Conversations with the Past
Brendan Finan
On 11 September, the Irish Traditional Music Archive hosted a gala concert at the National Concert Hall with a range of musicians and dancers who have featured in its Drawing from the Well series. Brendan Finan reviews.
Expanding the Boundaries of Opera
Adrian Smith
'Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách', a new opera by Finola Merivale and Jody O’Neill experienced through virtual reality, is currently running as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. Adrian Smith reviews.
Energy at the Core
Brendan Finan
Irish composer Finola Merivale's debut album 'Tús', winner of the National Concert Hall/Sounding the Feminists Music Recording Award, features five works performed by New York chamber music ensemble Desdemona. Brendan Finan reviews.
A Snapshot of Underground Music Making in Ireland
Don O'Mahony
The Department of Energy, the record label founded by Dan Callanan, has recently released 'May Day (Landscape Mixtape)' featuring 63 tracks from over 40 artists, exploring the theme of local resistance to corporate and state violence. Don O'Mahony reviews.
Clarity of Vision
James Camien McGuiggan
Celebrating ten years, Kirkos ensemble hosted their festival '10' in Dublin in July, featuring new work from Susan Geaney, Sebastian Adams, Jonathan Nangle, Áine Mallon and Robbie Blake. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.
Cultural Treasures Bound up with Barbarism
Martin Dowling
The Irish Traditional Music Archive has recently published 'The Forde Collection: Irish Traditional Music from the William Forde Manuscripts' edited by Nicholas Carolan and Caitlín Uí Éigeartaigh, a hugely important collection of over 900 transcriptions of Irish tunes and song-airs from the 1840s. Martin Dowling reviews.
Sometimes Startled
Mark Fitzgerald
A new album on the Diatribe label features South African pianist Jill Richards performing six of Kevin Volans' études, while the composer plays a number of works by Liszt. Mark Fitzgerald reviews.
Pages
Are We Taking Enough Risks with Irish Music on TV?
'The Main Stage', a new music show on RTÉ One, ran for six episodes from July until August this summer and featured artists such as Cormac Begley, Denise Chaila, The Scratch and Tolü Makay. Andrea Cleary reviews. 
‘Confusing the Discourse’ – Why Fossil Fuel Companies Should Not Be Sponsoring the Arts
The sponsorship by Flogas of the Galway International Arts Festival raises a number of questions about what is appropriate sponsorship for the arts, writes Toner Quinn. 
Communication Under Constraints
David Bremner's chamber opera 'Slow Recognition' was premiered at Unit 44 in Dublin last week. Brendan Finan reviews.