Toner Quinn

Feb 5, 2025 | journalofmusic.com | Toner Quinn

The 2025 New Music Dublin festival takes place from 2 to 6 April and features Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, John Butcher’s 'Dublin Fixations', a new Irene Buckley opera, an Ed Bennett piano concerto and more. The Journal of Music speaks to Artistic Director John Harris. This is John Harris’ eighth edition of the New Music Dublin (NMD) festival since he was appointed in 2017.

Jan 19, 2025 | irishtimes.com | Toner Quinn

These days, my father and I meet once a week. From Leitir Péic in Conamara I drive the half-hour west along Cois Fharraige and through the moon-like landscape of Bóthar Loch an Iolra to the townland of Tuairín, where Bob’s dwelling is almost entirely hidden from 30 years of tree planting. He is now 89 and there are always practical things to discuss, but we are rarely in the mood.

Dec 4, 2024 | journalofmusic.com | Toner Quinn

When Catherine Martin was appointed Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht in June 2020, three months into the pandemic, those working in music and the arts had become accustomed to low expectations. Over the previous decade, the Arts Council budget had swung down to €57m after the economic crash, and, by 2020, it still had not come back to even its 2007 figure. The music scene was heating up again, but life was still challenging for artists.

Nov 8, 2024 | journalofmusic.com | Na Piobairi Uilleann |Toner Quinn

Come along to Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland’s gathering of harp makers on Sunday 17th November 11am-4pm in the Vernon Studio, Royal Irish Academy of Music. Take the opportunity to meet some of our most renowned Irish harp makers, each of them living and making harps here in Ireland. You will have a chance to learn from expert master craftsmen about the traditions and techniques that go into building our national instrument.

Nov 6, 2024 | journalofmusic.com | Toner Quinn

Now that the US election is over, we can remind ourselves that we are not citizens of that country, and that all of the airtime it has taken up in Irish media is time not spent talking about what matters on the ground in Ireland. For those in music and the arts, there is much to discuss, particularly now that a general election has been called for 29 November. The last five years of the Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Green Party government has seen Arts Council funding increase from €80m to €140m.