On 16 January at 8pm, the Little Museum of Dublin, situated at 15 St Stephen Green, will host an unusual take on Johann Sebastian Bach’s iconic solo violin partita in D minor. The Irish violinist Ioana Petcu-Colan will perform the work with newly-written interludes by four different Irish composers.

Andrew Hamilton, Simon O’Connor, Garrett Sholdice and Benedict Schlepper-Connolly have all produce short works to sit between the movements of the Bach — which perhaps best known for the majestic final Chaconne movement. Curated by Ergodos (the production company run by Sholdice and Schlepper-Connolly), the music will be performed continuously, as if a new large-form work.

The organisers say that the idea behind the interludes is for them to function ‘like mirrors’ to the Bach. ‘These pieces will catch reflections of the Bach, sometimes distorted, sometimes fleeting.’ The performance will be introduced by Bernard Clarke of RTÉ Lyric FM’s programme Nova.

Tickets include a wine reception and a free tour of the museum for anyone arriving at 7pm. (The tour will be given by Simon O’Connor who, apart from being a composer, is also the Curator of the Little Museum.) As the name suggests, the venue is quite small, so prior booking is advised.

An Irish violinist of Romanian origin, Ioana Petcu-Colan is a former first violin and founder member of the Callino Quartet; she is currently a member of Ensemble Avalon and leader of the Ulster Orchestra.

ergodos.ie