Thursday 7 August 2008

Maynooth Guitar Orchestra

Founded by Brendan Walsh in 2003, the Maynooth Guitar Orchestra is the only large, regularly performing guitar ensemble in Ireland. This summer sees the group collaborate with 12 guitarists from all around the world, undoubtedly creating the most virtuosic and exciting guitar ensemble ever heard in Ireland. The group contributes to a small but growing repertoire; this is evident in the orchestra only performing its own arrangements or pieces arranged in relation to the group. Promotion of new music is very important to the orchestra; it has been fortunate to have many works composed for it. Established composers, such as Martin O'Leary and Victor Lazzarini, have had several pieces premiered by the orchestra. Apart from established composers, there have been numerous pieces, many of which were premiers, contributed by younger composers. The orchestra feels no limits to what it plays with the endeavour to play great music being its ultimate aim. Concert programmes have seen the orchestra feature music from John Dowland to Jimi Hendrix, Haydn to Thin Lizzy, Mozart to Traditional Irish Tunes and Shostakovich to Radiohead.

Since the group began it has constantly been growing in size and ambition. In 2006 the Orchestra together with the Basel Youth Orchestra performed the premier of Seanachaí by Brendan Walsh, the first time such a collaboration had taken in Ireland. The same year the group hosted at Maynooth the well-established guitar orchestra GuitArt (directed by Helmut Oesterreich, one of the most experienced guitar ensemble directors in the world and well known for his work with the World Guitar Ensemble) and the stunning Zoo Guitar Duo (Peter Constant and Marion Schaap).

In 2007 the group invited world-renowned and award winning guitarist Frank Bungarten to give a concert that was followed by an eye-opening ensemble master-class. March of that year saw the group invited to play in the Chord international music festival, directed by Michael O'Toole. The Chord festival featured the highly-acclaimed John Williams among other important musicians.

In February 2008 the group had their first ever Guitar Week in association with NUI Maynooth. The Guitar Orchestra invited solo guitarist Christian Fergo and the Anemos guitar Quartet to perform in Maynooth and to also give talks and workshops about the guitar, new music for guitar and the guitar as an ensemble instrument.

The group has committed itself to promoting the classical guitar and its context in an ensemble through its many workshops in secondary schools throughout the country. In the short time since its foundation, the Maynooth Guitar Orchestra has developed into one of Irelands most original music ensembles.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), arr. Brendan Walsh
Symphony no. 29, K201
- Allegro moderato
- Andante
- Menuetto: allegretto - trio
- Allegro con spirito

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), arr. Brendan Walsh
La vida breve

Brendan Walsh
New work for violin & guitar orchestra

Claude Debussy (1862-1918), arr. Brendan Walsh)
Danse pour piano

Victor Lazzarini
New work for guitar orchestra