Senior performing groups will recommence in January and we are delighted to welcome Sinead Hayes as guest conductor of RIAM SO for 2021. Sinead is a former Junior RIAM violin student and is excited to return as conductor of our flagship ensemble.
Irish conductor Sinead Hayes is equally at home working with choir, orchestra and in opera. The 2019/20 season is her sixth as conductor of the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble (HRSE) in Belfast.
Speaking of conducting the RIAM SO, Sinead said:
I'm delighted to be working with the fantastic young musicians of the RIAM Symphony Orchestra for the first semester of 2021. Making music together is a precious gift, especially in these times of separation, and I am so looking forward to the joy that comes from playing together in the months ahead.
Already this season, she has worked with Crash Ensemble and Opera Collective Ireland conducting the premiere performances of Raymond Deane’s new opera Vagabones. She returned to the RTE Concert Orchestra in August to conduct the Irish National Opera Studio Gala. In November she made her Ulster Orchestra debut conducting the orchestra in 7 educational concerts across Northern Ireland, and will conduct a new opera by Elaine Agnew (co-production between Irish National Opera & Galway European Capital of Culture 2020). She returns to Irish National Opera as chorus master and assistant conductor for the company’s New York Armory performances of Donnacha Dennehy’s The Second Violinist in September 2020.
Highlights of previous seasons include making her debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra (Der Schauspieldirektor), return visits to Northern Ireland Opera to conduct productions of Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and Greg Caffrey’s children’s opera The Chronic Identity Crisis of Pamplemousse, as well as working with Irish National Opera as assistant conductor and chorus master on Bartok: Bluebeard’s Castle, Dennehy: The Second Violinist, Verdi: Aida, Puccini: Madama Butterfly & Mozart die Zauberfloete. As conductor of the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble she premiered many new works as well as revisiting Eliott Carter’s Triple Duo on a tour of the UK and Ireland.
Senior Performing Groups to restart in January
The Intermediate orchestra under the guidance of new conductor, Cormac OhAodain, will restart on the 24th January in the Alex Hotel, along with the RIAM Symphony Orchestra and the Senior Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Fergus O’Carroll.
These ensembles will resume in smaller groups according to social distancing and other restrictions in place and will be working towards a concert featuring all of our performing groups in May.
Students involved will be contacted directly with more information and details of rehearsals.