"A lengthy fiddle solo visits an atmospheric landscape, which Martin Hayes depicts with Impassioned sincerity. Flynn’s score then bursts with energising force before reaching its electrifying conclusion." Irish Independent
IMO BIODave Flynn's Irish Memory Orchestra is the only orchestra in the western world to perform exclusively from memory. Ireland’s living music tradition soars into the 21st Century with this outstanding ensemble where ancient Celtic horns mix with strings, winds, pipes, concertina, voices and a swinging rhythm section. Led by multi-award winning composer Dave Flynn and conducted by Bjorn Bantock, The Irish Memory Orchestra regularly collaborates with some of the most renowned traditional Irish musicians including Martin Hayes, Liz Carroll & Máirtín O'Connor.
The IMO was founded in 2012 as a vehicle for Flynn’s genre-jumping works like The Clare Concerto and Music for the Departed. Members include leader Niamh Varian-Barry (ex-Solas), flautists Eimear McGeown & Aisling Agnew, harpist Anne-Marie O'Farrell and Ensemble Eriu’s Jack Talty, Neil Ó Loclainn, Maeve O’Hara and Matt Berrill. The Orchestra has played to capacity houses both nationally and internationally including performances at Moscow Catholic Cathedral and South Korea's Sori Festival; they have performed in collaboration with Martin Hayes and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at Ireland's National Concert Hall, and have been awarded an Allianz Business to Arts Award for the ESB Concert in a Cavern. 2018 season highlights include headline performances at London’s Cadogan Hall, Skibbereen Folk Festival and Cork Folk Festival. |
Outreach & educationIMO outreach programmes cross generations and backgrounds, educating hundreds of musicians from Ireland to the USA. IMO Apprentice Schemes engage local communities in ways that truly make a difference. The IMO recently developed methods for integrating blind and vision-impaired musicians into the orchestra. This was done in collaboration with the National Council for the Blind, Clare Arts Office and 3L, with funds from the Arts Council of Ireland.
'Simply unforgettable....if you ever get a chance to see them play together; pay any price you can afford!'
The Irish Examiner |
