Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Galway Youth Orchestra, Coole Music Youth Orchestra and the Esker Festival Orchestra are among the groups from across the country taking part in the 30th Festival of Youth Orchestras. This will be held in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on Saturday, February 7.

The festival, presented by The Irish Association of Youth Orchestras, will mark three decades of celebrating Ireland’s youth orchestras, with a diverse range of music being played by young people, for young people.

This landmark occasion will showcase hundreds of young performers from across the country in its two concerts, at 1pm and 7.30pm.

The programme will include Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Symphonic Suite from The Fellowship of the Ring, selections from Man of Steel by Hans Zimmer and traditional Irish music, as well as original compositions from other Irish composers, among them Martin Power and Katharina Baker of Gort’s Coole Music.

Highlights will include the return of the Esker Festival Orchestra and ConCorda Chamber Orchestra – both funded and run by IAYO –  to mark the 30th anniversary of the festival.

An ensemble from ConCorda last performed at the event in 2015.

Meanwhile, the Esker Festival Orchestra, created, directed and conducted by Belclare’s Peter Joyce, is inviting previous members from the past 12 years back to perform for the anniversary gathering.

And a traditional Irish group from Cork, Ceolfhoireann Traidisiúnta Mhúscraí – Bláth na hÓige, will make its festival debut, performing a new piece by Martin Power. The group’s involvement reflects IAYO’s expanded membership criteria, as it welcomes traditional music ensembles.

Galway Youth Orchestra will be performing in the 1pm show, as will the Atlantic Tri-Orchestra (a collaboration between Donegal Youth Orchestra, Coole Music Youth Orchestra and Mayo Youth Orchestra), ConCorda Chamber Orchestra and UCD Symphony Orchestra.

Esker Festival Orchestra will perform at the 7.30pm show, as will Ceolfhoireann Traidisiúnta Mhúscraí – Bláth na hÓige, Music Generation Ireland Harp Collective and Queen’s University Symphony Orchestra.

The conductor of Galway Youth Orchestra, Michael Dooley, described the group’s 30-year association with the national festival as “a joyful celebration of youth, music excellence and community”.

Tickets for the shows on February 7 are €25 / Concessions €10. For those aged 17 years and under, they cost €7.50, while family tickets (four people with a maximum of two adults) are €45. For groups of 10 or more, it’s €10 per ticket.

■ They can be booked at www.nch.ie.

Pictured: Galway Youth Orchestra will be performing at the National Concert Hall on February 7.