Recent & Forthcoming
11 October. Clara through a Glass Cage for piano solo, Mary Dullea, Schumann-Haus, Leipzig
15 October: recording Cocteau for piano with Isabelle O'Connell & sound engineer, Ben Rawlins, St Peter's Church, Drogheda. Forthcoming CD on the Divine Art Recordings label
17 October: Clara through a Glass Cage and Gleann Dá Loch, Mary Dullea (piano); Windsor Building, Royal Holloway, University of London.
25 October: Tread Softly, Jimmy Goejenbier (piano), TU Dublin.
2 November: Epitaph (premiere), Laetare Vocal Ensemble directed by Róisín Blunnie, 10th Anniversary Concert, St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin
6 December: Surfacing for piano , and Interrogate for violin & piano (premiere), Rachel Du (vln), Didzis Kalniņš (pno), Station House Theatre, Clifden, Co. Galway.
Magdalene Songs at West Cork
Three Magdalene Songs (2022) were included in a programme of commissions by Boyne Music Festival and West Cork Chamber Music.
All the songs (by Rhona Clarke, Deirdre Gribbin and Deirdre McKay) centred on the survivors of Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.
There were performed by Lotte Betts Dean (mezzo) and Deirdre Brenner (piano) in the atmospheric atmosphere of St Brendan's Church Bantry on 5 July 2024.
World New Music Days 2024
29 June 2024: O Vis Aternitatis selected by the ISCM for World New Music Days. Performed by ARS NOVA Copenhagen conducted by Graham Ross, 17:00, The Nordic House, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
LAST ACT (2024)
Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) presents LAST ACT, a new commission, by Marie Hanlon with Music by Rhona Clarke.
LAST ACT is a large scale synchronised video installation. The work presents the climate crises as something both real and abstract, as such it mirrors the human response to a changing earth. The music centres on the Dies Irae, a poem and chant which has inspired composers since the middle ages. Newly composed choral music was recorded with the State Choir Latvija and their conductor Maris Sirmais. This material was then manipulated to form the score for Marie Hanlon's evocative photographic and video images.
State Choir Latvija perform Requiem on tour
Following their world premiere performance of Requiem in Riga in 2022, State Choir LATVIJA, conducted by Maris Sirmais included Requiem (2020) in their Tour programme. The concerts were in partnership with Solstice Arts Centre, Cork International Choral festival, Music in Kilkenny, the IIMS and Sundays at Noon, funded by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon Touring Award.
1 May St Peter's Church, Drogheda
2 May City Hall Cork
3 May St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny
4 May The Lark Concert Hall, Balbriggan
5 May The Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
World Premiere: Words on Rhythm (2023)
Commissioned by vocal quartet 4 in a Bar to celebrate the centenary of Charles Villiers Stanford, funded by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Premiere at Kaleidescope Night, Bello Bar Dublin by 4 in a Bar 2 May 2024
World Premiere: Rough Beast II for String Orchestra
Rough Beast II (2024) for string orchestra, jointly commissioned by Evlana and New Music Dublin, funded by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon
Premiere at New Music Dublin 2024, Evlana Sinfonietta directed by Keith Pascoe, 28 April, National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Ave Atque Vale (2020)
23 March Mornington Singers, conducted by Orla Flanagan, Pepper Canister Church, Dublin
‘Pie Jesu’ from Requiem (2020) King’s Voices conducted by Ralph Woodward
11 March, Evensong, King's College, Cambridge
17 March, Le Cambre Abbey, Brussles
Undercurrent (2001)
Undercurrent (2001) for piano quartet, Siún Milne (violin) Ed Creedon (viola) Aoife Burke (cello) Fiachra Garvey (piano) 2 December 2023, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, 13:00
3 December, Sundays at Noon, Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
Cocteau (2022) world premiere by Isabelle O’Connell
Institute Culturel Irlandais, Paris, 17 October 2023 in a programme of music featuring Jean Cocteau's composer associates: 'Les Six', Satie and Stravinsky.
Cocteau, in six movements, is influenced by this mutidisciplinary French artist.
Irish premiere: 22 October, Sundays at Noon, The Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin.
Sirensong: two performances in London
Sirensong performed by Clara Barbier-Serano, Robert Finegan & Tia Ling as part of the Paris Chapters, new musical settings of words by Irish writers who lived in Paris a century ago.
21 Sep - Institut français du Royaume-Uni, London
22 October: Bloomsbury Festival, City Lit Recital Room, 1-10 Keely St, London
Requiem: Irish Premiere at Kilkenny Arts Festival
Chamber Choir Ireland conducted by Paul Hillier will perform the Irish premiere of Requiem (2020) at Kilkenny Arts Festival. In a programme titled In Paradisum it forms the central work alongside Arvo Pärt's
O Holy Father Nicholas and Caroline Shaw's How to Fold the Wind.
St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny.
15 August 2023 7:30pm
Further performances:
14 September: St Fin Barre's Cathedral Cork
15 September: St Ann's Church, Dawson St. Dublin
16 September: St Thomas' Church, Belfast (UK premiere)
27 October: Sound Scotland, King's Chapel, Aberdeen
Pas de Quatre (revised 2023) performed at Galway International Arts Festival
Pas de Quatre, String Quartet No 2 (2009) was commissioned jointly by Galway Music Residency and the Contemporary Music Centre. The piece which has been performed several times by ConTempo, emphasises the communication and energy between the members of the quartet. It was performed as part of Galway Music Residency's Strings Attached series, marking 20 years since ConTempo became Galway’s Ensemble-in-Residence.
Emily Anderson Concert Hall, University of Galway.
20 July 2023
World Premiere: Surfacing (2023)
23 JUNE 2023
In Concert With Didzis Kalniņš includes the premiere of Surfacing for solo piano commissioned by Kalniņš funded by Fingal County Council. The piece features use of the sostenuto pedal where there is a selective sustain of notes without blurring the sound.
Programme:
Four Etudes for the Sostenuto Pedal by Lūcija Garūta (1902-1977)
Surfacing by Rhona Clarke
Sonata in B minor by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Venue & Time: John Field Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin. 1:05pm
Presented by KenDu Music
Non-Stop: Nieuwe Noten
19 & 21 JUNE 2023
Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble’s last concerts of the season included Non-Stop for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano which they commissioned in 2020 with funding from ACNI.
19 June 2023, Harty Room, Queens University, Belfast 7:30pm
21 June, Plein Theater, Amsterdam, 3:00pm
World Premiere: Navigatio (2023)
27 MAY 2023
Cois Cladaigh conducted by Daniel Beuster commissioned Navigatio as a gift for their founder conductor, Brendan O'Connor. The premiere was part of the choir's 40th Anniversary concert. The text is taken from Navigatio Sancti Brendani, not only Brendan's namesake, but signifying the journey on which the recently retired director had taken the choir. A copy of the score signed by all current and former choir members was presented to Brendan just before the performance by Cois Cladaigh conducted by Daniel Beuster at the Aula Maxima, University of Galway.
Also: 30 September: St Nicholas Church, Galway
World Premiere: Sweet the Song (2022)
Sweet the Song, three carols for upper voices will receive its premiere performance on Friday 9th December 2022.
Commissioned by Vox Orbis conducted by Mark Keane, the choir will perform the new work alongside Britten's Ceremony of Carols.
Venue & time: Galway Cathedral at 20.00.
Sirensong (2022)
For soprano, saxophone and piano as part of the premiere performance of The Paris Chapters based on Irish writers living in Paris a century ago; text taken from the Sirens episode of Ulysses by James Joyce; Clara Barbier-Serrano, soprano, Robert Finegan, saxophone, Tia Ling, piano, Festival de Lussan, France.
World Premiere: Three Magdalene Songs (2022)
Commissioned by Boyne Music Festival and West Cork Chamber Music with the support of Fingal County Council; texts taken from from Justice for Magdalenes Research. Naomi Louisa O’Connell (soprano) & Deirdre Brenner (piano), Boyne Music Festival, Townley Hall, Drogheda.
Sirensong (2022)
For soprano, saxophone and piano, commissioned by Robert Finegan as part of The Paris Chapters based on Irish writers living in Paris a century ago; text taken fro the Sirens episode of Ulysses by James Joyce; Premiere: Clara Barbier-Serrano, soprano, Robert Finegan, saxophone, Tia Ling, piano, Embassy of Ireland UK, London.
World Premiere: Requiem (2020)
State Choir LATVIJA conducted by Māris Sirmais, part of In Memoriam, commemorating those who died and suffered as a result of the forced exiles of Latvian people to remote areas of Russia on 14 June of 1941. St Peter’s Church, Riga, Latvia.
Non-Stop (2020)
For ensemble, performed by Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble at New Music Dublin, at The National Concert Hall.
‘Sempiternam’
An album of choral music recorded by State Choir LATVIJA conducted by Māris Sirmais, was launched by Artistic Director of the Irish National Opera, Fergus Sheil at the Contemporary Music Centre. The major and latest piece on the CD, Requiem (2020), will be given its world premiere by The State Choir in Riga on 14 June 2022.
Premiere: ‘Rough Beast’
Commissioned by Galway Music Residency as part of the 1921 Centenary events. In association with @arts.in.action.nuig and based on WB Yeats’ poem ‘The Second Coming’, featuring Aisling Kenny (soprano) and the ConTempo Quartet.
Featured composer at Crescent Festival
Performances by The Degani Trio, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble. Premiere of commissioned work Everlasting Voices by Emma Nash (soprano) and Rebecca Warren (piano) in Green Acres, Wexford.
World Premiere: Non-Stop (2020)
Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble give the world premiere of Non-Stop (2020).
…smiling like that (2016)
A special concert from Stuttgart to celebrate Bloomsday by mezzo soprano Aylish Kerrigan. Included is …smiling like that (2016), a setting of a fragment from Joyce’s Ulysses composed especially for Aylish.
Music, Stars & Atoms for voice and Irish Harp (2020)
Music, Stars & Atoms for voice and Irish Harp (2020), settings of three poems by Micheal O'Siadhail: premiere, Mary O'Donnell, The Hugh Lane Gallery Sundays @ Noon Online
A Bit of Nonsense (2020)
World premiere as part of New Music Dublin 2021. Livestreamed by Chamber Choir Ireland conducted by Andrew Synnott from the stage of the National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Elizabeth Hilliard (soprano) and David Bremner (piano) perform The End of Day
Elizabeth Hilliard (soprano) and David Bremner (piano) perform The End of Day, five songs on the subject of time passing. The programme is part of Finding A Voice, a four-day concert series of music by women composers through the ages to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Premiere: O Vis Aeternitatis (2020)
Commissioned by Music for Galway 2020, performed as part of the Abendmusik series, Sunday 22 November 2020 by Resurgam conducted by Peter Whelan, St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Galway.
Announcing “Sempiternam” – A New Album Celebrating the Choral Music of Rhona Clarke
With so many performances postponed this year, it is great to have a number of projects in hand. Amongst these is a portrait CD with the internationally acclaimed State Choir Latvija (above) on the Metier, Divine Art Recordings, label.
World premiere of Seen From Above (2019)
World premiere of Seen From Above (2019) for flute, viola and harp, performed by Adam Walker, Agnès Clément and Hélène Clément, commissioned by Belfast Music Society. The Great Hall, QUB, Sunday 23 February 2020 @ 3.00pm – Broadcast on BBC3, 6 March @1.00pm
The Kiss
The Kiss was selected by renowned Norwegian conductor Grete Pedersen to be included in Chamber Choir Ireland's Concert, part of New Music Dublin, 3 March 2019. More recently, a stunning performance by CCI directed by Pedersen was given at the Kilkenny Arts Festival on 19 August 2019.
Quatuor Voce return to Ireland
The dynamic group return, this time to play at the amazing Russborogh House as part of the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival Their programme includes Edge (2017) commissioned by Music Network.
Clara through a Glass Cage (2018)
Clara through a Glass Cage (2018) for solo piano was given its premiere performance by Mary Dullea at Old St Mary's Clonmel. This was as part of Finding a Voice Festival who commissioned the work along with 5 other short works by Irish composers reflecting on a piece by Clara Schumann.
ConTempo Quartet: Music by Rhona Clarke
ConTempo Quartet in association with the Contemporary Music Centre, featuring new music and conversations with composers and performers. The first concert in the series will feature the Galway premiere of 'Edge', commissioned by Music Network in 2017. This will be paired with another work by Clarke composed for ConTempo Quartet almost ten years ago entitled Pas de Quatre. Discussions about the works, the performance and everything in between will be chaired by Linda O'Shea Farren of the Contemporary Music Centre, with audience participation welcome.
IAWM Annual Concert 2018
Diane Berry Calling
Rhona Clarke con coro
Silvia Rosani Die Elbe
Esther Shuyue Cao Flashback
Amy Brandon gestures of recoil
Judith Shatin Gregor's Dream
Cara Haxo Im Harren
Anna Murray LIT
Anna Rubin Songs to Death
Kelly-Marie Murphy The Book of Elegant Feelings Winter Sketchbook
Jane O'Leary
Portrait album: A Different Game (2017)
Rhona Clarke's CD, A Different Game, was given its Irish launch on the 3 December 2017 with Dr Jane O'Leary as guest speaker. It contains Piano trios 2, 3 & 4 along with duos & solo works all played by members of the incomparable Fidelio Trio.
" A Different Game features the considerable dynamic, expressive capabilities of The Fidelio Trio performing six chamber compositions that stand out for the articulate flow of modern classical ideas and the structural strengths... Clarke comes through as an original stylist and a brilliant musical conversationalist.."
Greg Edwards, Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music
"She has managed to create an exciting and often challenging personal voice that is always interesting and often quite beautiful."
John France, MusicWeb.
Edge (2017) commissioned by Music Network
Edge (2017) commissioned by Music Network performed by Quatour Voce at the following venues:
Fri 17 Nov, 8pm Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny (world premiere)
Sun 19 Nov, 4pm St. Mary's Cathedral (The Chapter House), Kilkenny
Tues 21 Nov, 8pm St. Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin 2
Wed 22 Nov, 8pm Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
Thurs 23 Nov, 7.30pm St. Patrick's Gateway Centre, Waterford
Fri 24 Nov, 3pm Siamsa Tíre, Tralee
Sat 25 Nov, 8pm Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire
Sun 26 Nov, 3pm Abbeystrewry Church, Skibbereen
October/November 2017 Performances
2/10/17 Beál Dearg for solo piano, Catherina Lemoni, La Goulue, St-Légier-La Chiésaz, Switzerland
19/10/17 Tread Softly for piano, Martin O'Leary, Maynooth University 1.10pm
31/10/17 Tread Softly for piano, Martin O'Leary, Rikkyo University Tokyo, 18.30
7/11/17 SHIFT for orchestra, RTÉNSO conducted by Gavin Maloney,National Concert Hall, Dublin 1.05pm
Glanleam House, Valentia Island Chamber Music Festival, Co Kerry
The Fidelio Trio (Darragh Morgan, Adie Tal and Mary Dullea) with soprano Sylvia O'Brien. Rhona Clarke was the featured composer; as well as a performance of Piano Trio no 3 and Gleann Dá Loch for solo piano, there was a composer interview with Ryan Mollyy, and a screening of Clarke's collaborative videos with Marie Hanlon held at the RNLI boathouse. Mary Dullea was the artistic director of this delightful three-day event.
Premiere of Behind Closed Doors
Richard O'Donnell directed the RIAM Percussion ensemble in the premiere of Behind Closed Doors, a work for 7 percussion players with video by Marie Hanlon. It was performed at Tambourimba percussion Festival Cali, Colombia 0n 24 June 2016.
Birds On Wire Quartet
Birds On Wire Quartet, who gave the premiere of Magnificat, string quartet no 1 (1992), Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Smiling like that… (2015)
Smiling like that… (2015), for voice and tape, Aylish Kerrigan mezzo soprano, Stuttgart, Germany. The text is based on a section of Penelope from Ulysses by James Joyce.
Dancing in Daylight
A CD of four piano trios, including my Piano Trio no 2, was given a 'pre-launch' at St Patrick's College Winter Music Festival on the 6th December 2015. There are four piano trios all played by the renowned Fidelio Trio, to mark the end of their three-year residency at the College. The other composers featured are: Seoirse Bodley, John Buckley and Fergus Johnston.
Everything We See… Marie Hanlon at Solstice
This exhibition deals with the complexities of seeing and our understanding of what it is we see. Through a diverse range of work encompassing installation, video, drawing and sound, Marie Hanlon presents pieces which engage the viewer in questions of perception: what is real, what is fiction, can we 'know' based on what we 'see', and, do our assumptions hide the truth.
The exhibition includes three works with music by Rhona Clarke including the title piece 'Everything we see...' (2014) an installation based on Magritte's After the grape Harvest
Running at Solstice, Navan until 6 December 2014
The exhibition was opened on 23 October by Vivienne Dick.
Chamber Choir Ireland’s Nine Lessons & Carols
On 6 December 2014, Chamber Choir Ireland's Nine Lessons & Carols included world premiere of Rhona Clarke’s Make we merry, three carols on medieval texts (2014): "Glad and Blythe", "I Saw a Fair Maiden" and "Make We Merry".The concert was directed by Paul Hillier and took place in the glorious surroundings of Christ Church Cathedral.
Cornerspace (2014)
Image from Cornerspace (2014) one of a number of collaborations with Marie Hanlon (with sound by Rhona Clarke) currently part of her solo exhibition, Everything we see...
DIC TAT
DIC TAT, a book with CD, is being launched to coincide with the joint exhibition by Marie Hanlon and Rhona Clarke currently showing in the Ground Floor Gallery at Draíocht. It contains seventeen reproductions by Marie Hanlon, a CD of soundworks by Rhona Clarke, an essay by Rowan Sexton and an interview with Rhona Clarke by Nicola Lefanu.
The book will be launched officially by Shelley McNamara, Co Director of the internationally acclaimed architectural company, Grafton Architects.
Venue: Ground Floor Gallery Draíocht, Saturday 6th September 2014, 3pm.
This event will mark the end of the exhibition.
DIC TAT Draiocht, Blanchardstown
The exhibition DIC TAT is a two-person event by artist Marie Hanlon and composer Rhona Clarke. It comprises a synchronized video, a suite of drawings, six electronic sound works and photographic documentation of sound sourcing. The title, taken from the video piece, explores variations of mark making while drawing to the pulse of a metronome. Here the metronome ʻdictatesʼ the pace, beating out precise measures for the drawing hand to follow. Generally in music the function of a metronome is to regularize a players timing, here the opposite applies. Split seconds between beats allow choices in direction and placing. The drawing tool may be handled differently, a line can be longer, shorter, curved or straight, while still observing a strictly measured beat. Given such restrictions, the markings are notably varied, expressive and irregular. Additional drawings and sound installations are concerned with linear development, working with restricted aural and visual colour elements.
The sound works were mostly composed using a metronome, either as a sound source in itself or as a background pulse, often eliminated in the final mix-down. All pieces were made with the idea of working against or with a regular pulse. ʻStilettoʼ plays with childhood memories, using sampled metronome pulses in conjunction with tongue clicks. It seeks irregularities within the regular, reminding the listener of passers by in high heels and related associations.ʻ Canonʼ, ʻForethoughtʼ and ʻAfterthoughtʼ are all improvisations to click tracks of different tempi while ʻTakeoverʼ uses a pulsating marimba tremolo as its basis, layering this sound and superimposing repeating guitar patterns, constantly varying – repetition but never exact repetition.
July 17th runs until Sept 6th 2014.
The Small Hours – Up Close with Music with Concorde at the RHA Gallery, Ely Place, Dublin
Sunday 27 April 2014 @ 2.00pm the brain to slow down and process events of the day, usually by way of dreaming.
The music, played by the accordion, is dark and slow moving expressing something of the unreality associated with the small hours. A sense of searching pervades the visual imagery, its fragmented sequences requiring the viewer to find points of connection. The viewer is akin to the artist here and the film might be said to be about the process of making a work. Strong contrasts of light and dark, together with an underlying geometry, give a formal coherence to the piece.
The work, music and visuals, was commissioned by Concorde for their Up Close with Music series and is dedicated to Dermot Dunne.