This year’s Music for Galway concert season will kick off on Friday, September 27, in Leisureland with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and compère Marty Morrissey with CRAICport, celebrating sport, music and stories.

It will conclude on May 7 with America pianist Anne-Marie McDermott making her Galway debut, performing works by Bach, Busoni and Brahms at the Emily Anderson Concert Hall in the University of Galway.

The programme for Music for Galway’s 43rd annual season was launched at Bonham Quay in the city on Monday night and follows the success of the organisation’s Cellissimo Festival in May.

MfG’s Artistic Director Finghin Collins told guests that an organic theme had emerged as he was programming events. “There were either Irish-based artists or an Irish historic connection or composer in almost every concert. So we decided to name our season Irish Connections.”

On Wednesday, October 23, MfG will return to Bonham Quay with the Cassiopeia Winds and the following night, the group will reprise the concert at Kilcummin Church, Oughterard.

This is part of MfG’s Encore series, where the organisation stages the same show in city and county venues. The Britten Oboe Quartet, led by star oboist Nicholas Daniel, will also offer an Encore. On Tuesday, March 11, they will bring an eclectic programme, including Mozart, Maconchy and Moeran, to the city’s St Joseph’s Church, repeating this in Campbell’s Tavern, Headford, on March 12.

Earlier in the season, a multidisciplinary production honouring the women affected by Ireland’s Mother and Baby homes will be staged in the city’s Nuns’ Island Theatre.

A Mother’s Voice, from Musici Ireland, is a collaboration between artists and survivors to shed light on this veiled era of Ireland’s recent history and will be presented on Friday, November 22.

The annual Emily Anderson Concert will be on October 10  with a performance of Liszt’s arrangement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by Italian pianist Maurizio Baglini.

That’s in conjunction with the University of Galway, as is the Midwinter Festival: RAVEL. This will celebrate 150 years since the birth of one of the 20th century’s most original and sophisticated composers, Maurice Ravel. It runs from January 17-19, featuring chamber music and songs. On the final day, there will be rare a four-hand piano performance of the Bolero with new choreography by Galway-based dance artist Diarmuid Armstrong Mayock, commissioned in partnership with Galway Dance.

Other concerts this season include Cushendall in the Hardiman Ballroom on November 7, featuring MfG’s Artistic Director Finghin Collins and his friends, clarinettist John Finucane and mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty.  The programme includes songs from their CD dedicated to Charles Villiers Stanford. The city centre hotel will host the Fidelio Trio on February 17, with piano music by Beethoven and Schubert.

On February 27 the National Symphony Orchestra return to Leisureland with violinist Simone Lamsma and conductor Alexander Shelley to perform Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony.

And on March 30, it’s back to St Joseph’s Church where Vanbrugh and Friends will perform Mozart and Brahms’ viola quintets.

The Music for Good Friday concert in collaboration with Mark Duley at St Nicholas Collegiate Church, is a fixture in the MfG calendar and for that event, Collegium will perform a programme titled Miserere.

In partnership with Arts in Action at the University of Galway  MfG will four lunchtime concerts at UG on Thursdays at 1.05pm.

The winner of the 2024 RDS Music Bursary 2024, tuba player Adam Buttimer will perform on October 31; Galway soprano Aimee Banks with pianist Dearbhla Collins will be on November 14; Galway pianist and composer Laoise McMullin on February 13 and pianist Cahal Masterson with soprano Rebecca Murphy, will perform a new song-cycle KRAINA in March.

Full details of this season’s programme are at www.musicforgalway.ie.

Pictured: In training for Music for Galway’s 43rd International Concert Season and the opening concert featuring the RTE Concert Orchestra with Marty Morrissey presenting ‘Sports, Music, Stories & Craic’ in Leisureland on September 27, was tubist Adam Buttimer at Salthill Knocknacarra’s pitch.  Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure