Events and Tickets
NCH International Master Course
- Monday 28th July to Saturday 2nd August 2025
National Concert Hall's International Master Course runs from Monday 28 July - Saturday 2nd August 2025 with public master classes each day.
This intensive summer school provides national and international musicians with the opportunity to take part in a series of masterclasses and seminars by world-renowned musicians. Over the duration of the course, participants will receive one-on-one masterclasses, chamber music coaching with new ensembles and performance opportunities.
The International Master Course is led by one of Ireland’s foremost musicians, Artistic Director Gwendolyn Masin (violin). Gwendolyn is one of today’s most significant concert violinists and an innovator in classical music. We are delighted that Emma O’Halloran will return as composer in residence during the course this summer.
Collaborative Composition Workshops with Emma O’Halloran
Over the course of the week, participants will engage in a series of hands-on workshops, guided discussions, and collaborative explorations designed to unravel the intricacies of the composition process. Led by composer Emma O’Halloran, these sessions are aimed at fostering a rich exchange of ideas in a supportive and inspiring environment. Participants will collectively create original compositions and have the opportunity to share their work and gain insights into the creative processes of their fellow musicians. Emma will also be available for individual composition lessons throughout the week.
Public Master Classes
Individual lessons and ensemble coaching sessions will be open to observers, please note the times listed below are subject to change, tickets may be purchased through the box office.
The International Master Course is kindly supported by TJ O'Connor and the Sheridan Family in memory of Patricia Sheridan.
Gwendolyn Masin, violin
Artistic Director
Gwendolyn Masin is one of today’s significant concert violinists.
She performs internationally to praise from press and audiences alike as a soloist, chamber musician and as guest with orchestras. Gwendolyn teaches violin and chamber-music master classes at institutes and festivals throughout Europe and North America and gives talks concerning her areas of expertise. She is also an artistic director and PhD scholar. She is Professor of Violin Studies at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, Switzerland, since September 2013. She is also the author of the award-winning book, Michaela’s Music House, The Magic of the Violin which is available in English and German and is part of the ESTA Edition collection available via Müller & Schade. In 2017, born out of the wish to shine a light on home-grown talent and offer international perspectives to young musicians and audiences in Ireland alike, she shaped a chamber music series and later the National Concert Hall International Music Course.
Emma O’Halloran, composer
Composer in Residence
Irish composer Emma O’Halloran is interested in joy, wonder, hope, and connection, and her music is driven by a desire to capture the magic of what it means to be human. Freely intertwining acoustic and electronic music, Emma has written for folk musicians, chamber ensembles, turntables, laptop orchestra, symphony orchestra, opera, and theatre, and her work has been described as “intensely beautiful” (Washington Post) and “unencumbered, authentic, and joyful” (I Care If You Listen).
Known for her unique ability to fuse elements of pop, rock, and electronic music while exploring the colours and textures of acoustic instruments, her work has found a wide audience and has been featured at various music festivals such as Classical NEXT, PODIUM Esslingen, New Music Dublin, Tokyo’s Born Creative Festival, and Bang on a Can LOUD Weekend.
Emma loves working with people of all ages to explore and create music, and she has served as a mentor for various composition programmes in Ireland and the United States. In 2021, in partnership with the NCH, she founded the Creative Lab, an award-winning mentorship programme for young composers from traditionally under-represented groups in music composition.
Emma holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Princeton University and is currently working as a freelance composer. Current and future projects include works for Friction Quartet, Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, a saxophone concerto, and a new opera with Naomi Louisa O’Connell.
