Dublin Philharmonic brings 'Irish Spectacular' to Lied Center March 3

In its first United States tour, the renowned Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra will make its debut at the Lied Center for Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at 7:30 p.m. March 3. The orchestra will present an evening of Irish and Celtic traditional music titled "Irish Spectacular," featuring Ireland's leading pop stars, Gerry O'Connor, Emer Mayock, Frankie Gavin, Cora Venus Lunny, Robert Harris and Regina Nathan.

Founded in the mid-1800s, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra was one of the leading components in Irish classical music during Dublin's prime, along with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, giving regular performances in the capital city until World War II. In 1997, the orchestra was reconstituted under the direction of Irish music director, Derek Gleeson, drawing its members from Ireland's premier music groups, as well as international artists from throughout Europe. Described as "sheerly beautiful" and "exhilarating" by the Irish Times, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra continues to pursue that same caliber of performance excellence in the tradition of classical and contemporary symphonic music.

The repertoire for this performance will include Overture from "A Symphony of Celtic Song," "Aughrim Suite," aria from "Deidre of the Sorrows," double violin concerto "Inishlacken" and the finale, "Gala Celebration of Celtic Music," featuring works specially commissioned and arranged by leading Irish composers for this concert.

Tickets for this performance are $48, $43 and $38. UNL students with a valid ID, as well as youths age 18 and younger, may purchase tickets for half price. Call the Lied Ticket Office at (402) 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231 for ticket availability. Regular ticket office hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.liedcenter.org.

As part of the Lied Center's ongoing education programming, a pre-performance talk will be held in the Lied Center's Steinhart Room. The pre-talk speaker will be Clark Potter of the UNL School of Music. Seating is limited in the Steinhart, and the pre-talk will begin a half hour before curtain or when the room is full. The Lied Center is located at 301 N. 12th St. on the UNL City Campus.

This presentation is made possible in part by support from the Ruth Marie Amen Endowment.

The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported the programs of this organization through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Lied Center programming is supported by Friends of Lied and grants from Association of Performing Arts Presenters; National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; Mid-America Arts Alliance; Nebraska Arts Council; New England Foundation for the Arts; and Lincoln Arts Council. All events in the Lied Center are made possible entirely or in part by the Lied Performance Fund, which has been established in memory of Ernst F. Lied and his parents, Ernst M. and Ida K. Lied.

For more information about the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, visit http://dublinphilharmonic.com.

The associated media file below is a courtesy photo of Derek Gleeson, music director and conductor of the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra.