Music Network kickstarts 2020 with a new quartet of traditional musicians

Music Network’s January traditional music tour presents an exciting new combination of artists from Galicia and Ireland. Anxo Lorenzo (gaita/whistles), Jim Murray (guitar), Dónal O’Connor (fiddle) and Jack Talty (concertina) will perform together for the first time on a 14-date Music Network tour that runs nationwide from 14th-26th January, and concludes with a performance in London’s Kings Place on 30th January.

Over the past ten years Anxo Lorenzo, Jim Murray, Dónal O’Connor and Jack Talty have been at the forefront of highly creative Galician and Irish music-making. The set list on this tour will combine both of these rich musical cultures and will include a Music Network commission from all four performers.

As individual players, composers, arrangers, accompanists, producers and record label owners, Anxo, Jim, Dónal and Jack have initiated hundreds of thoughtful and innovative projects to date and have made a massive contribution to music in both local and international arenas. Thrilling, soulful, sincere and highly communicative, theirs is a music of people and place, of stillness, of confluence and of us.

Known for his exceedingly high octane performances, Anxo Lorenzo is a virtuoso award-winning Galician piper who has toured extensively throughout the major European festival circuit, having featured in WOMAD, Cambridge Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Ortigueira, Cork Folk Festival and William Kennedy Piping Festival to name but a few.

Guitarist Jim Murray has gained the respect of both national and international musicians. He has recorded and toured with Sharon Shannon across five continents and performed and recorded with artists including Sinead O’Connnor, Shane McGowan and Mary Black. His two critically acclaimed albums with Seamus Begley collectively scooped many prestigious awards such as The Irish Times and Hotpress Traditional Irish Music Album of the Year.

Son of the celebrated fiddler Gerry O’Connor and renowned singer Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Dónal O’Connor has inherited a great musical legacy of at least five generations of fiddle playing. Regarded as “one of the outstanding players of his generation” by J.B. Vallely, recent collaborations have included tours with Lúnasa, Guidewires, Buille and Cathal McConnell and television performances with The West Ocean String Quartet and the legendary Sligo Flute player Séamus Tansey.

Concertina player Jack Talty has contributed to over 70 albums as a performer, producer, composer, arranger and engineer. In 2013 he co-founded the award-winning Ensemble Ériu, and the ensemble’s latest recording Stargazer, an album of original music inspired by the work of Jack B. Yeats, was listed in Songlines’ top essential Irish albums of all time. In October 2019 Jack was appointed Traditional Artist in Residence at University College Cork.

Music Network’s Spring touring programme continues in February with jazz harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and her quartet, followed in March by Garth Knox’s Saltarello Trio, stellar violin and piano duo Alena Baeva and Katia Skanavi in April/May and sparky new Americana 10 String Symphony in May.

Ticket prices range from €5-€20, depending on the venue.

Music Network January Tour Dates

Tues 14 Jan 8pm | The Sugar Club, Dublin 2 – Tickets from €10 / 01-4750224
Wed 15 Jan 8pm | Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge – Tickets from €12 / 045-448327
Thurs 16 Jan 8pm | Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar – Tickets from €14 / 094-9023733
Fri 17 Jan 8pm | Station House Theatre, Clifden – Tickets from €12 / 095-21699
Sat 18 Jan 8pm | Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda – Tickets from €16 / 041-9833946
Sun 19 Jan 8pm | Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire – Tickets from €18 / 01-2312929
Mon 20 Jan 8pm | Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny –Tickets from €12 / 074-9120777
Tues 21 Jan 8pm | glór, Ennis – Tickets from €8 / 065-6843103
Wed 22 Jan 8pm | Triskel Arts Centre, Cork – Tickets from €18 / 021-4272022
Thurs 23 Jan 8pm | Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray – Tickets from €18 / 01-2724030
Fri 24 Jan 8pm | National Opera House, Wexford – Tickets from €15 / 053-9122144
Sat 25 Jan 8pm | Ionad Cultúrtha, Baile Mhúirne – Tickets from €5 / 026-45733
Sun 26 Jan 8pm | Birr Theatre & Arts Centre – Tickets from €8 / 057-9122911
Thurs 30 Jan 8pm | Kings Place, London – Tickets from £9.50 / +4420-75201490