Clandeboye Festival: Barry Douglas to celebrate 25th anniversary of Camerata Ireland

The orchestra currently enjoys the joint patronage of King Charles and the Irish President Michael D Higgins, who maintain the tradition established by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the former Irish president Mary McAleese.

The Clandeboye Festival starts on Saturday and runs for over a week during which there will be 13 lunchtime, afternoon and evening concerts, which will include two performances by Camerata Ireland as well as master-classes by distinguished musical guests.

The week’s music with the theme ‘Colourful Connections’ will also include a new Northern Ireland Arts Council commission by the Belfast composer Greg Caffrey to mark the orchestra’s 25th anniversary, and will feature the Belfast flautist Aisling Agnew.

This year 12 new musicians from across Ireland will join the Camerata Academy, including Anna Gregg, a young soprano from Holywood.

The festival will also feature some of the academy’s best-known alumni, including flautist Eimear McGeown from Armagh, and the Belfast pianist Michael McHale.

Barry Douglas said: “Our young Clandeboye students are at that beautiful stage of their artistic journey as they build a future which will inspire us all for years to come.

“Our audiences love to see these talented young musicians return later as soloists or orchestral players, knowing they witnessed the start of their journey right here at Clandeboye.”

The elegant buildings of the Clandeboye Estate, including the Banqueting Hall and Chapel, form an impressive back-drop to the week of music-making, featuring a range of classical composers including Mozart, Brahms, Schubert and Mahler, and this well-supported festival is one of the highlights of the summer concert season in Northern Ireland.

A major driving force is Barry Douglas who has enjoyed a stellar career since bursting on to the international scene following his outstanding achievement in winning the Gold Medal and First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1986.

Since then he has performed in all the major concert halls around the world, and he has also found the time and the energy to establish and support Camerata Ireland which has done so much for young musicians and audiences on this island.

The ensemble has been celebrating its 25th anniversary in style, including a concert in the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. A major tour of China is planned for later this year.

Barry said: “I founded Camerata Ireland to celebrate the Good Friday Agreement by bringing together the most talented musicians from Ireland and Northern Ireland, so the joint support of King Charles and President Higgins is hugely important, especially in this our silver jubilee year.

“The last 25 years have been incredible. We have performed all over the world, showcasing the amazing talent on this island as well as supporting the careers of so many young musicians, and we are delighted to be able to bring all of this together for the Clandeboye Festival.

Booking for all concerts is available online at camerata-ireland.com/clandeboye 2024 as well as the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre.