RIAM welcomes Taoiseach Micheál Martin to preview new campus

Staff and students of the Royal Irish Academy of Music were delighted to meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, as the Taoiseach took in a sneak peek tour of the almost finished €25 million campus extension at the Academy's historic Westland Row home. Joining the Georgian building via a glass link bridge, the new campus doubles the number of teaching rooms at the Academy while adding crucial learning and performance infrastructure such as a 300-seat concert hall with world-class acoustics, an opera studio that doubles as a black box performance space, music technology hubs, music therapy rooms and stunning penthouse library overlooking Dublin city centre.

Taoiseach Martin was welcomed on the steps of the Academy by RIAM Director Deborah Kelleher before being introduced to Chair of the RIAM Governing Body Dennis Jennings, Kathleen Tynan, Chair of the RIAM Board of Studies, Jim Mulholland and John Palmer, Director and Senior Architect, Todd Architects, and Damien Woods, Senior Project Manager, Purcell Construction, before being treated to a performance in the foyer by our Beginner Brass Group consisting of Ciara Breslin, Eimear Breslin, Jude Bridgeman-Carr, Marguerite Troup, Cliodhna McMahon, Freya O'Neill and Simone Loughmann, led by Colm Byrne of RIAM's brass faculty.

Next, the Taoiseach was introduced to RIAM Student Union President Kevin Meehan and four Ukraine students who joined the Academy this September - Yana Shpak, Sulamita Pyvovar, Olesia Borsuk and Yulianna Stoi, with Yana and Sulamita performing a short piece with violin teacher Joanne Quigley. The Omnis Quarter (Rohan Harron violin, Katie Mercer violin, Katie Ní Mhaoláin viola, Sophie Ní Mhaoláin, cello) performed for the Taoiseach in The Ronnie Dunne Ensemble Room, and the Taoiseach was able to watch a lesson in progress with Flute teacher Bill Dowdall working with his third-level student Maiia Shpak.

Before he left, the Taoiseach had a chance to review progress on the construction of the 300-seat Whyte Recital Hall, which is due to come on stream in mid-2023.

Well done to all students who performed so brilliantly. We look forward to all our students having access to this new addition to our facilities in the coming weeks.