May and June see RTÉ Concert Orchestra performances in Dublin, Offaly, Carlow and Limerick. After previous sold-out Dublin concerts, RTÉ lyric fm’s Marty Whelan joins us again as we bring Marty in the Evening to University Concert Hall as part of Limerick Summer Proms (21 June). Alasdair Malloy also presents an afternoon family concert in Limerick (22 June). Two other much-loved lyric shows are brought to concert life: there’s another sold-out Movies and Musicals Live with Aedín Gormley on the way (17 May) and for the first time we present The Hamilton Scores Live, featuring George Hamilton and soprano Celine Byrne (24 May).

We pay tribute to the late Quincy Jones with Guy Barker and guests (5 June) and mark Star Wars Day with May the Fourth Be With You. Famous classical music used in films features in Lights, Camera, Classics! (31 May), and an evening of Mozart Masterpieces sees the world-renowned Julian Bliss make his RTÉ CO debut with the Clarinet Concerto (8 May). There are nights of vintage love songs (12 June) and ’90s hits (19 June) and more – for details please see below.

Birr Festival of Music: Opera & Orchestral Favourites with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Friday 2 May, 7.30pm, St Brendan’s Church, Birr
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Niall Kinsella conductor
Ava Dodd soprano
Presented by Liz Nolan, RTÉ lyric fm

Join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of music.

Conducted by Niall Kinsella, with internationally acclaimed Irish soprano Ava Dodd and presenter Liz Nolan of RTÉ lyric fm, the concert features beloved classics by Mozart, Donizetti, Ravel, Puccini, Bernstein, and many more.​

Duration: approx 75 mins without interval

Programme
Mozart Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro
Mozart Giunse alfin il momento…Deh vieni, non tardar (Le Nozze di Figaro)
Donizetti Quel guardo il cavaliere (Don Pasquale)
Verdi Prelude from La Traviata
Mascagni Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
Gounod Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle (Jewel Song) (Faust)
Puccini O mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi)
Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte
Larchet By the Waters of Moyle
Strauss II Overture to Die Fledermaus
Lehàr Vilja (The Merry Widow)
Bernstein Somewhere (West Side Story)
Loewe I could have danced all night (My Fair Lady)

Tickets: €25 + booking fee
Presented by Birr Festival of Music

May the Fourth Be With You – The Music of Star Wars
Sunday 4 May, 8pm, The Helix
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Toby Thatcher conductor

May the Fourth be with you – the RTÉ Concert Orchestra presents an evening of epic music from the Star Wars movies.  Experience a live orchestra performing iconic themes from The Phantom Menace, The Attack of the Clones, The Revenge of the Sith, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and more. The force is strong with this one!

Tickets: €15–€42.50

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

Mozart Masterpieces
Thursday 8 May, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Swann Van Rechem conductor
Julian Bliss clarinet

Overture to The Magic Flute
Clarinet Concerto in A major
Overture to Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Symphony No. 41 ‘Jupiter’

A special evening celebrating the genius of Mozart.

World-renowned clarinettist Julian Bliss makes his RTÉ Concert Orchestra debut to perform one of the most famous pieces in the repertoire. Along with the beloved Clarinet Concerto, completing this evening of Mozart masterpieces are two great opera overtures – to The Magic Flute and Die Entführung aus dem Serail – and his final symphony, the ‘Jupiter’.

Making his concert debut with the orchestra is young French conductor Swann Van Rechem. He came to international attention when in 2023, aged just 25, he made a clean sweep of it at the prestigious Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors, winning not only the Grand Prize but the Audience Prize and Orchestra Prize.

Whether you’re a Mozart aficionado or just curious as to why his name is so often used as a shorthand for genius, this evening offers a chance to hear great performances of some of his greatest music.

Tickets: €15–€42.50

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra presents RTÉ lyric fm Movies and Musicals Live
Saturday 17 May, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, 7.30pm
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Presented by Aedín Gormley, RTÉ lyric fm
Stephen Bell conductor
Katie Birtill, Juliette Crosbie, Tom Solomon and Paul Wilkins vocalists

Aedín Gormley’s beloved RTÉ lyric fm show Movies and Musicals returns to the stage in this special concert with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under conductor Stephen Bell.

A staple of the lyric fm schedule since the station’s inception in 1999, Movies and Musicals has since earned international acclaim and cultivated a devoted, enthusiastic audience. This dynamic live concert showcases the programme’s signature blend of music that spans cherished Hollywood classics, contemporary film scores and popular Broadway hits.

Tickets: €35–€52.50 plus booking fees – RETURNS ONLY

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra presents RTÉ lyric fm The Hamilton Scores Live
Saturday 24 May, National Concert Hall, 7.30pm
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Presented by George Hamilton, RTÉ lyric fm
Celine Byrne soprano
David Young conductor

The Hamilton Scores on RTÉ lyric fm has become a regular weekend fixture to many over the last 21 years. Join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for a special live event celebrating the best classical scores.

George Hamilton presents an unbeatable line-up of musical greats, with tales from his travels, featuring Celine Byrne and an evening of the best of classical music from Bach to Puccini and Verdi.

This programme includes Smetana’s symphonic poem The Moldau from Má Vlast, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and the Marriage of Figaro Overture.

Tickets: €15–€42.50

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and RTÉ lyric fm

Lights, Camera, Classics!
Saturday 31 May, 7.30pm, The Helix
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor
Mary McCabe soprano

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra under its Principal Guest Conductor Stephen Bell invites you to an evening of iconic classical music memorably used in films.

Cinema has always used the expressive and dramatic power of classical music to great effect. Famous instances include The Blue Danube in 2001: A Space Odyssey and of course Fantasia,  from which you’ll hear Dance of the Hours and Night on a Bare Mountain. Think of the lyrical intensity of Elgar’s Nimrod in Dunkirk, the Meditation from Thais in Titanic or the dazzling Orpheus in the Underworld Overture in Moulin Rouge.

Pieces will often crop up on various soundtracks. Finlandia may be familiar from Die Hard 2 or The Hunt for Red October.  You might recognise the aria Sempre libera from Pretty Woman or from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Soprano Mary McCabe also features in Song to the Moon, heard in Driving Miss Daisy, Un bel dì from Fatal Attraction and O mio babbino caro used in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Four Weddings and a Funeral, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz from A.I., Verdi’s Force of Destiny Overture from Jean de Florette…all this and more is on the bill in this spectacular celebration of classical music from the movies.

Programme
Verdi Overture to The Force of Destiny
Dvořák Rusalka: Song to the Moon
Handel The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Ponchielli Dance of the Hours
Puccini Madama Butterfly: Un bel dì
Elgar Nimrod
Massenet Thaïs: Méditation
Strauss The Blue Danube
Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Wedding March
Puccini  Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Borodin Night on a Bare Mountain
Offenbach Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld
Verdi La traviata: Sempre libera
Sibelius Finlandia

Tickets: €15–€42.50

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

Quincy Jones: A Celebration
Thursday 5 June, National Concert Hall, 8pm
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Guy Barker conductor
Vanessa Haynes, Dana Masters, Tony Momrelle and Ian Shaw vocalists

Few figures in recent music history have left as profound a mark as Quincy Jones. Over a career spanning more than 70 years, he earned 28 Grammy Awards and collaborated with legends like Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. With conductor and arranger Guy Barker, himself a trumpet player in the Quincy Jones band, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and guest vocalists celebrate his legacy.

A groundbreaking composer, producer, and arranger, Jones shaped the sound of generations. Following his passing in 2024 at age 91, Stevie Wonder told Rolling Stone, ‘He’s touched every single genre.’ In the 1960s and ’70s, he scored over 30 films and countless television episodes. This concert will showcase his compositions from The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, The Color Purple and The Wiz. It also features iconic works from his solo albums, including Walking in Space, Big Band Bossa Nova, and Smackwater Jack.

Expect an evening of classics including Fly Me to the Moon, Thriller, Soul Bossa Nova, In the Heat of the Night, One Mint Julep, On Days like These, Ease on Down the Road, Come Fly with Me, Ironside, Let the Good Times Roll, She’s Out of My Life, Miss Celie’s Blues, The Self-Preservation Society and Razzamatazz.

Tickets: €15–€42.50

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

It Had to Be You
Thursday 12 June, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Richard Balcombe conductor
Graham Bickley and Louise Dearman vocalists

Join us for an evening of passion and nostalgia, as the RTÉ Concert Orchestra bring the greatest classic love songs to life. A Fine Romance, my friend, this is.

Expect timeless classics from George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and more. From heart-stirring ballads to sweeping cinematic themes, celebrate the music that has defined love across generations.

You are at the centre of this romantic programme, with All the Things You Are, The Very Thought of You, Just The Way You Look Tonight and It Had to Be You.

Programme

Overture My Fair Lady

A Fine Romance

Just the Way You Look Tonight

All the Things You Are

Stranger in Paradise

The Boy Next Door

The Trolley Song

The Summer Knows

The Way We Were

The Very Thought of You

Dancing in the Dark

Something Stupid

It Had to be You

Overture South Pacific

S Wonderful

What’ll I Do

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

I Will Wait for You

How Do You Keep the Music Playing

Glasgow love theme (Love Actually)

The Folks who Live on the Hill

My Funny Valentine

Out of Africa main title

So in Love

Let’s Do It

Tickets: €15–€42.50

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and GRB Concerts

Mozart: Great Mass in C Minor with the Carlow Choral Society
Friday 13 June, 8pm, Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow

RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Carlow Choral Society
Blánaid Murphy conductor

Marking 60 years of the Carlow Choral Society

Tickets: €25

Presented by Carlow Choral Society

On sale early May – see www.carlowchoralsociety.com

Symphonic ’90s
Thursday 19 June, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor
Annie Skates, Emma Kershaw, Lance Ellington and Steve Trowell vocalists

Join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra to relive the soundtrack of a generation in Symphonic ’90s.

From power ballads to pop anthems, this evening brings a fresh sound with a symphonic twist to some of the biggest hits of the ’90s. Experience the iconic tunes of Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Cher, George Michael, the Spice Girls and more!

Performing classics like Let Me Entertain You, Man! I Feel Like a Woman, Don’t Speak and I Will Always Love You, the RTÉ CO are joined by guest vocalists Annie Skates, Emma Kershaw, Lance Ellington and Steve Trowell who bring the glamour and grunge of the boy band and pop princess era to life.

Whether you lived through the ’90s or just love the music, live for the nostalgia with Livin’ la Vida Loca and get a little bit of Orchestra in your life with Mambo No. 5.

Tickets: €15–€42.50
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and GRB Concerts

Limerick Summer Proms | RTÉ lyric fm’s Marty in the Evening with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Saturday 21 June, 7.30pm, University Concert Hall, Limerick
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Presented by Marty Whelan, RTÉ lyric fm
Stephen Bell conductor
Angeline Ball, Ava Dodd and Tim Howar vocalists

Marty Whelan and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra bring their ‘Marty in the Evening’ show to University Concert Hall, Limerick, for one night only.

Join the RTÉ lyric fm presenter for entertaining anecdotes and chat, plus the finest music from his popular morning radio show. Guests Angeline Ball, Ava Dodd and Tim Howar join the RTÉ CO and conductor Stephen Bell for everything from Puccini to Morricone to Bacharach.

Tickets: €20–€35

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and RTÉ lyric fm

Limerick Summer Proms | The Incredible Voyage of Alasdair Malloy with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Sunday 22 June, 2pm, University Concert Hall, Limerick
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Alasdair Malloy presenter
Stephen Bell conductor

Musician Alasdair Malloy has created and presented innovative family and children’s concerts around the world.

He always loves travelling (from Scotland) to join his friends in the RTÉ Concert Orchestra but this time things don’t go quite to plan and he ends up having the most Incredible Voyage to Limerick! Instead of travelling directly, Alasdair ends up having a riotous ride on, cars, carpets, roads, rails, spaceships, shoes and a yellow submarine!

Fortunately, he has help from classical composers including Rossini and Saint-Saëns and music from Aladdin, Harry Potter, Moana and Star Wars, but will he get here on time?

Don’t miss this exciting adventure in music and motion!

Tickets: €15–€20

Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra