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The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) is an Irish classical music ensemble, administratively based at the University of Limerick. János Fürst founded the ICO in 1963.[1] 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.[2] The orchestra first toured North America in 1978. In 1995, the orchestra was again reconstituted, reverting to its original name of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.[3] The ICO formally added horn players and oboes to its roster in 2008.

Overview

Following a number of artistic directors including Fionnuala Hunt, Nicholas McGegan and Anthony Marwood, the orchestra took a new approach, appointing two artistic partners: Hungarian conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy (Principal Artistic Partner) and the clarinettist and composer Jörg Widmann (Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner).[4] Since May 2022, Thomas Zehetmair has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Partner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.[5]

The orchestra visits various venues nationwide, and also runs a regular concert season, which takes place in Limerick and Dublin.[6] In the past, the orchestra has also toured across Europe, Australia, South Korea, China and the US.[4]

Irish composers who have worked with the orchestra include Frank Corcoran,[7][8] Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin,[9][10][11] and Bill Whelan.[12]

Plectrum & Bow, a CD release, marked a collaborative recording with US composer and guitarist Steve Mackey.[13] It features his Concerto for Violin and Strings, Four Iconoclastic Episodes, which was jointly commissioned by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, US. Other recordings include Night Moves, conducted by Gérard Korsten,[14] and Hommage, which features works by Irish composer John Kinsella.[15][16]

The Irish Chamber Orchestra is resident at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

It owns a custom built studio, which has been acoustically modelled, on campus at UL, Limerick.[17]

Music and artistic directors

• János Fürst
• André Prieur
• Nicholas Kraemer (Artistic Director, 1986–1992)
• Fionnuala Hunt (Music Director, 1995–2002)
• Nicholas McGegan (Music Director, 2002–2005)
• Anthony Marwood (Artistic Director, 2006–2011)
• Jörg Widmann (Principal Guest Conductor/Artistic Partner, 2011–2017; Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner, 2017–2022)[18]
• Gábor Takács-Nagy (Principal Artistic Partner, 2013–date)
• Thomas Zehetmair (Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner, 2022–present)[5]

See also

• Something Else (The Cranberries album), a 2017 live album featuring the group

References

External links

• Official website
• Classics Today.com review of Black Box 1013
• Concert programme from 21 November 1978, University Musical Society of the University of Michigan, New Irish Chamber Orchestra concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

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