Role

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Composer Performer

Birth

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1970 in Dublin, Ireland

Period

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Contemporary

 

Donnacha Dennehy is a contemporary classical music composer from Ireland. He was born on August 17, 1970, in Dublin, Ireland. Dennehy grew up in a musical family, with his father being a traditional Irish musician and his mother a singer. He began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the guitar and the fiddle. Dennehy attended Trinity College Dublin, where he studied music composition with Kevin O'Connell and Donnacha Dennehy. He later earned a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied with Salvatore Martirano and Paul Martin Zonn. Dennehy's music is known for its unique blend of traditional Irish music and contemporary classical music. He often incorporates elements of Irish folk music into his compositions, creating a sound that is both modern and rooted in tradition. His music has been described as "a thrilling mix of the ancient and the modern" by The Guardian. One of Dennehy's most notable works is "Grá agus Bás," which translates to "Love and Death" in English. The piece was commissioned by the Kronos Quartet and premiered in 2011. It is a tribute to the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who passed away in 2013. The piece is based on a poem by Heaney called "The Given Note," which is about the power of music to connect people across cultures and time. Another notable work by Dennehy is "The Hunger," which was commissioned by Alarm Will Sound and premiered in 2016. The piece is based on the Great Famine in Ireland, which occurred in the mid-19th century and resulted in the deaths of over a million people. The piece incorporates traditional Irish music and explores themes of loss, grief, and resilience. Dennehy has also composed several operas, including "The Last Hotel" and "The Second Violinist." "The Last Hotel" premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2015 and was later performed at the Royal Opera House in London. The opera is about a woman who is contemplating suicide and the two strangers who try to convince her to live. "The Second Violinist" premiered at the Galway International Arts Festival in 2017 and explores themes of loneliness and isolation in the digital age. In addition to his work as a composer, Dennehy is also a professor of music at Princeton University. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award, and the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Opera. Dennehy's music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the London Sinfonietta, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony. He has also collaborated with a wide range of musicians and artists, including the Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionáird and the visual artist John Gerrard. In conclusion, Donnacha Dennehy is a highly regarded contemporary classical music composer from Ireland. His music is known for its unique blend of traditional Irish music and contemporary classical music, and he has composed several notable works, including "Grá agus Bás" and "The Hunger." Dennehy is also a professor of music at Princeton University and has received numerous awards and honors for his work.

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