Anne-Marie Papin Labazordière.

Triple thrill at the Triskel

The Cork Orchestral Society will continue its Online Concert Series 2021 next week with an imaginative triple bill from the Triskel Arts Centre.

The concert is called ‘Together/Apart’ and will feature harpist Anne-Marie Papin Labazordière, guitarist David Keating and trombonist Roddy O’Keefe. The performance, which is the penultimate concert of the series, will comprise of three unaccompanied recitals running for 20 minutes each, combined to form a complete concert of solo performances.

The series to date has been a tremendous success for Cork Orchestral Society with its four previous concerts bringing some of Ireland’s most talented musicians into the homes of viewers across the country. “The concerts that make up this series are all, in some way or another, a version of an event originally planned as a concert with a live audience,” said Cork Orchestral Society Chairperson, Tom Crowley.

He continued: “Conceived and devised in the time of a pandemic, this concert is a reflection of life as a musician during lockdown. For musicians, the music didn't stop, but the parameters all changed. The audience disappeared. We have spent more and more time alone with our instruments, exploring and refining our craft. This concert is a celebration of that time, and of the resilience of artistic expression.”

Harpist Anne-Marie Papin Labazordière obtained a Premier Prix de la Ville de Paris in Harp performance at 17. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Camerata Santa Dorotea in England and l'Orchestre de Marly le Roi in France. Since moving to Ireland, she has performed with different orchestras such as Cork Opera House Orchestra, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, and Ulster Orchestra.

Meanwhile, guitarist David Keating is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where he studied with the acclaimed guitarist Craig Ogden and was awarded a First Class Honours MMus Degree in classical guitar performance. David performs extensively around Ireland and the UK, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. His recent concerts include a performance of Rodrigo's iconic Concierto de Aranjuez with the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, as well as solo recitals at Salamanca Arts Centre, and Mona Museum in Australia.

As a professional trombonist, Roddy O’Keeffe has played with numerous ensembles throughout Ireland and abroad, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Irish Film Orchestra and the Orchestra of St Cecilia. He has also performed with Opera Theatre Company, Lyric Opera and the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra.

Roddy has enjoyed a long career playing in musicals, taking part in productions such as Les Misérables, West Side Story, Hairspray and The Wizard of Oz.

‘Together/Apart’ can be enjoyed free of charge at corkorchestralsociety.ie from 6.30pm on Saturday where it will be available to view for a month.