National Concert Hall announces live-streamed 'NCH At Home' concerts hosted by John Kelly

Lisa O'Neill, Bell X1's Paul Noonan, pianist Barry Douglas and Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught are set to perform as part of the National Concert Hall's new live-streamed series, NCH At Home.

Hosted by broadcast John Kelly, who will interview the artists over Zoom, as well as lead a live conversation on the night of each concert on the National Concert Hall's Twitter page (@NCH_Music), the series is designed to provide comfort, inspiration and solidarity with enriching cultural content online.

The four concerts will be streamed live from the empty National Concert Hall, and will be available to watch from the NCH YouTube and Facebook pages, as well as RTE.ie.

"As our live concerts and performances are unfortunately cancelled for the moment due to Covid 19, all of us at the NCH want to reach out to you and to reimagine different ways to provide beautiful music to help us to stay connected at a time of loss and to bring us hope and joy," said Maura McGrath, Chair of the NCH. "Until such time as we can all be together again to enjoy the power of live music I am pleased to share with you details of our NCH at Home series of streamed concerts, master classes, learning and discovery. I want to pay a special tribute to the musicians and our partners who have come together to provide these live streams for you at home. I hope you will find them reassuring, inspiring and hopeful".

See the full line-up and schedule below:

Tara Erraught (May 29, 8pm): Due to play title role of Angelina in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at The Metropolitan Opera in New York in March before it was cancelled on the day prior to opening due to the current Covid-19 crisis, the NCH is delighted welcome Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught to perform on Friday 29th May at 8pm, accompanied by pianist Dearbhla Collins. Having made an impressive 47 role debuts as resident principal soloist at Bayerische Staatsoper Tara brings her rich, radiant voice, expansive range and dynamic stage presence to the NCH when she performs Songs of Comfort and Hope with works by Schubert, Copland, Liszt, Strauss and a selection of Irish folk songs.

Paul Noonan (June 5, 8pm): Bell X1 front man Paul Noonan is no stranger to the NCH having performed with Bell X1 many times as well as taking part in Imagining Ireland: 21st Century Song and the award-winning Starboard Home series, supported by Dublin Port. For his solo performance at NCH the Dublin based songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist will perform a selection of BellX1 songs and more from other projects, all chosen specifically for this performance.

Lisa O’Neill (June 12, 8pm): Multi award-winning Irish folk singer and songwriter Lisa O’Neill, whose inimitable voice and song-writing capability has catapulted her into the limelight of the Irish and international folk scene, will perform a selection of songs in Reflections: A Solo Concert with Lisa O’Neill. A song-writer like no other, Lisa’s roots may be sourced in folk and traditional music but her work opens up a landscape beyond any settled sense of genre.

Barry Douglas (June 19, 8pm): Celebrated Irish pianist Barry Douglas returns to the NCH stage for a solo piano recital that includes traditional arrangements by Barry of My Lagan Love, Carrickfergus together with works by Rachmaninov, Schubert Tchaikovsky, as well as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition on 19th June 8pm. Barry has established a major international career since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. As Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland the Clandeboye Festival, he continues to celebrate his Irish heritage while also maintaining a busy international touring schedule.

Each concert will be available to view on playback for up to a month.