The National Concert Hall announces new collaboration with fiddle player and composer Martin Hayes in March 2025

The National Concert Hall is pleased to announce a major new collaboration between the renowned Irish fiddle player and composer Martin Hayes and the National Symphony Orchestra on Friday 14 March 2025. It will centre around a reimagining with orchestra of Martin’s acclaimed 2023 ‘Peggy’s Dream’ album which he recorded with the Common Ground Ensemble and which was dedicated to the memories of his mother, Peggy, and his long-time musical collaborator, Dennis Cahill. The concert, which takes place as part of the NCH’s 2025 St Patrick’s Weekend celebrations, is now on sale. See full details in Notes to Editors. 

This will mark Martin’s first performance with the National Symphony Orchestra and is his most extensive orchestral collaboration to date. ‘Peggy’s Dream’ will be presented in new arrangements for orchestra commissioned by the National Concert Hall from Common Ground Ensemble musicians Cormac McCarthy, jazz pianist; Kate Ellis, cellist; and Kyle Sanna, guitarist and composer. 

Martin Hayes comments: “Over the years, I have come to regard traditional Irish music firstly as music, and secondarily as Irish and traditional. That might seem like a trivial distinction to some, but for me, it is a way of viewing this music as a universal expression without boundaries, freely interacting with other musical genres. 

“Traditional Irish music is a treasury of melody, and the symphony orchestra is the apotheosis of harmony. For most of my life, I have been fascinated by the harmonic possibilities that surround traditional music’s single line of melody. I have sought out many collaborators over the years in pursuit of these possibilities, including my most recent collaborators in the Common Ground Ensemble: Cormac McCarthy, Kate Ellis, and Kyle Sanna, who have made arrangements for the orchestra of our debut recording, ‘Peggy’s Dream.’ I imagine this collaboration with the National Symphony Orchestra as a moment where the uncompromised melodies of traditional music are elevated and transformed by their immersion in the rich, beautiful harmonic layering that only a great symphony orchestra can offer.” 

Joe Csibi, Head of Orchestra and Chorus at the National Concert Hall comments: “It is a great gift for all of us at the National Symphony Orchestra to collaborate with Martin, such an exceptional musician. His fluidity and clarity of expression in and through music is inspirational. Every note is imbued with the richness of his knowledge and personality. Beautiful musical sentences and stories emerge, each time as if anew. Working with him and with the arrangements of Cormac, Kate and Kyle takes us all on a great adventure. It is a joy.” 

Praised by the Irish Times as a musician with an “insatiable appetite for adventure”, Martin Hayes is regarded as one of the most significant talents to emerge in the world of Irish traditional music. He is the founder of the musical supergroup The Gloaming, The Common Ground Ensemble, and the Martin Hayes Quartet. He is the artistic director of Masters of Tradition, an annual festival in Cork, Ireland, and a co-curator for the Marble Sessions at the Kilkenny Arts Festival. 

Martin has performed in venues such as the Barbican, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie Cologne, Philharmonie de Paris, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, and Usher Hall, Edinburgh. He has created collaborations in the classical, folk and contemporary music worlds with musicians such as Bill Frisell, Ricky Skaggs, Jordi Savall, Brooklyn Rider and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. He has performed on stage with musicians such as Sting and Paul Simon and has recorded with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. 

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Assumpta Lawless, Marketing & Communications Manager, National Symphony Orchestra. 

Email: assumpta.lawless@nch.ie

Mobile: 087 290 4168  

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Martin Hayes with the National Symphony Orchestra  

Friday 14 March 2025, 7.30pm 

Main Stage, National Concert Hall 

A major new collaboration between the renowned Irish fiddle player and composer Martin Hayes and the National Symphony Orchestra centring around a reimagining with orchestra of Martin’s acclaimed 2023 ‘Peggy’s Dream’ album which he recorded with the Common Ground Ensemble and which was dedicated to the memories of his mother, Peggy, and his long-time musical collaborator, Dennis Cahill.  

This concert marks Martin’s first performance with the National Symphony Orchestra and is his most extensive orchestral collaboration to date. ‘Peggy’s Dream’ will be presented in new arrangements for orchestra commissioned by the National Concert Hall from Common Ground Ensemble musicians Cormac McCarthy, jazz pianist; Kate Ellis, cellist; and Kyle Sanna, guitarist and composer.

The concert takes place as part of the NCH’s 2025 St Patrick’s Weekend celebrations.  

Tickets: €15, €27.50, €35, €42.50, €49. 

(Concessions available. 10% Discount for Friends of NCH and Groups of 10 or more). 

Booking: Online: www.nch.ie / Telephone: 01 417 0000 

Full details: www. nch.ie 

About the National Concert Hall 

The National Concert Hall (NCH) is Ireland’s national cultural institution for music, proudly serving the Irish public since it opened in 1981 through live music performances and significant educational and cultural programmes. Based in the heart of Dublin’s city centre, next door to the picturesque Iveagh Gardens, the NCH is proud home to our National Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Chorus, Cór Linn and Cór na nÓg, as well as providing residence for a range of other music organisations including Chamber Choir Ireland, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Music Network, Crash Ensemble and Music Generation. It is currently planning for a major redevelopment of all its facilities as part of the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040.    

Faoi an Ceoláras Náisiúnta 

Is institiúid chultúrtha náisiúnta na hÉireann don cheol é an Ceoláras Náisiúnta, a fhreastalaíonn go bródúil ar phobal na hÉireann ó osclaíodh é i 1981 trí thaibhithe ceoil beo agus cláir shuntasacha oideachais agus chultúrtha. Lonnaithe i gcroílár Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus béal dorais le Gairdíní Uíbh Eachach, tá an Ceoláras Náisiúnta bródúil as ár gCeolfhoireann Shiansach Náisiúnta, Cór Siansach Náisiúnta, Cór Linn agus Cór na nÓg chomh maith le háit chónaithe a chur ar fáil do réimse eagraíochtaí ceoil eile lena n-áirítear Cór Aireagail Éireann, Ceolfhoireann Bharócach na hÉireann, Music Network, Crash Ensemble agus Music Generation. Tá sé i gceist faoi láthair athfhorbairt mór á dhéanamh ar na háiseanna go léir mar chuid den Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta agus de Thionscadal Éireann 2040. 

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