Music For Galway

16/10/2026

Join us on Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 5pm in one of Galway’s most beloved landmarks, the historic St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, for Everything Is Connected, an exciting new large-scale work by acclaimed Irish composer Ed Bennett, commissioned by Crash Ensemble.

At the heart of this project is a simple but powerful idea: music brings people together. Crash Ensemble will join forces with local musicians, choirs and performers to create a shared musical experience that celebrates community, collaboration and connection.

Can’t make it on Saturday? Join us on Sunday, 18 October, at 5pm at Sullivan’s Royal Hotel in Gort, where a warm and welcoming atmosphere awaits.

Both concerts will bring together singing groups from Ballybane, Westside and Ballinfoile, the Ukrainian choir Harmony, and Gort’s own Voices in Unity, One Town One Voice. The Gort concert will open with a special performance by the Coole Music Youth Orchestra.

This project has been made possible with the support of Aerogen and the Lifes2Good Foundation, alongside Galway City Partnership, Galway City Healthy Ireland, GRETB and Sullivan’s Royal Hotel in Gort.

We’d love for you to join us. Come along, celebrate the power of music and be part of something truly special. We look forward to seeing you there!

15/10/2026

We are delighted to celebrate our first year of partnership with Aerogen, which has helped us share the joy of classical music with more people across our community, including those who may find it difficult to attend our regular concerts.

Watch our special recap of this wonderful first year, featuring heartfelt testimonials from the artists who took part and helped us bring music to new audiences.

Join us for our upcoming concerts this weekend!

Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 5:00 pm
St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway

Featuring CRASH Ensemble.

Sunday, 18 October 2026, at 5:00 pm
Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, Gort
MfG encore

Featuring Westside, Ballinfoile and Ballybane Singing Groups, Harmony, Voices in Unity ‘OTOV’, and Coole Music Youth Orchestra.

We warmly invite you to join us for these special performances and show your support for our wonderful community choirs.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the joy of music together!

Find out more and book your tickets at musicforgalway.ie

With thanks to our supporters:
Lifes2Good Foundation, Aerogen, Galway City Partnership, and Sullivan’s Royal Hotel for helping make these performances possible.

14/10/2026

12/10/2026

Before we look ahead to our next concert, Everything is Connected, on Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 5:00 pm in St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, we’d love to take a moment to revisit a special afternoon of music.

We were delighted to welcome Paul Lecocq and Carter Johnson, whose outstanding talent made it an occasion to remember. It was especially wonderful to see so many young people in the audience, coming along to experience the magic of live music and enjoy the performances of these hugely gifted pianists.

We invite you to take a few moments to browse the beautifully captured photographs by Mike Shaughnessy. We hope these images bring back happy memories and allow you to share in the joy of the occasion.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the afternoon so special. Your presence and support mean so much to us.

And now, we look forward to welcoming you back for Everything is Connected, featuring CRASH ENSEMBLE, the Westside, Ballinfoile and Ballybane Singing Groups, Harmony, and Voices in Unity ‘OTOV’ for another wonderful celebration of music and community.

We hope to see you there!

10/10/2026

Volunteer for Cellissimo 2027!
From 20 to 25 May 2027, Cellissimo will bring extraordinary musical experiences to Galway, its people and visitors. Volunteers play a vital role in making this happen, just as they do at all Music for Galway events.

As a Cellissimo volunteer, you will join a friendly and diverse team, welcoming audiences and helping musicians, visitors and the festival team make the most of this wonderful event.

From stewarding and ushering to selling merchandise, there are plenty of ways to get involved and make a difference.

Volunteering is also a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people, make lasting friendships and immerse yourself in the world of classical music. You will get a behind-the-scenes look at the festival while helping bring one of Galway’s leading cultural events to life.

Interested in joining our volunteer team?

Come and meet us tomorrow, Sunday, 11 October, from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Salthill Hotel, at the Galway City Volunteering Fair.

We would love to meet you, tell you more about Cellissimo 2027 and share how you can be part of this exciting festival!

08/10/2026

We had an absolutely fantastic time last Saturday afternoon at the Ardilaun Hotel, enjoying two wonderful piano recitals from two exceptional rising stars of the international piano world, Paul Lecocq .lecocq Winner of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition 2025
and Carter Johnson Winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition 2025

With beautiful music, tea and scones for those attending both concerts, it was a lovely and cosy afternoon. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the occasion so special. We hope you enjoyed hearing these two outstanding young artists perform as much as we did.

And the music doesn’t stop there. Our next concert is coming up very soon:

Everything is Connected

Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm
St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway

CRASH ENSEMBLE
Everything is Connected by Ed Bennett

Featuring Westside, Ballinfoile and Ballybane Singing Groups, Harmony, and Voices in Unity ‘OTOV’

Composer, Director and Electronics: Ed Bennett

Crash Ensemble presents Everything is Connected, a bold and inclusive new work by acclaimed Irish composer Ed Bennett, created with collaboration and community at its heart.

For this concert, Crash Ensemble will be joined by singing groups from Galway City and County for a lively and engaging performance of Bennett’s energetic score.

Please note that this will be an ISL (Irish Sign Language) interpreted performance.

As part of the MfG Encore series, the concert will be repeated the following evening at Sullivan’s Royal Hotel, Gort, with a performance by Coole Music Youth Orchestra also included.

For more information and ticket reservations, please visit musicforgalway.ie.

We look forward to welcoming you to another wonderful evening of music.

This performance is supported by Aerogen, Lifes2Good Foundation and Galway City Partnership.

03/10/2026

Two exceptional piano recitals, two rising stars of the international piano world, and a wonderful afternoon of music in Galway. We still have a few tickets available, so do join us today!

Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 3:00 pm
The Ardilaun Hotel

Paul Lecocq (France)
Winner of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition 2025

BACH | Partita No. 4 in D major
SCHOENBERG | Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19
SCHUMANN | Kreisleriana, Op. 16

Carter Johnson (Canada)
Winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition 2025

SCHUMANN | Arabeske, Op. 18
BEETHOVEN | Sonata, Op. 27 No. 1
JUDITH RING | Something Beyond
SCHUMANN | Ghost Variations, WoO 24
BARTÓK | Sonata, Sz. 80

Two hugely talented international competition winners come to Galway for two one-hour piano recitals, with tea and scones available in between for those attending both concerts.

Their wonderfully varied programmes come together around one of the most fascinating and inspiring composers of the 19th century, Robert Schumann. It promises to be a real feast of pianism, with two outstanding young artists and music that is sure to captivate.

We would love to see you there!

THIS CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY THE DUNARD FUND USA

01/10/2026

Piano Gourmand
Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 3:00 pm
The Ardilaun Hotel
Paul Lecocq (France)
Winner of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition 2025

BACH Partita No. 4 in D major
SCHOENBERG Six Little Piano Pieces Op. 19
SCHUMANN Kreisleriana Op. 16

Carter Johnson (Canada)
Winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition 2025

SCHUMANN Arabeske Op. 18
BEETHOVEN Sonata Op. 27 No. 1
JUDITH RING “Something Beyond”
SCHUMANN Ghost Variations WoO 24
BARTÓK Sonata Sz. 80
Two hugely talented international competition winners visit Galway to perform a one-hour piano recital each, with tea and scones available in between for those attending both concerts. Patrons can attend one or both concerts. Their wide-ranging programmes coalesce around one of the most fascinating and inspiring composers of the 19th century – Robert Schumann. A real feast of pianism awaits!

THIS CONCERT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY THE DUNARD FUND USA

28/09/2026

We are delighted to welcome Musici Ireland to the University of Galway for a special lunchtime concert exploring music, hope, humanity and healing.

Founded in 2012 and led by violist Beth McNinch, Musici Ireland is one of Ireland’s most dynamic chamber music ensembles. The ensemble is passionate about contemporary Irish music, bold programming and creating meaningful connections with audiences.

Their work brings together exceptional musicians and often reaches beyond the concert hall, collaborating with poets, dancers, actors, visual artists and filmmakers. Their performances explore ideas that speak to our lives today, including identity, women’s experiences, mental health and social change.

In 2025, Musici Ireland released their debut album, Earthrise, featuring works by leading Irish composers Deirdre Gribbin, Ian Wilson, Linda Buckley, Deirdre McKay and Liam Bates.

Musici Ireland: A Journey Through Hope, Humanity and Healing

Thursday, October 1, 2026
1:00 pm
O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance
University of Galway

Come along, meet the musicians and discover some of the extraordinary music being created in Ireland today.

In association with Arts in Action, OÉ Gaillimh, University of Galway.

Free admission. Registration is recommended.

Our lunchtime performances are designated as Relaxed Performances.

18/06/2026

Midwinter Festival Broadcast
RTÉ Lyric FM – Full Score with Liz Nolan
18 June | 13:00–16:00

Join us today on RTÉ Lyric FM for the third broadcast from our Midwinter Festival concert series, The Quartet Extends.

In this broadcast, you’ll hear the final concert of the Midwinter Festival, featuring a performance of Mendelssohn’s evergreen Octet for Strings, composed when the composer was just sixteen years old. Before this, we’ll hear a short work by Amanda Feery for uilleann pipes and string quartet, followed by Weber’s early Romantic Clarinet Quintet.

Get a taste of what’s to come on the radio, and we hope you’ll enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed sharing these performances.