AFTER more than a decade with the Irish Chamber Orchestra Jörg Widmann is preparing to bid farewell to his Mid-West residency.
A hugely successful spell at the ICO in University of Limerick draws to a close with two concerts this coming week.
The first, his home ground lap of honour as it were, is in the University Concert Hall, while he rounds off his tenure with an appearance as St Brendan’s Church in Birr, at the Birr Festival of Music.
For his swansong the ICO performs Widmann’s brilliant Oboe Concerto alongside his virtuosic Petite Suite for Flute for the first time.
These two works are bookended by delights from Mozart including his Linz Symphony and the gorgeous Cosi Fan Tutte Overture.
Jörg reluctantly relinquishes his role with ICO to juggle with the constant demands of his diary and career as one of world’s most prolific composers, clarinetists, and conductors.
His contribution to ICO has been immeasurable.
ICO chief executive Gerry Keenan said, “We are more than grateful for the last decade – we have had one of the greatest composers of the 21st century in our midst and we have relished every minute of it.
“Jörg’s passion for ICO is limitless and we acknowledge his contribution not only to us but his impact on music all over the world.
“He is one of the most compelling, committed, and prolific artists of our generation and we have been blessed to have had his expertise and his reputation at our disposal for such a long time.”
Widmann’s career was on the cusp of a wave when he joined ICO as Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Partner.
By 2012 he was an international celebrity having had great success with his first opera Babylon.
Jörg quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with at the helm of ICO and such was the bond and synergy that his tenure extended from three to ten years.
His loyal fan-base travel to experience his extraordinary music as well as his virtuosity as one of the world’s finest clarinetists.
Under Jörg’s watch, the ICO was the first orchestra to secure a unique three-year residency at the Heidelberg Frühling Festival (2015-2018).
Together, Widmann and the ICO toured Europe, the USA and undertook trailblazing concerts throughout Brazil and Argentina, playing to some of the largest audiences ever.
With Widmann, the ICO has appeared in some of the most prestigious concert venues worldwide. The strong synergy between Jörg and ICO resulted in two recording contracts with prestigious world labels Alpha Classics and Orfeo, producing six significant CD releases worldwide. These albums were recorded to great success on campus at UCH, Limerick.
The ICO has performed numerous virtuosic and complex works composed by Widmann to great acclaim all over the world including his Ad Absurdum, Aria for Strings, Attempt at a Fugue, Con Brio, Duos, Etudes, Fantasie for Clarinet, Fever Fantasy, The Hunt Quartet, Insel der Sirenen, String Quartets No. 1 and 4, Three Shadow Dances, 180 Beats and Paraphrase on Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.
See www.irishchamberorchestra.com for his final concerts with ICO on April 27 at University Concert Hall, Limerick and at St. Brendan’s Church, Birr on April 29 in association with the Birr Festival of Music.