Dances in the Gallery: Cork PianoFest 2026

Jane Whelan, Mairéad O’Donoghue, Maryia Vasiljeva & Martin Chavdarov

This programme alternates between music inspired by dances and by paintings. From the artworks of Francisco de Goya, Hugo Simberg and Werner Holmberg, to the ballet music of Prokofiev and the marches and polonaises of Rachmaninov and Chopin, the myriad ways that great composers are inspired by extramusicial stimuli are forever rich, colourful and inexhaustible.

Programme 

Enrique Granados: Goyescas, iv. Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor 

Sergei Prokofiev: Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, op. 75, viii Mercutio 

Jane Whelan   

Sergei Rachmaninov: 10 Preludes, Op.23: No.4 in D Major & No.5 in G Minor 

Mairéad O’Donoghue

Vladimir Brumberg: “Wounded Angel” - Triptych based on Finnish paintings 

I. The Wounded Angel (after a painting by Hugo Simberg)

II. The Peasant and Death (after a painting by Hugo Simberg)

III. The Rapids of Kureskoski (after a painting by Werner Holmberg) 

Maryia Vasiljeva

Chopin: Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante op.22

Martin Chavdarov   

About the Musicians

Jane Whelan has always had a deep love for the piano. For the past year and a half, she has been studying under the guidance of Billy O’Brien at the Cork School of Music. She has enjoyed a range of performance opportunities, including a solo appearance with the SETU Orchestra, participation in the New Ross Piano Festival Youth Concert, and receiving Highly Commended honours in both Feis Ceoil and the Cork School of Music’s Advanced Recital Competition.

Máiréad O’Donoghue is a Cork native who has been playing piano since the age of 9. She has played in local yearly Summer concerts throughout the years, along with participating in the Feis Maitiú. She also frequently accompanies the local choir during mass services, along with also playing the cello as a second instrument. She is currently in her third year of the BMus programme in the School of Music. 

Maryia Vasiljeva began her musical education at the age of seven at the School of Arts affiliated with the College of Arts in Gomel, Belarus. Under the guidance of her mentor, Tatiana Stanpakova, she developed her musical skills throughout her early education. Her dedication led her to enrol in the college in 2007, where she continued her studies under Tatiana Stanpakova. In 2011, she graduated with a degree in piano performance and teaching. In 2020, she moved to Ireland to further develop her musical career. She studied at the MTU Cork School of Music under Nicholas O’Halloran, graduating with a First Class Honours Bachelor’s degree in 2025. Maryia is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the same institution. She has participated in masterclasses with Barry Douglas and Alessandra Garosi.