West Cork Music want to bring your attention to an upcoming online concert, organised by Music Network, which features violinist Alena Baeva and pianist Vadym Kholodenko performing the world premiere of Release, a new Music Network commission by Irish composer Finola Merivale.

Finola is a past winner of the West Cork Chamber Music Festival Composition Competition and the daughter of Denyse Woods, who was Artistic Director of West Cork Literary Festival for a number of years.

This concert was due to take place in Cork and will now be online on Saturday 25 April at 7pm. We hope you can tune in.

Alena Baeva & Vadym Kholodenko

Saturday 25 April 7pm 

The “Poetic and captivating” (The Strad) Russian violinist Alena Baeva was due to tour Ireland with Katia Skanavi from 24th April – 3rd May. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, Music Network has postponed the tour until November 2021.

However, Alena has recorded an online concert especially for Music Network’s audiences, for which she will be joined by her husband Vadym Kholodenko, a pianist who has captivated audiences and critics alike with “his absorbing melodic shading and glittering passage work” (Philadelphia Enquirer).

The duo will perform music by Stravinsky, Brahms and Schumann as well as the world premiere performance of Release, a new Music Network commission from Irish composer Finola Merivale. Viewers will also hear from Finola Merivale in a short Composer Insight Session during the broadcast.

Tune in to the performance on Saturday 25 April at 7pm on Music Network’s digital channels:  YouTube,  Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

With restrictions on gatherings likely to remain for the foreseeable future due to Covid-19, West Cork Music has cancelled this year’s 25^th West Cork Chamber Music Festival, which was due to take place from June 26 – July 5.

West Cork Music said that the safety of artists, audiences and staff is the most important priority at this challenging time.

This decision will lead to the loss of essential income for the freelance musicians who are at the heart of the festival. They are already facing serious financial hardship with months of work cancelled. West Cork Music is paying a cancellation fee to all musicians who were booked for the 2020 West Cork Chamber Music Festival.

To soften the cancellation of the 2020 West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Music is simultaneously releasing Lyric’s recordings of the 2019 Festival. To celebrate these memories, a performance from last year’s Festival will be featured each week on the West Cork Music home page. As this is Beethoven year, this begins with his magisterial Archduke Trio played by Viviane Hagner, Johannes Moser and Barry Douglas.

West Cork Music would like to thank the Arts Council of Ireland, Crespo Foundation, Failte Ireland, Donors and Friends, staff and volunteers, all of whom will work to ensure that the West Cork Music will be able to present the Festival next year and into the future.