New Dennehy Opera, Loah and Beoga at Galway International Arts Festival

Loah

New Dennehy Opera, Loah and Beoga at Galway International Arts Festival

40th Festival also features Brian Wilson, Altan, James Lavelle, Overhead, The Albatross, Lankum, RTÉ CO and more.

The Galway International Arts Festival, taking place from Monday 17 to Sunday 30 July, marks its 40th anniversary this year with a strong music programme that includes its first opera, the world premiere of Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh’s The Second Violinist.

Presented by Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera, The Second Violinist is the second opera from the partnership. Featuring Aaron Monaghan, Máire Flavin, Sharon Carty, Benedict Nelson and Crash Ensemble, and described as a ‘search for beauty in a dark, dark world’, it was awarded the Fedora–Generali Prize for Opera 2017. The Second Violinist will run from 26 to 30 July at the Black Box Theatre. The premiere on 26 July will be followed by a post-show talk with Dr Ian R. Walsh.

Another highlight of the music programme is a headline concert by Sierra Leonean/Irish singer Loah, who has coined the term ‘artsoul’ for her mix of classical, soul and West-African influences. Loah will perform songs from her recently-released debut EP This Heart at Róisín Dubh on 19 July, with support from Cork-based band Shookrah.

Folk band Beoga – who have come to mainstream prominence following their collaboration with singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and their performance at Glastonbury – will also perform at Róisín Dubh, on 25 July, as part of strong traditional and folk music line-up that also includes performances by Dónal Lunny and Andy Irvine, and Altan. 

In addition to these main evening concerts, a series of lunchtime concerts on 20–22 and 27–29 July will present showcase performances from a number of traditional musicians, including Laura Ugur (fiddle, piano), Meabh O’Hare (fiddle) and Floriane Blancke (harp). 

Also on the music programme of the Galway International Arts Festival are Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds, Korean pansori singer Songhee, Lankum, Saint Sister, Overhead, The Albatross, James Lavelle’s UNKLE Sounds and two concerts with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. See the full programme at http://www.giaf.ie/events. 

Published on 12 July 2017

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