About Us

Louth Contemporary Music Society was formed by Eamonn Quinn and Gemma Murray in 2006. LCMS is a non profit organisation aiming to bring world renowned contemporary musicians, performers and composers to play and educate in Co Louth, Ireland.

  • To date LCMS have invited Joanna MacGregor to play in Louth in June 2006. This was listed in the Dundalk Argus as the performance of the year for 2006.
  • The American composer Terry Riley performed in Louth in May 2007 with the Arte Quartett and the Crash Ensemble. This event has been listed in the Irish Times as a cultural highlight of the year for 2007. Terry Riley wrote a new work for LCMS which was performed at the festival by the Crash Ensemble: Loops for Ancient Giant Nude Hairy Warriors Racing Down the Slopes of Battle.
  • LCMS commissioned Arvo Pärt to compose a new choral composition based on St Patrick’s Breastplate. The composer entitled his new work the Deer’s Cry. Following a successful application to The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the world premiere took place in Louth in February 2008.
  • LCMS invited US composer and pianist Philip Glass to perform with Irish musicians in St.Patrick’s Cathedral Dundalk on 17 July 2008.
  • LCMS organised the first Temenos festival. Temenos 08 was a celebration of the music of Sir John Tavener. The three day festival featured the Ulster Orchestra with conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, Marta Sudraba, Ioana Petcu Colan and Doreen Curran, the Oriel Trio and Patricia Rozario, Polyphony, Anonymous 4 with Rothko 4. The festival included the world premiere of a Sir John Tavener commission O My People.
  • In association with Drogheda Arts Office, LCMS invited the Russian composer Alexander Knaifel to Ireland for a portrait concert as part of the Drogheda Arts Festival. The performance took place on 1 May 2009. The performance featured Oleg Malov, Joachim Roewer, Elizabeth Cooney, Elizabeth Wilson, the Callino Quartet and Patricia Rozario. The performance included the world premiere of an Alexander Knaifel commission: EF and the three visiting cards for string trio.
  • On 13 July 2009, The Kronos Quartet with special guest Wu Man performed Tan Dun’s Ghost Opera and Terry Riley’s Cusp of Magic in An Tain Theatre Dundalk. Both performances were Irish premieres and both were stunning.
  • On 24 September 2009, the Ukranian composer Valentin Silvestrov travelled to Ireland for the first time for a portrait concert with two world premiere performances.
  • The Hilliard Ensemble performed their Arkhangelos programme on 1 October 2009 in St.Patrick’s Dundalk.
  • Uri Caine performed the music of John Zorn in March 2010 in St.Peter’s Church of Ireland Drogheda
  • The Fire and the Rose: the Music of Sofia Gubaidulina was the title of a composer portrait concert of Sofia Gubaidulina held in Drogheda on 1 may 2010.

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