Literally music to our ears...

A festival with a feast of unforgettable music by remarkable women begins today, Thursday, on Leeside.

It’s Finding a Voice 2024 which runs until 10 March in Cork and Clonmel and features performances by leading Irish and international musicians, including legendary German oboist Juliana Koch, renowned Irish violinist Patrick Rafter, contemporary music supergroup Evlana, and iconic Cork choir Madrigal ’75.

The 2024 festival will be a feast for the ears and there’s also a stellar lineup of female composers from 17th century Italian nun Isabella Leonarda through to world premières of exciting new works by Irish composers.

This year’s festival will kick off in Cork with a pair of concerts in the Curtis Auditorium and Triskel Arts Centre today, 7 March, and Friday 8 March, before the action moves to Clonmel for a packed weekend of events. With a programme spanning centuries and genres, the festival really has something for everyone, including traditional, world and early music, classical, contemporary and more.

Artistic Director Róisín Maher said: “I’m really thrilled to celebrate seven fantastic years of Finding a Voice. We've championed countless phenomenal women composers over that time, and there are still more inspirational voices to discover. Every year, we try to introduce something new and a little bit different, and this year we’re excited to be bringing Berber duo Iness Mezel and Nora Abdoun, and renowned oboist Juliana Koch to the festival. Of course, we will also be celebrating home-grown talent with first performances of brand-new works by Jane O’Leary, Judith Ring and Cathy Purcell, as well as a singer-songwriter showcase on International Women’s Day at a secret location in Clonmel.”