Strauss 200, swing, Culture Night, classical & more – RTÉ Concert Orchestra September October 2025
Cinematic classics in Waterford (6 September), classical in Drogheda (12 September) and operatic in Wexford and Dublin (28 and 30 October); top female traditional artists in Anam Éireann (11 September); a free concert for Culture Night (19 September); celebrations of Strauss (24 September) and swing (2 October); Finghin Collins in Grieg’s Piano Concerto (23 October); returns only already for Marty in the Evening (20 September) and Neil Young at 80 (16 October). This and more on the way from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in September and October – please see below for full details.
RTÉ Concert Orchestra September October 2025
Lights Camera Classics!
Saturday 6 September, 7.30pm, SETU Arena, Waterford
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor
Mary McCabe soprano
Join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, its Principal Guest Conductor Stephen Bell and soprano Mary McCabe for 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. Think of 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.
Tickets: €15–€30 plus booking fees
Presented by the Symphony Club of Waterford and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Anam Éireann | The Soul of Ireland
Thursday 11 September, The Helix, 7.30pm
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Ellie Slorach conductor
Zoë Conway fiddle
Ríoghnach Connolly vocalist
Louise Mulcahy piper
Edwina Guckian sean nós dancer
John Mc Intyre guitar
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Associate Artist Zoë Conway unite for an unforgettable evening of music, song and dance. Conway’s masterful fiddle playing is paired with partner John Mc Intyre on guitar – ‘simply one of the best folk duos on the planet’ (BBC).
They’re joined by some of the country’s most celebrated traditional musicians. Ríoghnach Connolly’s (The Breath, Honeyfeet, Lí Ban) powerful voice joins the orchestra and trad duo for pieces including the beautiful Faoiseamh a gheobhadsa. Connolly was awarded Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 and Best Folk Singer at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2025.
Louise Mulcahy joins on the uilleann pipes for Zoë and John’s compositions Suaimhneas and Bearna Mheabh; for Knockaulin and The March of the Clans, two pieces composed by Liam O’Flynn, and for St Brigit’s Jig, composed by Louise herself.
With a background steeped in the tradition of music and dance, hailing from Leitrim, esteemed sean nós dancer Edwina Guckian joins for a number of trad sets, in this authentic session that bridges generations of cultural expression.
Tickets: €15–€42.50
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Drogheda Classical Music: RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Friday 12 September, 7.30pm, St Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Co Louth
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Mia Cooper director/violin
Emma Roche piccolo
Shaun Hooke & Eamonn Nolan trumpets
As part of Drogheda Classical Music’s thirteenth season of concerts, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is directed by its leader Mia Cooper for a programme of Haydn, Vivaldi, Rossini and Schubert.
The evening opens with Haydn’s Symphony No. 6 Le matin and closes with a Rossini String Sonata and Schubert’s 5th Symphony. At the centre of the concert, two Vivaldi concertos, each with RTÉ CO players as soloists: the Piccolo Concerto with Emma Roche and the Concerto for Two Trumpets in D with Shaun Hooke and Eamonn Nolan.
Programme
Haydn Symphony No. 6 in D, Hob. I:6 ‘Le Matin’
Vivaldi Concerto in C for Piccolo, Strings and Cembalo
Vivaldi Concerto for Two Trumpets in D RV 781
Rossini String Sonata No 1 in G
Schubert Symphony No 5
Tickets: €20 (€18 conc.), U-18 tickets (€8), Student tickets (€10)
Family Ticket for two adults and two children also available (€50)
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Drogheda Classical Music
RTÉ Concert Orchestra – Culture Night
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Sean McDermott St, Dublin
Friday 19 September, Culture Night, doors open 6pm, concert 6.30–7.30pm
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor
Patrick Dexter cello
In a special free concert for Culture Night, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under its Principal Guest Conductor Stephen Bell will perform popular classics and traditional Irish tunes as well as music by special guest, cellist Patrick Dexter.
Free event – no booking required
Presented by Dublin City Council and NEIC (North East Inner City)
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra presents RTÉ lyric fm Marty in the Evening
Saturday 20 September, 8pm, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Saturday 20 September, 8pm
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor
Presented by Marty Whelan, RTÉ lyric fm
Guests Angeline Ball, Ava Dodd and Tim Howar
Capturing the flavour of Marty in the Morning with a richly entertaining live experience!
Fans of Marty Whelan’s much-loved programme on RTÉ lyric fm will know it has an eclectic playlist encompassing classical, opera, popular, film, musicals, jazz and more. After a series of sold-out collaborations with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, including one in Limerick in June, they are once again teaming up for this night at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
Join the RTÉ lyric fm presenter for entertaining anecdotes and chat plus the finest music from his popular morning radio show with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conductor Stephen Bell and guest vocalists Angeline Ball, Ava Dodd and Tim Howar. Expect everything from Van Morrison to Etta James, Morricone to Mícheál Ó Suilleabháin, Puccini arias, family favourites and more.
Tickets: €36.50–€60 plus booking fees – RETURNS ONLY
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and RTÉ lyric fm
Strauss 200
Wednesday 24 September, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor
Rebecca Bottone soprano
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, under the baton of Stephen Bell, present a Viennese programme spanning three generations of musical genius, to celebrate Johann Strauss’s 200th Birthday.
From the elder Strauss’s stirring marches through the golden age of operetta with Johann Strauss II and Franz Lehár, to the artistry of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, whose career spanned child prodigy composer to founder of Hollywood film music, this programme captures the essence of Viennese glamour, including the effervescent Die Fledermaus Overture, the delicate Pizzicato Polka and the irresistible Thunder and Lightning Polka.
International opera soprano Rebecca Bottone joins the orchestra for vocal versions of Voices of Spring and the Spharenklänge Waltz, showcasing the remarkable legacy of the Strauss family. She also sings a selection of stunning arias: Lehár’s Vilja (The Merry Widow) and Meine Lippen (Giuditta), Strauss’s Audition Song (Die Fledermaus) and Korngold’s Marietta’s Lied (Die tote Stadt).
Lehár’s contributions to the silver operetta era also shine in The Land of Smiles Overture, while Korngold’s final orchestral work, Straussiana, marks a reminiscence of his youth in Vienna, and contains lesser-known melodies from Strauss operettas Fürstin Ninetta and Cagliostro in Wien, and three-act comic opera Ritter Pázmán, in homage to the Waltz King.
Join us for a classical celebration of Viennese finesse, with works by the Strauss family and their contemporaries.
Tickets: €15–€42.50
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
The Art of Swing
Thursday 2 October, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Callum Au conductor
Claire Martin vocalist
The internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning jazz singer Claire Martin joins the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, under conductor Callum Au, to celebrate the art of swing.
Claire Martin is hailed as ‘one of the finest jazz singers in the world today’ (Jazz Journal) and ‘our finest jazz singer’ (The Times). She will be performing Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Porter, Bennett and more in a programme including Don’t Rain on My Parade, The Folks Who Live on the Hill, The Lady is a Tramp and Pure Imagination. There will also be orchestral renditions of Gershwin with Prelude No. 2 and How Long Has This Been Going On?, making this an evening that showcases jazz artistry and the greatest songs from the American songbook.
Tickets: €15–€42.50
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Neil Young at 80
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Thursday 16 October, 8pm, National Concert Hall
Featuring Harvest: A Tribute to Neil Young and choir The Hearts of Gold
Gavin Murphy conductor
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra and special guests celebrate Neil Young’s 80th birthday with a stunning musical tribute, performing iconic songs that span Young’s long career – from early classics Heart of Gold and Only Love Can Break Your Heart to later masterpieces such as Harvest Moon and Unknown Legend.
The orchestra are joined by the group Harvest: A Tribute to Neil Young and 30-piece choir The Hearts of Gold in a celebration of over five decades of music that has defined generations of folk and rock, and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
Neil Young’s mastery is explored through a programme including renditions of Old Man, Helpless, Rockin’ In The Free World and even a faithful reproduction of There’s A World, originally recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra for the legendary album Harvest.
Take a journey through the past and celebrate the timeless music of a legendary songwriter, brought to you by Ireland’s premier Neil Young tribute band Harvest, the Hearts of Gold choir and RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Tickets: €15–€42.50 – RETURNS ONLY
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Requiem for the Living
19 October, 4pm, Adam and Eve’s Church
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Our Lady’s Choral Society
Proinnsías Ó Duinn conductor
Sharon Carty soprano
Ciarán Duffy tenor
Mendelssohn Psalm 13
Gounod O Divine Redeemer
Elgar Softly and Gently (The Dream of Gerontius)
Dan Forrest Requiem for the Living
Join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Our Lady’s Choral Society for a special celebration to mark the OLCS 80th anniversary. The event will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception – Adam and Eve’s – a stunning venue perfect for this milestone occasion. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a memorable event that honours long-standing choral tradition.
Tickets: €25–€37
Presented by Our Lady’s Choral Society
Classical Greats – Grieg and Schubert
Thursday 23 October, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Gavin Maloney conductor
Finghin Collins piano
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the baton of Gavin Maloney perform the music of Beethoven, Grieg and Schubert.
The evening opens with Beethoven’s spirited Creatures of Prometheus Overture, imbued with energy and dramatic flair. Finghin Collins joins the orchestra for Grieg’s beloved Piano Concerto in A Minor, a Norwegian masterpiece that weaves together virtuosic piano passages with orchestral colours and one of the most cherished works in the piano repertoire.
The programme concludes with Schubert’s magnificent Symphony No. 9 in C Major, ‘The Great’ – a work that represents the pinnacle of Classical symphonic composition. Schubert’s final symphony, its triumphant finale creates a sense of monumental musical architecture, with thematic development that echoes Beethoven, while emphasising melodic beauty.
Tickets: €15–€42.50
Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
RTÉ Concert Orchestra Opera Gala with Claudia Boyle
Tuesday 28 October, 7.30pm, National Opera House, Wexford
Thursday 30 October, 8pm, National Concert Hall
RTÉ Concert Orchestra
Claudia Boyle soprano
Axelle Saint-Cirel mezzo-soprano
Eduardo Niave tenor
Giorgi Lomiseli baritone
Francesco Cilluffo conductor
Join us for an evening of emotional operatic highs and lows with some of opera’s most ravishing arias. Conducted by Wexford Festival Opera’s guest conductor Francesco Cilluffo, who brings ‘An instinctive feeling for Italianate lyricism’ (The New York Times), and featuring four of opera’s extraordinary singers including the phenomenal soprano Claudia Boyle.
Boyle, mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel, tenor Eduardo Niave and baritone Giorgi Lomiseli join the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for a programme that pays homage to this year’s Wexford Festival Opera theme of myths and legends.
Tickets
Wexford: €20–€50
Dublin: €15–€42.50
Presented by Wexford Festival Opera and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
RTÉ Concert Orchestra PR: Angela Rohan