This year marks the sixth edition of Finding A Voice
A four-day festival of music by women composers through the ages and around the world will kick off in Tipperary next month, launching on International Women’s Day (Wednesday, 8 March).
The sixth edition of Finding a Voice will take place in Clonmel until Sunday, 12 March, featuring unforgettable music by remarkable women. It is the only festival of its kind in Ireland and the British Isles.
The festival continues to support the music of living Irish composers with the world premieres of commissioned works by Gráinne Mulvey, Siobhán Cleary and Áine Mallon, as well as the winning piece in the Emerging Composer Competition, in association with the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland.
Artistic Director Róisín Maher commented: “I’m really thrilled to be celebrating six years of Finding a Voice and I continue to be proud of the fact that we’ve programmed so many incredible concerts featuring women composers in that time.
“The musical landscape has certainly changed since our first series of concerts in 2018 and, although there is more awareness now of women composers as well as opportunities to hear music by women, it’s still important to keep showcasing the range and depth of creativity that’s out there.”
One of the many festival highlights will be celebrated Spanish pianist Antonio Oyarzabal, who has championed the works of women composers through his acclaimed album, La Muse Oubliée and his work as an ambassador for Donne-UK. There will be also be a distinctly Latin American feel to the visit of 2023 Artist in Residence, guitarist Eleanor Kelly, who will perform music from Spain and South America over the course of the festival.
A passionate advocate of women in music, Eleanor says, “being given the opportunity to perform these guitar works, which are so special to me, at a festival that champions the often overlooked and undervalued artistic output of women composers is a huge privilege.”
Festival passes are already on sale on Eventbrite – see findingavoice.ie for further details.
