The second concert in the Spotlight Chamber Music Series will be given by Cork native Sé\;amus Hickey\, joined by his duo partner\, pianist Seá\;n Morgan-Rooney. \;
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\n\nTheir recital features two staple sonatas of the viola and piano repertoire\, presented alongside a pair of traditional Irish tunes arranged especially by Seá\;n Morgan-Rooney for this formation. The programme will open with Arnold Bax&rsquo\;s romantic and lyrical viola sonata\, a three-movement work with its central scherzo movement evoking an Irish dance. Written in the winter of 1921/22\, it is dedicated to the English violist Lionel Tertis\, and draws much of its inspiration from Celtic folk melodies. Two sean-nó\;s melodies will follow\, and the programme will conclude with Hindemith&rsquo\;s last sonata for viola and piano. This substantial\, four-movement work comprises an ardent\, emotionally rich first movement\, followed by a powerful scherzo and a dramatic and rhapsodic &ldquo\;Phantasie&rdquo\;\, concluding with a set of two variations culminating in a triumphant finish. \;
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\n\nThis promises to be an exciting\, engaging and wonderfully varied recital\, given by two instrumentalists of the highest calibre. \;
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\n\nMusicians: \;
\n\nSé\;amus Hickey &ndash\; Viola \;
\n\nSeá\;n Morgan-Rooney &ndash\; Piano \;
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\n\nProgramme: \;
\n\nArnold Bax: Sonata for Viola and Piano\, GP. 251 \;
\n\nTwo Sean-Nó\;s Melodies (arranged by Seá\;n Morgan-Rooney): Tá\;imse im'\; Chodladh &\; Má\;ire Mhó\;r \;
\n\nPaul Hindemith: Sonata for Viola and Piano\, IPH. 172 \;
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\n\nAbout the Musicians \;
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\n\nSé\;amus Hickey \;studies with Marjolein Dispa and Nobuko Imai at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam\, and chamber music with the Nederlandse StrijkKwartet Academie. Until 2018\, Sé\;amus studied with Simon Aspell\, Adrian Petcu\, and Christopher Marwood at the MTU Cork School of Music. \;
\n\nIn February 2022\, Sé\;amus recorded and performed as a soloist with the RTÉ\; Concert Orchestra. In 2019\, Sé\;amus was awarded second place in the Amsterdam National Viola Competition and the Vieuxtemps Prize. In the Aileen Gore Cup at Feis Ceoil\, Dublin\, he was placed first and was awarded the RTÉ\; Lyric FM award. He is the winner of the 2020 RDS Jago Award. \;
\n\nSé\;amus is the current violist of the Sonoro Quartet\, one of Europe&rsquo\;s most promising young string quartets. Sonoro were multiple prize winners at the 2021 Bartok World Competition for String Quartets in Budapest\, Hungary and enjoy performances regularly across the international stage. \;
\n\nIn 2021/22\, Sé\;amus was invited to be guest principal violist with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Camerata Freden. Sé\;amus has performed in prestigious halls around Europe including the Zeneakadé\;mia\, Budapest\, National Concert Hall\, Dublin\, TivoliVredenburg\, Utrecht\, Het Concertgebouw\, Amsterdam and Bozar\, Brussels. He has recorded for radio stations such as Klara (Belgium)\, RTÉ\; (Ireland)\, SWR (Germany)\, Bartok Radio (Hungary) and NPO Radio 4 (Netherlands). \;
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\n\nPianist \;Sea´\;n Morgan-Rooney\, originally from County Down\, has a varied performing career as a soloist and chamber musician.
\n\nSea´\;n&rsquo\;s early studies were with John O'\;Conor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. He completed his Bachelor&rsquo\;s with Professor Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in London\, and his Master&rsquo\;s and Artist Certificate with David Kuyken at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He has also studied privately with Yossi Reshev in Berlin. \;
\n\nHe is a former participant of the IMS Prussia Cove\, the Banff Centre'\;s Piano Programme and the Aspen Music Festival and School. \;
\n\nSea´\;n is the winner of several prizes for his playing. In 2015 he won the Brennan Prize for the highest placed Irish competitor at the 10th Dublin International Piano Competition. Following this\, he released a debut album and appeared as a concerto soloist with several of Ireland&rsquo\;s major orchestras\, including the RTE´\; National Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra. He is a past winner of the Royal Academy of Music'\;s Else Cross Prize for contemporary music and was a finalist of the Dutch Classical Talent Award in The Netherlands. \;
\n\nSea´\;n also composes his own music\, with a focus on piano with electronics and song composition. In 2021\, he received a major grant from The Arts Council to write a new collection of art songs based on sean-no´\;s melodies\, to be recorded this year. He will also release his second solo album\, A Few Reflect the Heart\, which combines the music of Ravel with the pianist&rsquo\;s own compositions for piano and electronics. Sea´\;n currently lives in Amsterdam. \;
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\n\nThe \;Spotlight Chamber Music Series\, curated by Cork native and cellist Aoife Burke\, returns to Triskel this Autumn/Winter. This popular series is based on the principle of bringing together some of Ireland&rsquo\;s most dynamic and distinguished musicians to play with one another in small ensembles. Funded by The Arts Council and supported by Triskel\, these concerts showcase an eclectic range of repertoire and a wide variety of instrumental formations.
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