The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) is an Irish classical music ensemble, administratively based at the University of Limerick. The ICO primarily gives concerts at the University Concert Hall, Limerick and at the RDS (Royal Dublin Society) Concert Hall, Dublin. The ICO has also performed in other Irish cities, including Tuam, Wexford, Kinsale, Skibereen, Portmagee, Kilkee, Castleblaney, Omagh, Sligo, Clifden, Ennis and Thurles.
János Fürst founded the ICO in 1963. The ICO consisted only of strings as its regular ensemble for many years, adding wind, brass and percussion players on a freelance basis when needed. The ICO was reformed in 1970 under the name of the New Irish Chamber Orchestra and the principal conductorship of André Prieur. The orchestra first toured North American in 1978. In 1995, the orchestra was again reconstituted, reverting to its original name of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. The ICO formally added horn players and an oboist to its roster in 2008.
Other artistic directors and music directors of the ICO have included Nicholas Kraemer (1986-1992), Fionnuala Hunt (1995-2002) and Nicholas McGegan (2002-2005). The most recent artistic director was violinist Anthony Marwood, who was named the ICO's Artistic Director in April 2005 and formally assumed the post in January 2006. Marwood concluded his tenure after the 2010-2011 season. The ICO's current principal guest conductor is Jörg Widmann.
The ICO has recorded commercially for the Black Box label. The former New Irish Chamber Orchestra made commercial recordings for the Pickwick label, a recording of the two Mozart flute concerti with James Galway, and for the Onyx label, piano concertos of John Field with John O'Conor.
Read more about Irish Chamber Orchestra: Music Directors and Artistic Directors
Famous quotes containing the words irish, chamber and/or orchestra:
“For every nineteenth-century middle-class family that protected its wife and child within the family circle, there was an Irish or a German girl scrubbing floors in that home, a Welsh boy mining coal to keep the home-baked goodies warm, a black girl doing the family laundry, a black mother and child picking cotton to be made into clothes for the family, and a Jewish or an Italian daughter in a sweatshop making “ladies” dresses or artificial flowers for the family to purchase.”
—Stephanie Coontz (20th century)
“Experience is never limited, and it is never complete; it is an immense sensibility, a kind of huge spider-web of the finest silken threads suspended in the chamber of consciousness, and catching every air-borne particle in its tissue.”
—Henry James (1843–1916)
““Pop” Wyman ruled here with a firm but gentle hand; no drunken man was ever served at the bar; no married man was allowed to play at the tables; across the face of the large clock was written “Please Don’t Swear,” and over the orchestra appeared the gentle admonition, “Don’t Shoot the Pianist—He’s Doing His Damndest.””
—Administration in the State of Colo, U.S. public relief program. Colorado: A Guide to the Highest State (The WPA Guide to Colorado)