Barry Douglas to perform recital to celebrate Camerata Ireland
Acclaimed pianist Barry Douglas will perform a recital on behalf of the chamber orchestra Camerata Ireland at Dumbarton House in Washington, DC on Friday, June 17, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. The concert, sponsored by the Northern Ireland Bureau, is being given to raise awareness of the work of Camerata Ireland and to celebrate its upcoming North American tour this Fall. The program will include works by Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt. A reception hosted by His Excellency Noel Fahey, Irish Ambassador to the United States of America will be held at the Ambassador’s residence following the concert. The concert and reception is by invitation only.
Camerata Ireland, under Artistic Director and founder, pianist and conductor, Barry Douglas, is a chamber orchestra of exceptional distinction. Composed of an outstanding group of musicians from Northern and Southern Ireland as well as Irish musicians living abroad, the orchestra enjoys the joint patronage of Irish President Mary McAleese and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Since its inaugural concerts in May 1999, Camerata Ireland has presented concerts on four continents. In October 2005, Camerata Ireland will embark on a coast-to-coast tour of the United States. Venues will include the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming; the Newman Center for the Performing Arts in Denver, Colorado; the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Bass Performance Hall in Ft. Worth, Texas; the Cerritos Center in Cerritos, California; the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona; the Burton Center for the Performing Arts in Fall Brook, California; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and Union College in Schenectady, New York.
This summer will see the recording of Camerata Ireland's first commercial releases featuring all the Beethoven Piano Concerti with Maestro Douglas at the piano. At the heart of Camerata Ireland's work is its commitment to young Irish musicians. Each year the Orchestra funds twelve students for a week-long series of master classes with Maestro Douglas and other international artists. One exemplary artist is awarded the Camerata Ireland Young Musician of the Year Award and as a result, performs a concerto with the orchestra. This commitment to, and investment in, the musical future of Ireland is a priority in the work they do. For more information on Camerata Ireland and its upcoming outreach work and tour, please visit www.camerata-ireland.com (opens in new window).
Artistic Director, conductor and pianist Barry Douglas has enjoyed a major international career since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. The Belfast native has performed with such leading orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic and all the major London orchestras. Highlights of his work with Camerata Ireland include a gala concert for President Clinton at Waterfront Hall in Belfast—the subject of a Landseer Productions television documentary - and tours throughout Europe, North America and the Far East. Recent guest conducting engagements include the complete Beethoven Symphonies with the Orchestra of St. Cecilia at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, amongst others. For more information on Barry Douglas, please visit www.barrydouglas.com (opens in new window).
Hi-res images of Camerata Ireland and Barry Douglas can be found at www.camerata-ireland.com/press (opens in new window)
For more information, please contact:
Genevieve Spielberg 908 608-1325 or gspielberg@aol.com for Camerata Ireland or Barry Douglas
Tom Fitzgerald 202 367-0463 or tfitzgerald@nibureau.com for the Northern Ireland Bureau
Joe Hackett 202 349-2043 or joseph.hackett@dfa.ie for the Embassy of Ireland