Renowned Irish composer set for special Mayo performance
THE Unseen Growth of Winter is a 16-date all-island tour of original piano music, presented in a 70-minute live performance by renowned Irish composer Maccana (Caomhán Maccana).
The tour will visit the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, on Thursday, November 19, with tickets priced at €20, however, tickets purchased during July will receive a €5 discount. Tickets are available at www.thelinenhall.com.
Maccana has worked on productions with the BBC, RTÉ and Newstalk, and won an award at the 2025 Celtic Media Festival in Cornwall.
November’s concert will feature all original works by the composer, and it promises to be a truly special and memorable occasion, as piano composer tours are very rare.
Caomhán Maccana was impressed with the Castlebar venue on a recent visit.
“The Linenhall is a remarkable location, and the likes of Fiona Neary (director of operations) and Aisling McKenna (marketing office) are running a great venue here.
“Mayo has a great history of music, and one of my favourite composers is Patrick Cassidy, who is originally from Claremorris and is internationally renowned.
“I will play my own compositions, and they are a mixture of Celtic and classical. I would be inspired by the Celtic and classical traditions.
“November 19 in the Linenhall will be a great night of intimate piano music, and I will introduce each piece and explain the inspiration.
"For example, one of the pieces I have written is called Éan, written in memory of Moya Brennan of Clannad. I am still working on that piece of music, and I look forward to performing it in Mayo.”
While Caomhán takes inspiration from world famous composers such as Erik Satie and Arvo Pärt, he believes there is great homegrown musical talent in Ireland as well, with the likes of Martin Hayes, Cormac Begley and Kevin O'Rahilly having taken Irish music across the world and making it appealing to a whole new generation.
His own career has seen him travel the world, a highlight being working in Mexico in the Conservatorio de las Rosas, which is the oldest music institution in Latin America. Working with musical students there, he said, was something he was honoured to be involved in and inspired by.
Caomhán has done a lot of compositions for radio as well as with RTÉ and Newstalk, for different documentaries and dramas.
“Last year I did a Culture Night performance in Cavan Town Hall, which was a very special occasion, and the feedback from the audience was very positive.”
Maccana is looking forward to get the opportunity to perform in Castlebar.
“The name of the tour is ‘The Unseen Growth of Winter’ and this is my debut national tour, which is a cross-border tour. Playing this new music to an audience is something that I'm looking forward to and to see what the audience feedback is going to be like.”