The annual Women and Music in Ireland conference takes place at the Royal Irish Academy of Music on Saturday, 15 September, running from 9.30am and into the evening. The conference includes the presentation of papers and talks as well as a round-table discussion and two concerts.

The two keynote addresses this year will be given by Professor Harry White, who will speak about the Croatian composer Dora Pejačević, and Dr Sophie Fuller, who will speak about the Irish composer Elizabeth Machonchy. The conference is divided into thematic sections: traditional music, contemporary music, music from the eighteen century to the twentieth century, music in the twentieth century and section about sources and resources on women in music.

Notable talks include Daithí Kearney on ‘breaking the glass ceiling in Irish traditional music’, Italian sound artist La Cosa Prezioza on the practice of ‘soundwalking’, Karol Mullany-Dignam on women and music in the Irish country house and two papers about the composer Ina Boyle, by Ita Beausang and Aylish Kerrigan respectively.

The first concert, by the contralto Elizabeth Pink and pianist Anthony Byrne, takes place at 2.15pm and includes music by nine women composers, including Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann but also many lesser-known names. The second concert, at 6pm, features the music of Irish composers Amanda Feery, Deirdre McKay, Elaine Agnew, Ailís Ní Ríain, Rhona Clarke, Jane O’Leary and Judith Ring performed by the clarinettist Paul Roe and cellist Martin Johnson. The second concert will be preceeded by a pre-concert discussion with featured composers presented by the Contemporary Music Centre.

Registration information is available from the conference website. Concerts are open to the public, with a €5 admission fee. Spaces can be reserved by emailing womenandmusicinirl [at] gmail.com

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