Irish Chamber Orchestra
Template:Use dmy dates 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Overview
Since May 2022, Thomas Zehetmair has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Partner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra.<ref name="Irish Chamber Orchestra 2018_3">Template:Cite web</ref>
Irish composers who have worked with the orchestra include Frank Corcoran,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Bill Whelan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Plectrum & Bow, a CD release, marked a collaborative recording with US composer and guitarist Steve Mackey.<ref name="Irish Chamber Orchestra 2018_2">Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref>Gérard Korsten, Night Moves</ref> and Hommage, which features works by Irish composer John Kinsella.<ref name="Irish Chamber Orchestra 2018">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="The Irish Times 2013">Template:Cite web</ref>
It owns a custom built studio, which has been acoustically modelled, on campus at UL, Limerick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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)<ref name="Scully 2022">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Gábor Takács-Nagy (Principal Artistic Partner, 2013–2018)
- Thomas Zehetmair (Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner, 2022–2025)<ref name="Irish Chamber Orchestra 2018_3" />
- Henning Kraggerud (Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner, 2025–)<ref name="c381">Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
- Something Else (The Cranberries album), a 2017 live album featuring the group