UCH Celebrating 25 Years with the RTE Concert Orchestra & Special Guests

Barry Douglas, Paddy Moloney, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin
Mairead Buicke, Zoe Conway, Emily Flack, Richie Hayes, Limerick Choral Union,
Triona Marshall, Amanda Minihan, Michael O’Connell & Simon Pfisterer
 
University Concert Hall (UCH) is delighted to announce the celebration of its 25^th Anniversary with a special Gala Concert this September. Featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conducted by Gavin Moloney, together with very special guests from the worlds of traditional, classical, choral music and musical theatre, this will be a true celebration of the venue’s contribution to the Arts in Ireland for the past quarter of a century.

This Gala Concert will see some of the country’s most respected musicians and performers come together to give a flavour of 25 wonderful years of music. Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains – who first took to the UCH stage for its opening in 1993 - will perform traditional favourites including Carolan’s Concerto. The venue’s significant classical programming will be reflected in a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 by Barry Douglas, who also featured in the 1993 opening celebrations. University Concert Hall’s long standing and ongoing relationship with the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance makes it wholly apt that they also welcome pianist and composer Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin to take part in this Gala Concert.

Choral Music, Dance, Opera and Limerick’s prominent musical theatre history will also be highlighted during this special evening, with the mighty Limerick Choral Union performing a piece from Jenkins’ The Armed Man. Zoe Conway and Emily Flack will come together for a stunning version of Bill Whelan’s Riverdance, while singers Mairead Buicke, Amanda Minihan and Richie Hayes will delight audiences with a selection of operatic and musical theatre numbers.

In 1999 UCH hosted the RTÉ lyric Fm Gala Opening, the start of what has remained a close relationship with the national, classical music station, and so it is delighted to announce Liz Nolan as presenter on the evening of September 8th. 

University Concert Hall opened amid much fanfare in 1993 as the first purpose built concert hall in Ireland. Over the past 25 years its programme has grown steadily with the venue now presenting over 200 events, across all genres, annually.
 
Some of the biggest names in their fields have performed on the UCH stage, from classical greats – Maxim Vengerov, Nigel Kennedy, Leslie Garrett, Suzanne Murphy and Sir James Galway - to country music legends such as Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Glen Campbell, Hal Ketchum and Emmylou Harris. The best of Irish - Christy Moore, Mary Black, Liam Clancy, Sinead O’Connor, Joe Dolan, Daniel O’Donnell– have delighted audiences throughout the years. There has also been no shortage of laughs with everyone from Billy Connolly and Brendan O’Carroll to Lenny Henry and Tommy Tiernan bringing the fun for the past two and a half decades.

Morrissey, Ray LaMontagne and David Gray have performed to sell out Limerick crowds, while events such as the hugely acclaimed Wagner Ring in 2002 and weeklong, sold out runs of I, Keano, Alone It Stands and Breaking Dad have brought people into the city from throughout the Region many times over the years.  Since 2012 audiences have travelled from far and wide for the annual UCH Panto which has featured stars such as Twink, Keith Duffy and Samantha Mumba and now welcomes over 25,000 people each Christmas. 
 
The first outside broadcast of the Late Late Show was at University Concert Hall in 2006, Dustin went to the Eurovision in 2008 (not our fault!) following his performance at the National Song Contest held in the venue that year, and in 2016 the leaders of our country gathered on the UCH stage to debate ahead of that year’s General Election.  Major national and international conferences have also taken place at University Concert Hall including the Irish League of Credit Unions, the World Harp Congress and the ITLG (Irish Technology Leaders Group).

This multi-purpose, 1038 seat venue was the winner of the Limerick Chamber Award, Best Sport, Art and Culture category in both 2015 and 2016, as well as the 2014 IMRO Award for Munster Live Music Venue of the Year. This year, however, marks the first significant refurbishment since its inception with a capital investment of over €2 million transforming the atrium, box office, restaurant and dressing rooms, as well upgrading all sound and lighting equipment.

Audiences and invited guests will be treated to the first glimpse of these significant changes at the Gala Concert on September 8^th with all those attending welcome to a pre-concert reception and receiving a commemorative, souvenir programme on the night. 

The celebrations continue across the weekend with families invited to a free screening of Disney’s Moana at 3pm on Sunday 9^th, while film and classical music audiences are in for a treat on Monday evening with the screening of A Late Quartet, which will be preceded by a live performance of Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 by the Irish Chamber Orchestra quartet.