Members needed for new County Kildare youth folk orchestra
Music
Young musicians, aged 12 to 19 years, are being invited to form part of a County Kildare Youth Folk Orchestra and rehearsals have started at the Moat Theatre in Naas.
Ernestine Healy is the musical director of the Kildare Youth Orchestra.
Ms Healy is an internationally recognised concertina player, as well as a tutor and producer on the Irish musical scene.
She has been engaged for events such as the Milwaukee Irish Music Festival, workshops in Germany, Tocane in France, the Music Generation Traditional Festival in Borris, Co Carlow, as well as numerous other festivals and workshops around Ireland, Europe and America.
She is a secondary school teacher, she has also worked as a lecturer in the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in the University of Limerick. Having occupied the position of acting course director on the Graduate Diploma in Music Education postgrad programme during 2008/09, she then went on to lecture on the BA in Irish Music and Dance undergraduate programme in 2009. Ms Healy has also worked as a tutor in the School of Music at the University College Cork.
She was duly awarded a First class Masters degree from the University of Limerick in 2008.
The KYO has four high profile performances already lined up for 2022 - the Kildare Fleadh scheduled for different venues between May 20-22, the Leinster Fleadh in Portlaoise in July, the All Ireland Fleadh in Mullingar and the Liam O’Flynn inaugural festival, featuring workshops as well as recitals, is being planned for October 7-9 in Naas and Kill.
According to Mary Ryan of the KYFO the benefits of getting involved with the group is increased motivation, the opportunity to develop new friendships, stress relief and musical teamwork. Membership is also helpful for people who aspire to become professional musicians. Anybody interested is asked to email [email protected] or to text Mary on 087-2421753.