On 5 October, Teatro Niccolini comes alive with the music and dance of Ireland, in a concert bringing together some of the most acclaimed performers of traditional Irish music and the dancers of IRIS Accademia Danze Irlandesi. The concert is made possible through a collaboration with Orvieto Irish Fleadh, an annual festival dedicated to traditional Irish music and culture.
At the heart of the evening is a quartet featuring Gerry O’Connor on fiddle, Laurence Nugent on flute and whistle, Paul Meehan on guitar and Richard Lyons on bodhrán. Four musicians from Ireland and the UK, with international experience and deep connections to the music of their home regions.
The evening will not follow a rigidly fixed setlist. As in traditional music sessions, the musicians may add or change tunes, responding to the flow of the concert and the audience.
The artists
Gerry O’Connor comes from Dundalk in County Louth and a family whose musical tradition spans four generations. A fiddler, composer and teacher, he has recorded fourteen albums and collaborated with some of the leading figures in Irish music. His work has made an important contribution to the understanding and appreciation of Oriel’s musical tradition.
Laurence Nugent is a virtuoso flute and whistle player and a multiple All-Ireland champion. Originally from County Fermanagh, he has spent more than thirty years in the United States and performed across Europe, America and Japan, collaborating with artists including The Chieftains, Liz Carroll and Martin Hayes.
Guitarist Paul Meehan spent seven years with Lúnasa and has worked with musicians and bands including Altan, Flook, At First Light and Michael McGoldrick. His style combines rhythmic precision, melodic sensitivity and a deep understanding of DADGAD tuning. Richard Lyons brings the sound of the bodhrán, the drum at the rhythmic heart of Irish music. Originally from County Cavan, he has performed around the world with major music and dance productions.
James Patrick Gavin on fiddle and Adrian Lever on guitar and vocals will open the concert. Active on London’s folk scene, the two blend Irish tradition with contemporary, jazz, Balkan and flamenco influences. They will return to the stage later in the concert to perform alongside the quartet.
The music will be accompanied by performances from Florence’s IRIS Accademia Danze Irlandesi. Solo routines and group choreography will bring the energy of traditional Irish dance to the stage, alongside a more contemporary exploration of movement, technique and stage presence.
A meeting of musicians, dancers and audiences, celebrating a tradition that lives on every time it is played and shared.
