Music on the Edge
Approaching thirty years together as an ensemble, the ConTempo Quartet spent their formative years in Romania in Central Europe before moving to the west coast of Ireland as Music for Galway’s Ensemble in Residence in 2003. Music on the Edge explores their remarkable impact on music in this city and region on the edge of Europe. There is a certain edginess to their performances too: never satisfied to play it safe, their technical ability and musical intelligence means that Bogdan Sofei (violin I), Ingrid Nicola (violin II), Andreea Banciu (viola) and Adrian Mantu (cello) are always striving to do their best by the music and the composer. Despite growing up at a time when rationing was a daily occurrence, they nevertheless benefited from the rigours of the Russian approach to music education for talented children before living through the violent revolution against Ceaușescu’s regime. It is through their performances, teaching, outreach work, collaborations and championing of new works by Irish composers, that they continue to achieve creative fulfilment.
Commissioned for RTÉ lyric fm with support from the Coimisiún Na Meán Sound and Vision Fund and RTÉ Independent Radio Productions from the television license fee.
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 1st December, 6pm-7pm
