Photo: Hugh O'Conor
Royal Irish Academy of Music congratulates Donnacha Dennehy on his 2026 Grammy Awards win for Best Chamber Music / Small Ensemble Performance.
Dennehy took home the award for the album Dennehy: Land of Winter, performed by the composer’s longtime collaborators Alarm Will Sound and conducted by Alan Pierson.
Land of Winter is a large-scale chamber work in twelve connected sections, shaped around the months of the year and the changing character of Irish seasons. Across the cycle, Dennehy draws on contrasts of light, atmosphere, and rhythm, moving from winter’s sharper edges to the warmer, more mercurial colours of spring and summer, before returning again. The result is immersive and energised, rooted in a distinctly Irish sense of place while speaking with an international contemporary voice.
Released on Nonesuch Records, Land of Winter is Dennehy’s third album, and it adds a major international milestone to a body of work that continues to be taken up by leading performers and ensembles. Dennehy is widely recognised for music that is vivid, physical, and carefully crafted, and for his leadership in Irish contemporary performance life, including as a founder of Crash Ensemble.
This win also follows a strong set of RIAM connected nominations announced in November. RIAM graduate Emma O’Halloran received a nomination in Best Opera Recording for her double opera Trade and Mary Motorhead, created with Irish National Opera. The recording features a libretto by Mark O’Halloran and was conducted by Elaine Kelly, with a remarkable group of artists, including several performers with RIAM links. Those connections include Professor Sarah Sew, Malachy Robinson, Kenneth Edge, and RIAM alumna Caitríona Frost, reflecting the collaborative strength of musicians working within and alongside the Academy.
RIAM is also proud to recognise mezzo soprano Naomi Louisa O’Connell, who completed her undergraduate studies at RIAM and was nominated for her performances in Trade and Mary Motorhead and Adoration. Across both nominations and wins, it is a powerful reminder of the range of RIAM connected artistry, spanning composition, ensemble performance, and vocal performance at the highest international level.
We extend warm congratulations to Donnacha, Emma, Naomi, and to everyone involved in bringing this work to audiences worldwide.