Breffni O’Byrne

Kirkos is the first contemporary music ensemble in the Royal Irish Academy of Music to be both set up and run, both artistically and administratively, by students. The ensemble is directed by composer and masters student Sebastian Adams, and features a dozen players, including strings, woodwind, piano, accordion and percussion. The group’s name comes from the Greek word, which means both ‘circus’ and ‘ring’.

According to Adams, ‘Kirkos was set up partly to create performance opportunities for the young composers learning their trade at the RIAM, but mainly to fill what seemed to be a glaring gap in the market for high quality performances by young people of contemporary music. We are hoping to foster a new generation of contemporary music aficionados in every area, from pure fan, to composer to performer, and to build an even better future for Dublin’s new music scene.’

Kirkos will be launched by a concert of ten new works by students, teachers and alumni of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, including works by Adams, Breffni O’Byrne, Robert Coleman, Edgar Grunewald, Nori Krupp, Bill McGrath, Fergal Mulloy, Jonathan Nangle, Kevin O’Connell and Emma O’Halloran. The concert takes place at St. Ann’s Church in Dublin on 17 April, and admission is free.

kirkosensemble