Music Network has announced the details of its 2019/2020 touring programme, which includes four tours this autumn, three of which will feature new Music Network commissions from Josephine Marsh, Alex Petcu and Brian Bolger. The tours will feature artists such as traditional singer Nell Ní Chróinín, guitarist Sean Shibe and trumpeter Airelle Besson. The second part of the season will showcase three more new commissions from different composers including violist Garth Knox.

Autumn tours
The season will commence in September with traditional musicians Tara Breen (fiddle), Laoise Kelly (harp), Josephine Marsh (accordion) and Nell Ní Chróinín (voice). The four-piece will play twelve concerts and will perform a combination of traditional tunes and songs, along with a new piece by Marsh, specially commissioned by Music Network. They will tour from 11 to 23 September in venues such as the Sugar Club, Dublin; National Opera House, Wexford; and the Belltable in Limerick.

October will see a tour by the Bangers and Crash percussion group, made up of virtuoso percussionists Alex Petcu, Emma King and Brian Dungan. Using traditional percussion instruments as well as creating sounds from metal, wood and string, the group explore various rhythmic influences, including Flamenco, Afro-Cuban and Javanese gamelan. They will perform music from composers such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich along with a new work by Petcu. Petcu is designing and building a new instrument specifically for the piece.

Having recently performed at festivals such as Body&Soul, Westport Arts Festival and Sounds from a Safe Harbour, Bangers and Crash will perform eight concerts from 2 to 11 October.

Trumpet, piano and drums 
Also in October, French trumpeter Airelle Besson will perform as part of a trio with pianist Sebastian Sternal and drummer Jonas Burgwinke, who mix the styles of baroque, jazz and classical during their live shows. The trio will perform five shows from 23 to 27 October.

In November, the last of the 2019 tours will feature the duo of Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe and tenor Ben Johnson. Shibe recently won a Scottish new music award for his recent album and plays across various genres. Together they will perform works by Bach, Giuliani and Walton as well as contemporary pieces, including a Music Network commission by guitarist and composer Brian Bolger.

Later in the season
More concerts and three more commissions are programmed for the spring of 2020, beginning in January with a performance by Irish instrumentalists Dónal O’Connor, Jack Talty and Jim Murray. In March, violist Garth Knox, who recently won Scottish new music performer of the year, and his ensemble Saltarello Trio will perform a new commission, and April will see a tour from Russian violin and piano duo Alena Baeva and Katia Skanavi.

For full details on all concerts, visit www.musicnetwork.ie.