KILDARE: Renowned Iarla Ó Lionáird coming to Riverbank this month

Riverbank Arts Centre welcomes musicians Iarla Ó Lionáird with Cormac McCarthy & Matthew Berrill to their stage on Saturday 18 February for what will surely be a memorable evening of music.

Iarla Ó Lionáird has carved a long and unique career in music both internationally and in Ireland. From his iconic early recording of the vision song Aisling Gheal as a young boy to his ground-breaking recordings with Dublin's Crash Ensemble and New York’s Alarm Will Sound, he has shown a breadth of artistic ambition that sets him apart in the Irish Music fraternity. A twice Grammy nominated artist, Ó Lionáird has worked with a stellar cast of composers internationally including Donnacha Dennehy, Dan Trueman, Kate Moore, Nico Muhly, Linda Buckley, Gavin Bryars and David Lang and he has performed and recorded with such luminaries as Peter Gabriel, Nick Cave, Robert Plant and Sinead O'Connor. His unique singing style has carried him to stages and concert halls all over the world, from New York's Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House and beyond. His voice has graced the silver screen also, with film credits extending from The Gangs of New York to Hotel Rwanda and most recently as featured singer in the film Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan. He is the vocalist with the critically acclaimed Irish /American band The Gloaming. 

Cormac McCarthy is a pianist, composer, arranger and conductor from Cork, Ireland. Noted for a diverse stylistic palette, and equally at home in a variety of genres, his music is said to "defy categorisation" (Lyric FM). In 2010, having completed his Master’s degree in composition at the MTU Cork School of Music, Cormac received the prestigious Bill Whelan International Music Bursary, an award earmarked for young Irish composers studying abroad. He spent a number of years living in Chicago, where he completed a Masters in Jazz Studies at DePaul University.

Matthew Berrill is a sought-after musician and is a member of many ensembles in the jazz, improvised and traditional Irish worlds, including Ensemble Ériu and the Irish Memory Orchestra. He teaches in numerous music education projects throughout Galway County, was conductor of the University of Galway Concert Orchestra and is a founder, teacher and ensemble director in the ‘Headford Music Works’ teaching and performing scheme. In July '22, Matthew graduated with distinction following a two-year Masters in Jazz Performance and Composition at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, London which was made possible by a scholarship offered by the Academy.

Iarla Ó Lionáird with Cormac McCarthy & Matthew Berrill will perform at Riverbank Arts Centre on Saturday 18th February at 8pm. Tickets are priced €25/€22 and can be booked through the Box Office, either in person or by telephone on 045 448327 Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm (closed for lunch 2-2.30) and Saturday 10am-1pm. Tickets can also be booked 24/7 on www.riverbank.ie