As Ireland’s national conservatoire, the Royal Irish Academy of Music is proud to see our students, faculty, and alumni contribute meaningfully to the 2025 National Symphony Orchestra Summer Season, reflecting the depth of talent nurtured within our walls and the strength of our ongoing artistic partnership with the NSO.
Performing with the NSO: A Milestone for Emerging Artists
We are delighted to announce that Andrés Vaccaro, a second-year Bachelor in Music student at RIAM, will take to the National Concert Hall stage on Tuesday, 17 June, 1.05 pm. Andrés, who studies cello with Ailbhe McDonagh, earned this engagement as part of his prize for winning the 2024 Maura Dowdall Concerto Competition, a performance opportunity exclusively for undergraduate and postgraduate RIAM students. He joins the NSO to perform Berlioz’s Roman Carnival, Tchaikovsky’s virtuosic Pezzo capriccioso, two Hungarian Dances by Brahms, and Fauré’s poignant Élégie. Paganini’s Variations on a Theme from Rossini’s Moses in Egypt showcases the cello at its most expressive, while the finale from Swedish pioneer Helena Munktell’s Suite for Large Orchestra—an animated delight—rounds out the programme, conducted by Olivia Clarke. Andrés's studies are supported by Northern Trust Bank.
2024 RDS Bursary winner Adam Buttimer, who completed his Bachelor in Music at RIAM in 2024 and now studies on our Professional Mentorship Programme, will perform as soloist with the NSO on Tuesday 24 June, 1.05 pm. A tubist studying with RIAM faculty and NSO member Francis Magee, Adam joins a vibrant programme that invites listeners to step beyond the everyday through the dramatic sweep of Sibelius’s Finlandia, the restless energy of Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3 (finale), the haunting lyricism of Grieg’s Death of Åse and the playful drive of In the Hall of the Mountain King, culminating in the vivid, otherworldly colours of Stravinsky’s The Firebird.
These engagements are more than just performance opportunities—they are formative steps in a professional journey, made possible through RIAM’s close and ongoing relationship with Ireland’s national orchestra.
RIAM Faculty and Alumni Featured in Summer Highlights
We are equally proud to see several of our distinguished faculty and alumni centre stage this summer:
- Gavin Maloney, conductor and RIAM faculty member, leads the NSO on Tuesday, 1 July, 1.05 pm in a programme of works by Ravel, Kelly, Boulanger, Hasselmans, Salzedo, and Chabrier.
More on this concert ›
About Gavin Maloney ›
- Karen Ní Bhroin, conductor and RIAM Junior Academy and BMusEd alumna, takes the podium on Tuesday, 8 July, 1.05 pm, to lead the NSO in a concert featuring Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture, Holmès’ lyrical La nuit et l’amour, and three vibrant dances from Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite.
More on this concert ›
About Karen Ní Bhroin ›
- Mark Redmond, uilleann piper and RIAM faculty member, performs in The Brendan Voyage and From the New World Symphony on Friday, 11 July, 7.30 pm, conducted by David Brophy.
More on this concert ›
About Mark Redmond ›
- Baritone Seán Boylan, RIAM alumnus and recently signed IMG Artist, returns to the NCH on Tuesday, 15 July, 1.05 pm, in a concert exploring love in all its contrary forms. The programme includes Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus Overture and Thunder and Lightning Polka, Verdi’s C’est mon jour suprême from Don Carlos and Ballet Music from Macbeth, Wagner’s Song to the Evening Star, Rossini’s Largo al factotum, and Enrique Soro’s Danza fantástica.
More on this concert ›
Read our story about Seán signing with IMG ›
A Shared Stage with Future Talent
RIAM is also a proud partner with the NSO and Irish Youth Musical Theatre in Sweeney Todd in Concert, conducted by Gearóid Grant, featuring rising vocal stars and future musical theatre professionals. The Director, Séimi Campbell, is a graduate from the Bachelor in Music Education Programme, and was based at RIAM for his studies, while Bachelor in Music Yr 2 Vocal Studies student, Rachel Reid, takes on the role of Johanna Jeffrey. Performance takes place on Saturday, 25 July, 7.30 pm.
More on Sweeney Todd in Concert ›
All lunchtime concerts are broadcast on The Full Score with Liz Nolan on RTÉ lyric fm.
Our sincere thanks to the National Symphony Orchestra and the National Concert Hall for their continued collaboration, which offers RIAM students and graduates invaluable experiences on a national platform. We look forward to seeing our community represented throughout the season and encourage audiences to support these exceptional performances.