After eleven years as the Director of Drogheda Classical Music, Pauline Ashwood is standing down from the position to take up a full time role as Head of Planning with Irish National Opera.
Pauline leaves the Series is in a very strong position, locally, nationally and even internationally.
“It is very well regarded by its main funders, the Arts Council and Louth County Council and we will have no difficulty finding a successor to continue what I have started and to bring it to a new level by reaching new audiences” Pauline told Drogheda Life.
“I have programmed concerts up until the end of 2024, so the new season will be ready to announce over the summer giving our loyal audience lots to look forward to. I will remain on the Board to oversee the transition.”
The last concert of the current season, which Pauline says will be a very emotional night for her, is going to be a big one – se details below.
Classical concert series finale
Piano remains a central focus of Drogheda Classical Music and so it is fitting that after another season of concerts from Irish and international guests that the season draws to a close with an exciting programme featuring the Irish Chamber Orchestra and pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout.
On Friday 21 April at 7:30pm in St Peter’s Church of Ireland, Bezuidenhout will direct the Irish Chamber Orchestra from the piano for two contrasting but equally beautiful Mozart piano concertos.
A renowned Mozart enthusiast having recorded a large volume of the composer’s music, Bezuidenhout states “Mozart retains for me the rhetoric of melody and rhythm. The mastery of melody especially I just find absolutely staggering”.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 was written for the blind virtuoso Maria Theresia Paradis, and demonstrates a thrilling chemistry between instruments, while his sublime and ground-breaking Concerto No. 25 paves the way for incredible diversity, originality and is an absolute joy. It is one of his finest works.
Also on the programme is Purcell’s Chacony – a work that sweeps us back to theatre halls of the 1600’s and is a fine example of interlude music of the time. Gluck’s Dance of the Furies is fabulously dramatic and full of joy.
Audiences will recall the last performance the Irish Chamber Orchestra gave in Drogheda in October 2019, when the featured soloist was Sheku Kanneh-Mason. That concert sold out in advance, so don’t wait to book this one.
Tickets are €20 (€18 conc. with €5 for children) and booking is available through Droichead Arts Centre.
Further details on the series are available www.droghedaclassicalmusic.com
Drogheda Classical Music is funded by the Arts Council and Louth County Council and run in partnership with Droichead Arts Centre with sponsorship from WhitelightEvents and RTÉ Supporting the Arts.
