is a lush orchestral extravaganza and has become something of a signature piece for the orchestra. Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony vibrantly borrows from African-American spirituals.
The evening includes the Irish premiere of FLOURISH, a new work by the Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen, appointed Master of The King’s Music in 2024.
Pre-Concert Talk: 6.45pm – 7.20pm
Chineke! Orchestra
Kevin John Edusei conductor
Tai Murray violin
Sheku Kanneh-Mason cello
Isata Kanneh-Mason piano
Coleridge-Taylor Ballade in A minor
Beethoven Triple Concerto
Errollyn Wallen FLOURISH Irish Premiere
Dawson Negro Folk Symphony
Tickets €15, €28.50, €36, €44, €55
Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason
Murray
NSOI: Beethoven Violin Concerto with María Dueñas
NCH Friends Gala Fri. 03 Oct. ʼ25 — 7.30pm
A night to relish with two Romantic masterpieces a landmark concerto and a ballet score for the ages in our National Concert Hall Friends Gala.
Exciting young talent and fast-rising star-in-themaking, María Dueñas brings her ‘golden, singable, vibrant sound’ (El Pais) to the emotional breadth, eloquence and virtuosic brilliance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.
Prokofiev’s lavish and luxurious Romeo and Juliet is an emotionally ravishing, drama-filled depiction of ill-fated love.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Pre-Concert Talk: 6.15pm – 6.50pm
Hans Graf conductor
María Dueñas violin
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Prokofiev Selections from Romeo and Juliet
María Dueñas
Jessie Grimes Artist-inResidence
As Jessie Grimes returns for her second season as a National Concert Hall Artistin-Residence, she is still buzzing from her first year in the role.
‘To get to have a whole symphony orchestra to play with was like being a kid in a sweet shop. I was able to flex different creative muscles and deepen my collaboration with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and the NCH Discover team. It was beautiful!’
A self-styled ‘clarinettist, presenter, workshop leader, communicator’, the effervescent Grimes has a clear vision of her role: ‘My job is to convince the audience how exciting it is to get upclose to the amazing musical machine that is a symphony orchestra’.
Her ambition for the year ahead, she says, is, characteristically, to be ‘more exciting, more engaging and have the broadest reach possible’.
The first half of the season sees her spearheading two very different strands
– Symphony Shorts and Music in the Classroom – both of which she aims to make ‘super-vivid and vibrant’.
Symphony Shorts will feature Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, ‘two brilliant pieces with really strong narratives and some of the greatest music ever written’.
Promising an interactive experience with audiences ‘on their feet, being instruments, singing’, there will, she laughs, ‘be no schooling happening here’. Instead the emphasis is on enjoyment, appreciation and fun; both programmes including Irish Sign Language and visual guides.
Re-energising the Music in the Classroom model is key to her season, and the Leaving Certificate Berlioz
programme gives a great opportunity to make Symphonie fantastique ‘alive, relevant and fun, with the Technicolor story behind it and the sheer genius of the score’.
For Grimes, it all boils down to ‘making a level playing field where the audience feels like it is their music and their orchestra, and that they can actually be a part of it all’.
As for what lies ahead, she promises ‘a lot of excitement is yet to come!’
Family: Symphony Shorts
Discover Romeo and Juliet Sun. 05 Oct. ʼ25
Music in the Classroom: Leaving Certificate Tues. 25 Nov. ʼ25
Family: Symphony Shorts
Discover The Nutcracker Sat. 13 Dec. ʼ25
All concerts are performed by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Family: Symphony Shorts – Discover Romeo and Juliet
with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland Sun. 05 Oct. ʼ25 12.30pm
Family Family
Two feuding families. One iconic love story. Some of the most powerful, punchy, and passionate music ever written, played by a giant orchestra… it can only be Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet!
Presented by the ever-energetic Jessie Grimes, and performed by the mighty National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, this interactive show invites the whole family to sing, move and join in with the dazzling orchestral colours of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
This bold, immersive musical adventure is perfect for ages 6 and up, including those with ASD. This relaxed, inclusive event is all about big feelings, beautiful music, and fun for everyone.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gavin Maloney conductor
Jessie Grimes presenter
Prokofiev Selections from Romeo and Juliet
Tickets
Full Price €20; Child €15; Family ticket €65 (4 people, max. 2 adults)
Sign Language:
This event includes Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation. A visual guide will also be available online in advance of the concert.
Philip Glass Explored with Maki Namekawa & James McVinnie
Sun. 05 Oct. ʼ25 7.30pm
International Orchestras & Recitals
A deep dive into the piano and organ music of one of the world’s most influential composers, Philip Glass.
Following their sold-out Paris Philharmonie appearance, Maki Namekawa (last seen at NCH performing the Piano Etudes with Philip Glass) and acclaimed organist James McVinnie bring their revealing recital to the National Concert Hall.
Maki Namekawa is a leading figure among today’s pianists. James McVinnie has had a major concerto and solo works written for him by Martin Creed, Bryce Dessner, Hildur Guðnadóttir, and David Lang, amongst many others.
Maki Namekawa piano
James McVinnie organ
Philip Glass Distant Figure
‘Award Montage’ from Mishima
Dance No. 4
Piano Etude No. 11
Piano Etude No. 20
Maki Namekawa
Sir Stephen Hough
with Viano Quartet
Tues. 07 Oct. ʼ25 8pm
International Orchestras & Recitals
Widely acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest pianists, Sir Stephen Hough returns to the National Concert Hall for an unmissable evening of chamber music at its finest.
Multi-award-winning Viano Quartet join Hough for the Irish premiere of his own bold, cinematic and emotionally charged Piano Quintet.
Dvořák’s Piano Quintet is renowned for its warm, expressive melodies and seamless incorporation of Czech folk music.
Mozart’s exuberant Hunt Quartet blends goodhumoured energy, stately grace and lyrical, introspective beauty.
Sir Stephen Hough piano Viano Quartet
Mozart String Quartet No. 17, ‘Hunt’ Hough Piano Quintet, ‘Les noces Rouges’ Irish Premiere
Dvořák Piano Quintet
Tickets
Sir Stephen Hough
NSOI: Bizet’s Carmen (concert performance)
Fri. 10 Oct. ʼ25 7.30pm
Bizet’s Carmen comes to irresistible life in this concert performance with Natalia Kutateladze – whose ‘sheer style and poise sets her in a class of her own’ (The Guardian) – as the free-spirited femme fatale. Jessica Cottis makes a welcome return to conduct.
One of all opera’s most lyrical and memorable scores includes the sultry Habanera, rousing ‘Toreador Song’, and irresistible Seguidilla.
Rising star Irish soprano Sarah Brady sings the peasant girl, Micaëla; Noah Stewart, ‘the most talkedabout young American tenor these days’ (Ars Atlanta), is the murderous Don José; Gyula Nagy, a ‘giant of a baritone’ (Arts Desk), the handsome toreador Escamillo. National Symphony Chorus Ireland and Cór na nÓg join forces to bring the thronging bystanders to vivid life.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
National Symphony
Chorus Ireland
David
Cór na nÓg
Mary Amond O’Brien choral director
Jessica Cottis conductor with soloists including: Natalia Kutateladze Carmen
Sarah Brady Micaëla
Noah Stewart Don José Gyula Nagy Escamillo
Young chorus director
Noah Stewart
Natalia Kutateladze
NSOI: Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Anna Clyne
Fri. 17 Oct. ʼ25 —7.30pm, NCH* Sat. 18 Oct. ʼ25 —7.30pm, City Hall, Cork in association with Cork Orchestral Society
NSOI Season Shostakovich 50
One of the greatest Romantic concertos, one of the 20th century’s most gripping declarations, and a ‘defiant piece that embraces the power of women’.
Conductor Anna Rakitina, who ‘ought to be high on any music-lover’s agenda’ (Boston Globe) makes her National Symphony Orchestra Ireland debut.
NCH Young Musician of the Year winner, violinist Mairéad Hickey, ‘an amazing combination of gutsiness and ecstasy’ (The Irish Times), returns as soloist.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Anna Rakitina conductor
Mairéad Hickey violin
Anna Clyne Restless Oceans Irish Premiere
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
Anna Rakitina
Mairéad Hickey
Jane O’Leary NCH Lifetime Achievement Award 2025
When Jane O’Leary learned she was to receive the National Concert Hall’s Lifetime Achievement award, she was, she says, ‘honoured, privileged, surprised and deeply humbled. I wondered, how did I reach a stage in life where such an award was possible’.
As she approaches her 80th year, O’Leary wears her age lightly, and treats her contribution to Irish music since moving to the island in 1972 with selfeffacing modesty.
Born in Hartford, Connecticut and recently graduated from studies with Milton Babbitt at Princeton University, she arrived in Ireland ‘with no notion of the country, but I liked the sense of community here’. She stayed, despite feeling ‘there were a good few things missing, just a handful of composers, and none of them were women.’
She set about making her mark in her adopted Galway with impressive rapidity – ‘People thought I was quite crazy’ – offering music classes, launching the city’s Steinway Piano Trust, developing her own profile as a composer and otherwise making her pioneering presence felt.
It was just the beginning. In coming years O’Leary would go on to form Concorde, Ireland’s first ensemble dedicated to new music, for whom she composed and played piano, in 1976; be instrumental in founding the still thriving Music for Galway in 1981 (serving as its artistic director until 2013); and in 2002, spearheading the Galway Music Residency with the ConTempo Quartet its first – and continuing – incumbent.
With Concorde – on the cusp of its 50th anniversary next year – she has commissioned more than 200 pieces from established and emerging international and Irish composers.
Recognition of her achievements have come in her being the only female composer appointed to the first incarnation of Aosdána, Ireland’s state-sponsored academy of creative artists, and serving as chair of the Contemporary Music Centre for six years and a decade-long spell on the board of the National Concert Hall. She has also been a constant presence on RTÉ lyric fm, both as a composer and presenter.
The areas of Irish music-making that O’Leary hasn’t been involved with and influenced are the rare exceptions to the rule. Her contribution as a composer is central to that, her work heard in concert halls around the world. And distinctively her own.
‘It’s not living in Ireland that changes your music. It’s life. If anything has influenced me here, it’s the landscape.’
That accent is everywhere to be found in the concerto-like Triptych, ‘written
out of love’ for and first performed by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland in 2020. It offers, she says, three different perspectives ‘all about life, with soft, subtle images inspired by the sky: “clouds always tell a true story, but one which is difficult to read”.’
Showing no sign of slowing down, O’Leary retains the evangelical optimism of her youth: ‘I prefer to look forward. My primary aim is to make music as accessible to as many people as possible’.
As for advice to young composers, she offers the pithy but pointed guidance: ‘patience and persistence. It took me a long time to find my voice’.
NCH Lifetime Achievement Award: Jane O’Leary
Fri. 24 Oct. ʼ25
NCH Lifetime Achievement Award: Jane O’Leary
with NSOI and ConTempo Quartet Fri. 24 Oct. ʼ25 — 7.30pm
NSOI Season
A tribute to composer Jane O’Leary saluting her outstanding contribution to Irish music. The ConTempo Quartet joins ‘Midas touch’ (Operawire) conductor Kensho Watanabe for Triptych, imbued with O’Leary’s deep awareness of ‘a sense of fragility, transparency, light and shade, and a fascination [with] clouds’.
Emotionally intense and vibrant, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture is lit up by a soaring love theme.
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition brings 10 paintings to unforgettable life, including the playful ‘Les Tuileries’, the grotesque ‘Hut on Hen’s Legs’, and magnificent ‘The Great Gate of Kiev’.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Kensho Watanabe
conductor ConTempo Quartet
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Jane O’Leary Triptych
Mussorgsky/Ravel
Pictures at an Exhibition
Tickets €15, €25, €29, €34.50, €39
Jane O’Leary Kensho Watanabe
NSOI: Psycho Live Screening in Concert
Fri. 31 Oct. ʼ25 7.30pm
NSOI Season
‘Check in. Relax. Take a shower….’
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland invites you to spend an evening at the Bates Motel as it revisits Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Hollywood thriller, Psycho, with Bernard Herrmann’s iconic, shivers-down-the-spine score performed live to picture by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, conducted by acclaimed movie music specialist, Anthony Gabriele.
© A Universal Picture IFCO Classification: 15
Janet Leigh in Psycho
NSOI: Ravel, Dessner & Beethoven
Fri. 07 Nov. ʼ25 7.30pm
NSOI Season
A Beethoven symphony on an awesome scale, an enchanting Ravel fantasy for a lost age of refinement, and the world premiere of Trembling Earth for cello and orchestra by leading composer and recent National Concert hall Artist-in-Residence, Bryce Dessner.
The work’s dedicatee, the ‘unrivalled’ (Le Figaro) Anastasia Kobekina, is the soloist. Longtime Dessner collaborator André de Ridder, ‘one of the world's most daring conductors’ (Wall Street Journal), conducts.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
André de Ridder conductor
Anastasia Kobekina cello
Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess)
Bryce Dessner Trembling
Earth World Premiere
Co-commissioned by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthaus Berlin and BorlettiBuitoni Trust
Beethoven Symphony No. 3, ‘Eroica’
Tickets €15, €25, €29, €34.50, €39
Bryce Dessner
Anastasia Kobekina
Bill Whelan
‘It astonished all of us who made it that Riverdance had such an enormous reach all around the world. No one at the time would have predicted it, but here we are 30 years later and still doing it.’
Half a lifetime after the event that changed his life, on the eve of a concert marking his 75th birthday, Bill Whelan has gained some perspective on the reasons for his signature work’s abiding success.
‘The emotional response to Riverdance had something to do with its tremendous energy. But it was also something that music evokes that we don’t have language for. There is something curative about experiencing the ritual of music-making together that is really important, and audiences respond to this.”
Unintentionally, Riverdance coincided with a new, confident sense of selfhood and optimism in an Ireland then emerging into unprecedented economic and cultural growth.
‘It struck a chord. People would later claim that it was part of some great plan to herald the Celtic Tiger economy. Which, of course, it wasn’t.’
If Riverdance’s thrillingly inventive score thrust Irish music onto the international stage, it wasn’t by chance. Long before its 1994 Eurovision interval debut (and the full two-hour show which followed the year after) Whelan had been placing traditional Irish music into a wider, global context, evidenced by his membership of folk band Planxty, collaborations with Andy Irvine and Stockton’s Wing, and his pioneering 1980s’ RTÉ series, An Eye on the Music
Eurovision, incidentally, had proved a happy experience for Whelan before Riverdance, including an appearance with Planxty, and two winning songs arranged and orchestrated by him.
The ground plan for Riverdance, he says, was ‘kick-started’ by his first major orchestral work, 1992’s sun-drenched meeting of Ireland and Iberia, The Seville Suite. Exploiting a strong history between here and Spain, ‘the rhythmic spur and spirit of flamenco common to Irish music and dance’, its exhilarating, uilleann pipes-led ‘Caraçena’ finale brilliantly combined traditional Irish and Spanish instruments and a Spanish folk dancer.
Blending orchestra and Irish folk instruments, 1998’s The Connemara Suite’s ‘An Chistin’ featured voice and dance in its vivacious conclusion where fiddles, feet and orchestra came gloriously together. It’s in Whelan’s 75th birthday concert because, he admits,
‘we don’t often get to do it; I’m delighted to have this opportunity to perform it with NSOI.’
The concert also includes a glancing nod to his admired contributions to cinema in the romantic theme from Dancing at Lughnasa, the star-laden 1998 film of Brian Friel’s play.
Pride of place goes to a newly commissioned work for – and salute to – National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, with whom Whelan has a long and fruitful relationship.
‘There are some really fine soloists in the orchestra who I highlight alongside the different sections; the woodwind, brass, horns, strings, percussion. I’m hoping you’ll see how individual sections work with each other and also hear the orchestra in its full-blown strength.’
It will, says Whelan, be recognisably his. ‘I don’t seem to be able to write something without that happening.’
Recommendation enough for a night of old and new, celebrating one of Ireland’s most successful composers.
↓
Bill Whelan
at 75 Fri. 21 Nov. ʼ25
NSOI: Bill Whelan at 75
Sat. 21 Nov. ʼ25 7.30pm
NSOI Season
A celebration for the 75th birthday of Grammy Award-winning composer Bill Whelan, featuring some of his most popular music and the world premiere of a new work for National Symphony Orchestra Ireland.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the full-length Riverdance show, the thrilling Riverdance Symphonic Suite includes all the familiar melodies from Whelan’s hit score, re-orchestrated to release the majestic sweep of a full symphony orchestra.
Enjoy romance in the title music from the film of Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa, and Whelan’s signature blending of traditional musicians and orchestra in the uilleann pipes-led ‘Caraçena’ and ‘An Chistin’, an exhilarating, playful interaction between fiddles, feet and orchestra.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Gavin Maloney conductor
Zoë Conway fiddle
Tara Howley uilleann pipes
Séamus Ó Flatharta voice, Irish harp, whistle
Damien Mullane accordion
Bill Whelan
Dancing at Lughnasa
Main Title
‘Caraçena’ from The Seville Suite
‘An Chistin’ from The Connemara Suite
New Work World Premiere
Commissioned by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland Riverdance Symphonic Suite
Tickets
€15, €20, €28, €36, €44.50
Bill Whelan
Nicola Benedetti
An invitation to get up-close and personal with one of today’s most sought-after violinists is rare enough to be irresistible. Especially when it comes from the extraordinary Nicola Benedetti who brings her new solo touring recital – her first in more than a decade – to the National Concert Hall.
Since being catapulted to wider attention as the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004, Benedetti (her surname pointing to her father’s Italian heritage) has come far from her roots in West Kilbride on Scotland’s Ayrshire coastline. Having begun playing the violin at the age of four, aged 10 she began taking lessons with Yehudi Menuhin.
Engagements with many of the UK’s leading orchestras soon followed culminating in an appearance at the 2012 Last Night of the Proms, its worldwide broadcast introducing the still-young virtuoso to an international audience. The following year saw her receive the first of three (to date) prestigious honours from the British government.
Fast forward to the present and Benedetti has become much more than
the astonishing violinist she is. Having established the Benedetti Foundation in 2019 to ‘unite, inspire, educate’, she has proved equally eloquent as a committed advocate for music’s ability to transform lives. The Foundation’s reach has extended to 137 countries and more than 75,000 participants ranging in age from two to 92.
Add in her appointment in 2022 as Festival Director – the first Scot and first woman to hold the post –of the world-renowned Edinburgh International Festival, and it’s clear that the multi-faceted Benedetti is really something of a singular sensation.
Described as ‘intimate and personal’, her wide-ranging NCH recital embraces music revelling in the romantic, the serene, the virtuosic, and Benedetti’s own traditional Scottish heritage. With
guests Plínio Fernandes on guitar and accordionist Samuele Telari, it promises to be a revealing, rewarding evening of music-making and storytelling.
Nicola Benedetti with Plínio Fernandes and Samuel Telari Sun. 23 Nov. ʼ25
Nicola Benedetti
Nicola Benedetti
with Plínio Fernandes and Samuele Telari Sun. 23 Nov. ʼ25 — 7.30pm
International Orchestras & Recitals
Join Nicola Benedetti, ‘the country’s favourite violinist’ (The Times) for a unique and personal show as she returns to pre-eminent stages across the UK and Ireland for her first solo tour in over 10 years.
Combining stunning performance with storytelling, Nicola shares a selection of shorter works – from romantic to virtuosic to folk – combined with her thoughts surrounding her choices of music, as well as her experiences over the past decade.
This performance will be intimate and personal, with Nicola joined onstage by Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes and accordionist Samuele Telari.
Benedetti violin Plínio Fernandes guitar Samuele Telari accordion Programme includes Sarasate Carmen Fantasy Sarasate Caprice Basque
Bloch Prayer
Jay Ungar Ashokan Farewell Works by Clara Schumann, Vaughan Williams and Paganini, along with new commissions and arrangements of traditional Scottish music.
Nicola
Nicola Benedetti
Music in the Classroom Leaving Certificate
with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Presented by Jessie Grimes
Tues. 25 Nov. ʼ25 — 10.30am & 12.30pm
Schools Artist-in-Residence
NCH Artist-in-Residence, Jessie Grimes, and National Symphony Orchestra
Ireland present an overview of Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Movement 2: ‘Un bal’ and Movement 4: ‘March au Supplice: March to the Scaffold’.
Highlighting key themes and sections and presented with musical illustrations, this will conclude with a full orchestral performance.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Ellie Slorach conductor
Jessie Grimes presenter
Berlioz ‘Un bal’ and ‘Marche au supplice’ from Symphonie fantastique
Tickets
Students €10.
Accompanying teachers go free.
Jessie Grimes
National Symphony Chorus Ireland at 40
David Young, Chorus director
As it reaches its 40th anniversary this year, the National Symphony Chorus Ireland, the island’s largest choir and only symphonic chorus, has a noticeable spring in its step.
‘They are sounding fantastic’, says its Chorus Director since 2019, David Young. ‘They are always enthusiastic and engaged, have an unflappable “can-do” attitude and are never timid in the way they sing. Once they get a piece under their skin, they sound visceral and powerful with a depth of tone and body that sets them apart.’
Founded by RTÉ in 1985 as the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, its drive ‘to be the best it can be’ owes much to the
attitudes and ambition imbued in its musical DNA by its founder, Colin Mawby. Creating the now 150-voice ensemble from scratch, at a stroke he greatly broadened the repertoire available to Irish audiences.
Mawby’s enthusiasm was infectious and lasting. Drawn from all compass points of the State, its current membership includes several singers who have been there from the very beginning and others who have chalked up 30 years and more of performances.
Mawby’s successors – Mark Duley (1996-2011), Mark Hindley (201218), and now Young – all built on and developed the Chorus into the flexible and responsive ensemble it is today.
Its seemingly inexhaustible range spans the imposing masterpieces of the Baroque and Classical eras from
Bach, Handel and Haydn to Mozart and Beethoven, the signature works of Romanticism – Berlioz, Bruckner and Mahler not least – and on into the variegated world of modernity with seminal works by Britten, Orff, Prokofiev and Arvo Pärt all safely under its belt.
A commitment to Irish composers has seen the Chorus premiere works by illustrious figures such as Aloys Fleischmann, Gerard Victory and Gerald Barry, more recent names including Elaine Agnew, Linda Buckley and Ann Cleare.
Assisted by vocal coach Anthony Norton, Young has continued to expand the already broad reach, last season’s acclaimed performance of James MacMillan’s St John Passion a notable case in point.
‘The highest compliment I can pay them, as amateurs sitting alongside professionals,’ he says, ‘is that they never seem out of place sharing the stage with the orchestra. They belong together.’
Ahead lies the relishable challenge of Bizet’s Carmen, with its rich use of the chorus, in a concert performance.
‘It’s been a while since we sang opera. It’s a total showstopper for the Chorus with so many brilliant moments for them – so dynamic, with fast changes between being commentators and being right in the thick of the drama. I think they’ll surprise themselves.’
The 40th anniversary gala concert fittingly unites past and present as the Chorus revisits Bruckner’s Te Deum, performed in its very first concert in
June 1985 – ‘So much opportunity for expression and no better showcase’, says Young – alongside the world premiere of Rhona Clarke’s Points of Light
‘It has an immediacy and brightness to it that feels different from anything we’ve done before in its harmonies, how chords fit together and counterpoint. It’s a delicate piece to contrast with Bruckner’s heft. Both are another opportunity to show what this wonderful Chorus is capable of.’
(concert performance)
Fri. 10 Oct. ʼ25
National Symphony Chorus Ireland – 40th Anniversary Celebration with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Fri. 28 Nov. ʼ25
— National Symphony Chorus Ireland in performance with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and Chamber Choir Ireland with David Hill, conductor
National Symphony Chorus Ireland
40th Anniversary Celebration with NSOI Fri. 28 Nov. ʼ25 7.30pm
NSOI Season
National Symphony Chorus Ireland celebrates its 40th anniversary in the company of National Symphony Orchestra Ireland with choral music to soothe and stir.
Long-time friend Gerhard Markson returns with Wagner’s great Die Meistersinger hymn, Bruckner’s monumental Te Deum, and the world premiere of Rhona Clarke’s uplifting, nature-inspired Points of Light.
The Te Deum soloists are ‘tour de force’ (The i Paper) soprano Ailish Tynan, ‘utterly entrancing’ (BBC Music) mezzo-soprano, Anna Stéphany, ‘ringing tenor’ (Operabase) Sunnyboy Dladla, and ‘rising young baritone’ (The Times) James Atkinson.
Tickets €15, €27.50, €35, €42.50, €49
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
National Symphony Chorus Ireland
Gerhard Markson conductor
David Young chorus director
Ailish Tynan soprano
Anna Stéphany
mezzo-soprano
Sunnyboy Dladla tenor
James Atkinson baritone
Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Wagner ‘Wach auf’ (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)
Schubert Allegro vivace from Symphony No. 9
Rhona Clarke Points of Light World Premiere
Co-commissioned by NSOI and NSCI
Brahms Academic Festival
Overture
Bruckner Te Deum
National Symphony Chorus Ireland
Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra
with András Keller and Paul Lewis Sat. 29 Nov. ʼ25—7.30pm
International Orchestras & Recitals
András Keller’s Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra brings a tragic lovestory writ large and a gamechanging concerto to the National Concert Hall.
Lyrical and tempestuous, Tchaikovsky’s Danteinspired symphonic fantasy Francesca da Rimini is one of his most dramatic works.
Liszt’s Les Préludes is an expressive symphonic poem, while virtuosity and drama combine in two mighty works by Beethoven: the simmering power of Piano Concerto No. 3 as conflict surrenders to sunburst joy, and the thunderous Symphony No. 5 where struggle gives way to triumph.
Under András Keller’s leadership, Concerto Budapest is now one of the most progressive and versatile symphonic orchestras, whose playing is characterised by passion, energy, and commitment.
Concerto Budapest
Symphony Orchestra
András Keller director
Paul Lewis piano
Tchaikovsky
Francesca da Rimini
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 3
Liszt
Les Préludes
Beethoven
Symphony No. 5
Pre-Concert Talk: 6.15pm – 6.50pm
Paul Lewis
Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra
NSOI: Mozart & Bruckner
with Anja Bihlmaier Fri. 05 Dec. ʼ25 7.30pm
NSOI Season
The ‘passionate and ever-energetic’ (Bachtrack) Anja Bihlmaier brings her illuminating insights into the music of Mozart and Bruckner for an evening of grand drama and immense emotions.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 15 occupies a realm of elegance, expressivity and sophistication. The always compelling Boris Giltburg, who ‘gives meaning to every note’ (Stuttgart Zeitung), joins as soloist.
Bruckner’s bold and daring final Symphony, No. 9, is a profound and moving statement of faith.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Anja Bihlmaier conductor Boris Giltburg piano
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 15 Bruckner Symphony No. 9
Tickets €15, €25, €29, €34.50, €39
Anja Bihlmaier
NSOI: Christmas Lunchtime
Tues. 09 Dec. ʼ25 — 1.05pm
NSOI Season
Christmas wouldn’t seem like Christmas without Christopher Bell’s festive and fun jamboree of seasonal favourites and much-loved carols.
Highlights include Leroy Anderson’s classic Sleigh Ride and A Christmas Festival, the enchanting Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, and a veritable cracker full of musical Yuletide treats.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Christopher Bell conductor
Tickets €20
Christopher Bell
Arvo Pärt at 90
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tues. 09 Dec. ʼ25 8.00pm
International Orchestras & Recitals
Marking his 90th birthday, a celebration of one of the most hypnotic and compelling composers of modern times, Arvo Pärt.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tõnu Kaljuste are rightly regarded as among the finest interpreters of his ethereal, eternal-sounding, soul-searching music and have recorded many of his works for ECM.
Selections from the luminous Berliner Messe and mesmerising Kanon Pokajanen are interspersed with some of Pärt’s most beguiling and beautiful miniatures, including the gorgeous Magnificat, gentle Summa, sombre Nunc dimittis, and lively energy of Dopo la vittoria.
Pärt’s meditative, spellbinding The Deer’s Cry, a setting of St. Patrick’s Breastplate, is a moving prayer for protection.
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tõnu Kaljuste conductor Kadri Toomoja organ
Arvo Pärt
Berliner Messe: Kyrie, Gloria Summa
Berliner Messe: Veni sancte spiritus Nunc dimittis
Berliner Messe: Sanctus Dopo la vittoria
Berliner Messe: Agnus Dei
Kanon Pokajanen: Kontakion, Ikos
Magnificat
Veni creator
The Deer’s Cry
Drei Hirtenkinder aus Fátima Littlemore Tractus
Kanon Pokajanen: Prayer After the Canon Vater unser
Tickets
€15, €28.50, €36, €44, €55
Pre-Concert Talk: 6.45pm – 7.20pm
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
NSOI: Tchaikovsky, Florence Price & Sofia Gubaidulina
Fri. 12 Dec. ʼ25 7.30pm
NSOI Season
As Christmas approaches, three delightful reveries of make-believe and magic led by the ‘authoritative and masterful’ (Bachtrack) Patrik Ringborg.
Sofia Gubaidulina’s enchanting Fairytale Poem is lit up by affecting melodies.
Blending technical brilliance with intoxicating warmth and energy, 2025 Grammy Award-winner Michelle Cann is the soloist in Florence Price’s virtuosic and colourful Piano Concerto.
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is a Christmas cracker filled with tunes, including the delicious ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ and sublimely lyrical ‘Waltz of the Flowers’.
National
Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Patrik Ringborg conductor Michelle Cann piano
Sofia Gubaidulina Fairytale Poem
Florence Price piano Concerto in One Movement
Tchaikovsky Selections from The Nutcracker
Michelle Cann
Family: Symphony Shorts – Discover The Nutcracker
with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland Sat. 13 Dec. ʼ25 12.30pm
Family
What do a giant mouse, a spinning ballerina, and a Sugar Plum Fairy all have in common? The most magical Christmas music of all of course!
Step into the sparkling world of The Nutcracker.
The dazzling music from Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet paints an enchanting picture of Clara’s famous Christmas Eve adventure – filled with dancing sweets, enchanted toys and one seriously catchy Sugar Plum Fairy tune.
With the festively fizzy Jessie Grimes as your guide, and the majestic sound of National Symphony Orchestra Ireland bringing the music to life, you’ll twirl through snowstorms, battle the Mouse King, and waltz into the Land of Sweets.
Packed with audience participation, singalongs, body percussion and festive surprises, this relaxed and ASD-friendly show for ages 6 and up is the perfect festive treat for the whole family.
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Patrik Ringborg conductor
Jessie Grimes presenter
Tchaikovsky Selections from The Nutcracker Tickets
Full Price €20; Child €15; Family ticket €65 (4 people, max. 2 adults)
Sign Language: This event includes Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation. A visual guide will also be available online in advance of the concert.
NSOI: Home Alone Live Screening in Concert
Wed. 17 Dec. ʼ25 — 8pm Thurs. 18 Dec. ʼ25 — 4pm & 8pm
A true holiday favourite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williamsʼ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland.
Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy whoʼs accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves.
Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!
Family
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Ernst van Tiel conductor
Cór na nÓg
Mary Amond O’Brien choral director
Tickets
€15 (restricted), €34.50, €44.50, €49.50
Tickets & Booking
Prices & Discounts
NCH Friends
NCH Friends Gala concert. Save 30%.
— 11+ concerts. Save 20%. (excluding Friends Gala)
— Individual concerts. Save 10%.
General Pricing
Tickets from €15.
Student tickets: €10. (Limited availability)
Children and Under-18 tickets: a limited number of free child tickets for under-18s are available when purchased with a full-price ticket. Family-Friendly price options for family concerts.
Concession discounts for all performances as noted below.
Please note: only 1 discount applies at any one time.
Persons with Disability and Carer: 50% discount.
Please note. Wheelchair spaces must be reserved at time of ticket purchase. Subject to availability. Early booking advised.
Senior Citizens and Unwaged: 5% discount.
Multi-buy Packages
Discounts of up to 20% on Multi-buy Packages. Group discounts: 10% discount when purchasing 10-40 tickets. 20% discount when purchasing 40+ tickets.
Multi-buy Options
Please note:
2 free tickets to a concert in the NCH Season in Spring 2026 with each package of 11+concerts.
Concert to be selected by NCH, tickets are non-transferrable and will be issued by end of October 2025. 30% discount on NCH Friends Gala whether purchased individually or as part of a package.
Booking
When to Book
NCH Patrons and NCH Season Friends Friday 30 May, 6pm
NCH Friends Wednesday 4 June, 10am
General Bookers & Groups Friday 6 June, 10am
Ticket Exchange
The NCH understands that plans regarding concert attendance can change. We are happy to offer all package buyers the opportunity to exchange their ticket(s) to another event in the NCH Season September–December 2025 period.
See nch.ie for terms and conditions.
Autumn/Winter 2025 National Concert Hall
Chamber Music Series
Gealán Quartet | Banbha Quartet Ora Quartet | Esposito Quartet Marmen Quartet | Solas Quartet Ficino Quartet | Schubertreise Tickets €17.50 (10% discount for Friends of NCH) Sunday Afternoon Chamber Recitals, Sept. — Dec. ʼ25
Where Concerts Make Connections
Programme Partners
Brackaville Investments Sinead Nic Oireachtaigh Mary Mac Aodha
Trust & Foundation Partners
Corporate Members — Ovation
Corporate Members — Encore
Corporate Members — Applause
Thank You to our Corporate and Individual Supporters
We would like to acknowledge with appreciation and gratitude the generous support of our Corporate Partners, Corporate Members, Patrons, John Field Society Members and Friends.
Michael and Loret O’Brien
Patrons & John Field Society Members Friends, Season Friends & Supporting Friends
Frank & Ivy Bannister | William Barton | James Billet | Michael Bourke | Sharon Burke | Brid Cannon & Juan Pablo Cortes Ocampo | Dr Tom Carey | Bernadette Coggins | Gerry Dempsey | Matt Farrelly (in memoriam) | Louis & Mary Fitzgerald | Dr Crona
Gallagher & Jim Clery | Brian Kingham | Philip Meade | Brian Mc Elroy | Prof Deirdre O Grady | Dr Rachel Patton | Charles Young | John Pollard Foundation | Beverly Sperry | Kieran Tobin | Dr Peter & Elva Wyatt
Please get in touch with a member of the Partnerships & Philanthropy Team to learn more and find out how you can support your National Concert Hall today: Aisling Kennedy Corporate Development Executive aisling.kennedy@nch.ie: Emmet McSwiney Individual Giving Executive emmet.mcswiney@nch.ie
#SupportYourNCH RCN. 200011987
Go spreaga an ceol tú
Bain sult as ceol binn sa Cheoláras Náisiúnta.
Is leatsa an Ceol. Is leatsa an Ceoláras Náisiúnta.
National Concert Hall
Earlsfort Terrace
Saint Kevinʼs
Dublin
D02 N527