We are delighted to announce our 12th annual Chamber Music on Valentia Festival. With concerts, immersive based experiences, and music workshops, there is something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming you to the island.
Thursday, 14th August 2025
The Kerry Polka and More
7.30pm – 9.00pm | Church of St. John the Baptist, Knightstown
Taking the synonymous ‘Kerry Polka’ as a starting point, this will be a meeting of worlds and styles with polkas and other dances from Bohemia (Smetana), Scandanavia (Danish String Quartet arrangements) and Ireland (Neil Martin) for string quartet interspersed with sets by two of Ireland’s most adventurous traditional musicians, Jack Talty on concertina and Ultan O’Brien on fiddle.
We will also hear two world premieres, for the entire ensemble, by Aoife King and Harry O’Connor, responding to the ‘Kerry Polka’ following our 2025 call for Kerry creators. This specially curated programme will show off the range of possibilities and blends in dance music.
PROGRAMME
Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet No. 1, Mvt. 2 Allegro moderato de Polka
Selection from Danish String Quartet Woodworks Collection, including ‘No. 2 Peat Dance’, ‘Waltz after Lasse in Lyby’, and ‘Jässpodpolska’
Nikolay Sokolov, Aleksandr Glazunov, & Anatoly Lyadov: Polka in D major, ‘Les Vendredis’
Trad. (arr. Neil Martin for string quartet): Sliabh Luachra Polkas, Alisdrum’s March, Reel Beatrice
Aoife King: New work (World premiere)
Harry O’Connor: New work (World premiere)
This event will also feature two sets of tunes by Jack Talty and Ultan O’Brien
Featuring | Darragh Morgan violin Chase Spruill violin Jane Atkins viola Peter Adams cello Jack Talty concertina Ultan O’Brien fiddle
Late Night Session: Silk & Strings – A Pipa’s Journey
9.30pm – 10.30pm | Church of St. John the Baptist, Knightstown
Renowned pipa and guqin player Chia-Yin Hung, takes us on an immersive listening journey connecting with the sounds and melodies of Sout-East Asia. This will be a unique opportunity to experience this music and instruments in an intimate setting.
Friday, 15th August 2025
Music by the Sea
7.30pm – 9.00pm | Church of the Immaculate Conception, Knightstown
Let the waves of Valentia Island set the rhythm for an exquisite evening of chamber music, where poetry, passion, and the wild Irish coast converge. With Gavan Ring (tenor) joining strings and piano, this evocative programme journeys from the introspective Vaughan-Williams’ ‘On Wenlock Edge’ to the dramatic Piano Trio in D minor by Mendelssohn.
PROGRAMME
Ernest J. Moeran: Seven Poems by James Joyce for voice and piano
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
Siobhán Cleary: Willow the Wisp for solo violin and electronics (second performance)
Ralph Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge for voice, piano and string quartet
Featuring | Gavan Ring tenor Darragh Morgan violin Chase Spruill violin Jane Atkins viola Peter Adams cello Mary Dullea piano
Saturday, 16th August 2025
Family Concert at the Lighthouse
11.00am – 11.45am | The Lighthouse, Cromwell Point
A highlight every year in the stunning location of one of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, this is a location unlike any other to experience an interactive morning of music and fun. Book early to join this popular event with a selection of our 2025 Festival Artists.
Musical Map
2.00pm – 5.00pm | Across the island
A cornerstone of our programme is an afternoon of short, pop-up, free entry events around the island.
Celebration of Kerry
6.15pm – 7.00pm | Church of Immaculate Conception, Knightstown
Join us for this special FREE concert featuring performances from our workshops and calls for participation. No booking required.
Folk Effects
7.30pm – 9.00pm | Church of the Immaculate Conception, Knightstown
Immerse yourself in an enchanting evening of lyrical beauty and folk-inspired melodies with music by Arnold Bax, Brahms, Siobhán Cleary and a selection of operatic areas performed by Gavan Ring (tenor) and our Festival String Artists.
PROGRAMME
Arnold Bax: My eyes for beauty pine; O Mistress mine for tenor with string quartet
Siobhan Cleary: Carrowkeel for string quartet
Selection of arias for tenor with string quartet
Johannes Brahms: String Quintet No 2 in G major, Op. 111 ‘Prater Quintet’
Featuring | Gavan Ring tenor Darragh Morgan violin Chase Spruill violin Jane Atkins viola Andreea Banciu viola Peter Adams cello
Late Night Session: The Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass Hour
9.30pm – 10.30pm | Church of Immaculate Conception, Knightstown
Discover the hypnotic beauty of two giants of modern music – Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass – whose distinctive voices have defined the soundscapes of the 20th and 21st centuries. This captivating programme showcases some of their most mesmerising works, offering a journey through meditative stillness and pulsating rhythm.
We are thrilled to welcome Chase Spruill, a celebrated interpreter of Glass’s music, who will perform a special 30-minute solo violin set – an intimate exploration of the composer’s minimalist mastery.
PROGRAMME to include
Arvo Pärt: Summa for String Quartet
Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel for alto flute and piano
Arvo Pärt: Fratres for String Quartet
Solo violin music by Philip Glass performed by Chase Spruill
Featuring | Cormac Henry flute Darragh Morgan violin Chase Spruill violin Jane Atkins viola Peter Adams cello Mary Dullea piano
Sunday, 17th August 2025
Lunchtime Concert: Mozart meets the Pipa
1.00pm – 2.00pm | Church of St. Dorarca and St. Teresa, Chapeltown
Join us for a captivating midday performance that bridges musical worlds. The programme features Tan Dun’s evocative Concerto for Pipa and String Quartet, traditional Chinese melodies arranged for flute and pipa, and Mozart’s elegant Flute Quartet in D major. A unique fusion of Eastern and Western traditions in an intimate chamber setting — not to be missed.
PROGRAMME to include
Tan Dun: Concerto for pipa and string quartet, Movement 2
Traditional Chinese music arr. for flute and pipa
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Flute Quartet in D major
Featuring | Chia-Yin Hung pipa Darragh Morgan violin Chase Spruill violin Jane Atkins viola Peter Adams cello
Festival Finale: Strings Extravaganza
7.30pm – 8.45pm | Church of Immaculate Conception, Knightstown
Celebrate the close of our 12th Festival with an exhilarating evening of Vivaldi’s concerti for strings, alongside sparkling gems from the chamber music repertoire. An all-encompassing musical experience to end the festival on a high note.
Featuring | Darragh Morgan violin Chase Spruill violin Jane Atkins viola Andreea Banciu viola Peter Adams cello Adrian Mantu cello, plus our Young Festival Artists
