In an extract from his forthcoming biography of Irish Times music critic Charles Acton (1914–1999), Richard Pine discusses the role of the critic from the 1950s up to the 1980s.

If we cared as much about our musical life as we do about our national theatre we would already have seen the Royal Irish Academy of Music discussed in the same terms as the Abbey, argues former RIAM Governor Richard Pine.

Ita Beausang’s article on music education in the Sept-Oct issue of JMI evoked a strong letter from Richard Pine in our last issue. In this email debate we bring the two together to further discuss the future of music education in Ireland.

Richard Pine, Dublin, writes:I wish I shared Ita Beausang’s optimism. I wish rain was beer. But I don’t and it isn’t. In her article on music education she asks ‘Where do we go from here?’ My answer is ‘Nowhere, absolutely...

Dear EditorI applaud David Flynn’s search for the ‘Irish Bartók’, and I agree with almost everything he says, but I am afraid his ideas don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. On one side are people who say ‘Irish...

Would-be orchestral musicians in Ireland are at a disadvantage – despite several attempts over the years to address the problem, there is no training orchestra or postgraduate diploma in orchestral studies which could prepare players for po

The story so far: in the first extract from his book on music and broadcasting (JMI Vol. 3 No.

In the first of two extracts from his forthcoming book, Ceol-Áras: music and broadcasting in Ireland 1926-2001, Richard Pine describes the context of musical life in Ireland when RTÉ was established.

Richard Pine examines the issues surrounding the establishment of an Irish Academy for the Performing Arts.