Thursday 19 July 2007, at 8.00 pm

Zoë Shannon, flute
Brendan Walsh, guitar

Zoë Shannon began flute studies at the age of 11 with Ann Macken in Dublin. At age 17 she began studying with Prof. Doris Keogh who remained her teacher until 2005, when she went on the Erasmus-Socrates program to the Lemmens Institute in Belgium where she studied under the head flute teacher, Prof. Berten D'Hollander, for one academic year. As a student at the Lemmens Institute, Zoë took part in the Harmonie-Orkest tour to Switzerland, France and Luxembourg. During her undergraduate degree she attended flute lessons at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, under scholarship with William Dowdall while completing her music degree at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. Zoë was a very active performer throughout her music education where she premiered dozens of new compositions by young composers and, most recently, toured with the NUI Maynooth guitar orchestra playing Vivaldi's eleventh flute concerto. She has attended masterclasses with Paul Meisen, Patrick Gallois, Wissam Boustany, Paul Edmund-Davis and Emer McDonough. She currently studies with the world-renowed Anna Katarina Graff at the Lucerne Conservatory of Music in Switzerland.

Brendan Walsh is an international BA music graduate (NUI Maynooth and Lemmens Institute, Belgium) and the holder of an MA in Musical Performance (DIT). As a performer, Brendan has studied with Gwen Moore, Benjamin Dwyer, John Feeley and the Belgian virtuoso Raphaella Smits. He has participated in over 20 masterclasses given by players such as David Russell, Oscar Ghiglia, Benjamin Verdry, Pavel Steidl, John Williams and Carlos Bonnell, and currently studies with German guitarist Frank Bungarten. Brendan is a twice winner at Dublin's Féis Ceol, including the George Lowden Bach Prize, and has performed live on both local and national radio. Brendan has been featured on the volume 5 CMC (Contemporary Music Centre) CD playing the music of Brazilian composer Victor Lazzarini. Earlier this year Brendan premiered his first guitar concerto at the NCH. Apart from his solo playing he is also extremely interested in ensemble music and is a performing member with the contemporary ensemble EAR. Brendan studied composition with Prof Luc Van Hove at the Lemmens Institute and with Dr Martin O'Leary at NUI Maynooth where he graduated with a first class honours in composition. His compositional output ranges from solo instrumental pieces to large scale orchestral works. In 2002 he founded and still directs the NUIM Guitar Orchestra (the only large performing guitar ensemble in Ireland). Brendan has composed and arranged hours of music for this ensemble of nearly 20 guitarists and in turn has had his pieces performed all over Ireland. As a teacher Brendan has given many workshops to primary and secondary schools, often promoting new music. He was involved in the Music in the Docklands programme, which was to bring music to the underprivileged schools in Dublin, and has worked extensively with the Music Matters Orchestra (Galway) and with the Stringing it Together Orchestra (Donegal/Tyrone). With his guitar orchestra he has given many ensemble workshops to people of all ages. He currently teaches ensemble and individual tuition to music students at NUI Maynooth.

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Sonatina for flute & guitar, op. 205
- Allegretto grazioso
- Andantino grazioso e malinconico
- Scherzo – rondo

Brendan Walsh
Rondo Fantasy

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Histoire du Tango, for flute & guitar
- Bordel 1900
- Café 1930
- Nightclub 1960
- Concert d'aujourd'hui