The fourth annual Trad Talk Symposium takes place this Saturday, October 21, at Stiuideó Cuan in An Spidéal.  The event is hosted by Trad Ireland/Traid Éireann, a new entity founded by Oisín Mac Diarmada and Tristan Rosenstock, funded by the Arts Council, to promote the traditional arts throughout the island of Ireland.

This year’s day-long event, which is open to the public, includes round-table discussions and presentations from some of Ireland’s best-known artists, writers, musicians and composers.

One of the sessions entitled ‘Embracing Composition: The changing scope of the composer within the tradition’ features discussions with musician/composers in the Irish traditional idiom including Zoë Conway, Josephine Marsh and local man Johnny Óg Connolly.

Renowned fiddle player, composer Zoë Conway expressed her delight at taking part in the Embracing Composition talk.

“The thing that excites me most as an Irish traditional fiddle player is new Irish music,” she says. “Since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to contemporary pieces, often without even knowing.  I’m particularly drawn to orchestral Irish music and the works of Bill Whelan, Mícheál O Suilleabháin and Seán O Riada

“I know Charlie Lennon (of Stiuideó Cuan) is to be honoured as part of the weekend, and on my first album, I recorded four or five of his tunes without even knowing he had written them. They were simply beautiful pieces that resonated with me and my fiddle, I also feel that while people are composing new Irish music, that our tradition is developing, living and breathing, and that’s so wonderful to see.”

Other sessions include ‘The Role of the Record Label in Traditional Music’ and ‘Capturing the Moment – photography and the Traditional Arts’.

Registration and information at www.trad-ireland.com