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Thursday Lunchtime Concert – Íde Ní Chonaill (bassoon) and Sally Wigan (piano)
20th June 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Programme:
Tansman: Suite for Bassoon and Piano
Íde Ní Chonaill is an Irish bassoonist based in London. She works predominantly as a chamber orchestra and chamber musician, performing largely with ensembles based across the UK and Ireland.
Íde commenced her undergraduate studies in the Cork School of Music under the tuition of Emma Neal, before moving to Manchester to study with Graham Salvage and Alan Pendlebury at the Royal Northern College of Music. After completing her undergraduate degree, Íde spent two years in Budapest studying under György Lakatos and György Keszler at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, where she and Sally met in 2009. Íde is grateful to the Arts Council of Ireland who generously supported her during her time in Budapest.
A long time associate member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Íde has performed with the orchestra and associated chamber ensembles. Highlights with former principal conductor, clarinettest and composer, Jörg Widmann, include: touring to Carnegie Hall, Library of Congress and Konzerthaus Berlin, and recording wind chamber music, the complete cycle of Mendelssohn Symphonies, and several of Jörg Widmann’s own compositions.
As a chamber musician, Íde has performed with the Haffner Ensemble, Ensemble 360 and Sinfonia Cymru. Her orchestral work includes recording with Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.
Íde has always had a particular passion for Contemporary music. At the Royal Northern College of Music she took part in many new music projects, regularly performing works by fellow students as well as established modern composers, including Kalevi Aho, Elliott Carter and Esa-Pekka Salonen. A particular highlight was the opportunity to prepare with the composer for a performance of Aho’s Quintet for Saxophone, Bassoon, Viola, Cello and Double Bass during a festival of his music. After graduating, Íde obtained a place at the Lucerne Festival Academy, where she worked with Pierre Boulez and members of the Ensemble InterContemporain, and performed, amongst other works (including Boulez’s own compositions), Birtwistle’s Cortege for 14 Musicians.
In addition to her performing career Íde applies her expertise to a variety of activities that have included performing as a musician actor, undertaking community music and outreach programs and various roles in music-based charities for both adults and children with profound and complex needs.
Award winning pianist Sally Wigan has performed across the UK and Europe in many prestigious
venues including Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room, Symphony Hall Birmingham, St Martin-in-the-Fields,
Kings Place Concert Hall and the Franz Liszt Concert Hall in Budapest. She has also enjoyed
appearances as a guest pianist aboard Cunard Line and P&O cruise ships giving a series of recitals as
part of the Gobetti Duo with violinist Anna Ovsyanikova.
A dedicated exponent of twentieth-century and contemporary repertoire, and in particular of British
works, Sally has worked with such composers as John McCabe, Gavin Higgins, Judith Weir and Arlene
Sierra. She was selected as a Park Lane Group artist for three consecutive years, to great critical
acclaim. Sally has won numerous accolades including third prize in the Ninth British Contemporary
Piano Competition, the Frank Merrick Prize in the Royal College of Music’s Contemporary Piano
Competition and the Joseph Weingarten Scholarship to study at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest.
Sally was also awarded runner-up prize in the piano section of the Performing Australian Music
Competition, which led to her keen involvement and performances in the ‘Celebrating Grainger’ week at Kings Place.
