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Dublin’s ‘New music’ Fest Aims too Bridge divides, Spark Innovation
DUBLIN, Ireland – The “New Music Dublin” festival concluded this week, leaving behind a reverberating echo of contemporary sounds and a renewed focus on the power of music to unite diverse communities. The multi-day event, held at venues ranging from the National Concert Hall to intimate clubs and even the historic Dunsink Observatory, showcased a vibrant mix of Irish and international talent, with a distinct emphasis on music of the 20th and 21st centuries.
John Harris, the festival’s artistic director, spoke to reporters about his vision of fostering inclusivity and expanding the definition of contemporary music.”contemporary music is an unpredictable thing,” Harris said. “I try to represent as many different composers as possible,and that means different genres.”
Harris, who took the helm in 2018, has made it his mission to create a festival that defies categorization, embracing everything from children’s choirs to the experimental guitar work of Thurston Moore. “This isn’t a mainstream festival,” he said. “For the most part, it is Irish music, but for context we also include the works of internationally recognized authors.”
“This might seem like a slightly crazy festival because it has almost everything – children’s choirs, Thurston Moore’s noisy guitar, subtle music in the style of Pauline Oliveros, the ‘Silent Music Ensemble’, noise music, jazz.My role is not to say what contemporary music is, but rather to show what exists at all.And people who come to one concert will think – oh,there is something else exciting! I can say with certainty that the most critically important thing is the creative spirit itself in its most diverse forms. Therefore – yes, diversity is my mission.”
Bridging the Divide: A Core Mission
A central theme of this year’s festival was the role of art in bridging societal divides. Organizers emphasized their commitment to attracting diverse audiences and fostering connections across different social strata.
“The festival management took it very seriously to draw the attention of various sections of society to the festival as much as possible. Everyone in Europe and beyond is thinking about it now – how to unite a divided society – how can art unite it?” one festival spokesperson noted.
Harris echoed this sentiment, describing his role as akin to “a manager of different tribes,” responsible for ensuring mutual understanding. He expressed particular satisfaction when audience members from different musical backgrounds connect and socialize.
Challenges and Triumphs
The festival has faced its share of challenges, including unexpected weather events and the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris recounted the difficulties of his first year, when a rare snowfall in Dublin threatened to derail the entire event.
“I remember the morning before the festival when I get a call and they say: John, it’s snowing outside! Yes, very nice, I reply. Yes, John, but it’s snowing outside! This is Ireland and it’s snowing outside! (laughs)”
Despite these setbacks, Harris and his team persevered, ultimately staging a “Defrosted Edition” later that year. He emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting the partnerships with RTE concert hall and the Arts Council, which he described as a “triangle.”
International Perspectives
The festival drew international delegates from countries including Canada,scotland,Belgium,Poland,France,Estonia,and the Netherlands. Attendees praised the festival’s focus on showcasing local talent and its emphasis on music itself,rather than relying heavily on multimedia elements.
Maarten Beirens, organizer of Belgium’s “Transit” festival, lauded the emphasis on Irish music. “It is very valuable to take care of the local culture, local performers, local composers,” Beirens said. “That is one of the things I recognize and how I also create the programs of the “Transit” festival. And it doesn’t just mean sitting and selecting the big international names, styles and other great things – which, of course, must also be done – but carefully watching how it affects artistic life also outside the festival, integrating these things more with each other. I think this aspect is also very important for “New Music Dublin”. Some concerts seem to be designed in such a way that the ensemble is given a lot of artistic freedom. Compared to other festivals, there are fewer multimedia projects here, but more of the music itself.Therefore, here in dublin, it seems that the music festival is more back to basics.”
Beirens was particularly impressed by the opening concert, staged at the Dunsink Observatory, praising the clever use of the space and the unique atmosphere.meireke Hopman, representing the “November Music” festival in the Netherlands, highlighted the “Totally Made Up Orchestra” as a standout performance.”It really made me happy as you really see why we do what we do, and what music can give to people of all ages, how happy the artists themselves are, simply creating music, which is excellently fresh and appealing,” Hopman said.
Jeffrey Stonehouse, from Canada’s “Le Vivier” festival, cited accordionist Andreas Borregaard as a particularly memorable act.
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