Hailed by the press for its “enthralling performances” that “brim with musicality” and the “sensuality, charm and impulse of the best world-level ensembles,”  Camerata Ireland brings Irish musicians together from all over the world to celebrate Ireland, its music-making and the wealth of Irish musical talent that abounds in Ireland and beyond. The 40-piece chamber orchestra is under the artistic and musical direction of acclaimed pianist Barry Douglas, and is entirely comprised of exceptionally talented Irish musicians, many of whom also play in top positions in other premier orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, the RTE Orchestras and the Ulster Orchestra.  Camerata Ireland is honored to have the joint patronage of Mary McAleese, President of Ireland and HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

Camerata Ireland gave its inaugural concerts in April 1999 at Stormont Parliament Buildings in Belfast and in Dublin Castle. Both concerts were presented in association with Co-operation Ireland, the leading charity working to bring a lasting peace to the island of Ireland, which inspired Barry Douglas to create the ensemble.

Camerata Ireland enjoys an active touring schedule, and has presented concerts on four continents, including performances in China, Poland, England, France, Italy and Germany, among others.  Their critically acclaimed tour of South America, with concerts in Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina marked the first Irish classical music ensemble to visit those countries. The ensemble made its second tour of the United States in the 2005/06 season, with concerts in New York, California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Highlights of their domestic tours included concerts at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, which marked the final performance of the 1999 International Belfast Arts Festival, and a gala performance to celebrate the new Cultural Centre in Armagh, the historic and ecclesiastical center of Ireland. 

Hailed by the press for its “enthralling performances” that “brim with musicality” and the “sensuality, charm and impulse of the best world-level ensembles,”  Camerata Ireland brings Irish musicians together from all over the world to celebrate Ireland, its music-making and the wealth of Irish musical talent that abounds in Ireland and beyond. The 40-piece chamber orchestra is under the artistic and musical direction of acclaimed pianist Barry Douglas, and is entirely comprised of exceptionally talented Irish musicians, many of whom also play in top positions in other premier orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, the RTE Orchestras and the Ulster Orchestra.  Camerata Ireland is honored to have the joint patronage of Mary McAleese, President of Ireland and HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

Camerata Ireland gave its inaugural concerts in April 1999 at Stormont Parliament Buildings in Belfast and in Dublin Castle. Both concerts were presented in association with Co-operation Ireland, the leading charity working to bring a lasting peace to the island of Ireland, which inspired Barry Douglas to create the ensemble.

Camerata Ireland enjoys an active touring schedule, and has presented concerts on four continents, including performances in China, Poland, England, France, Italy and Germany, among others.  Their critically acclaimed tour of South America, with concerts in Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina marked the first Irish classical music ensemble to visit those countries. The ensemble made its second tour of the United States in the 2005/06 season, with concerts in New York, California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.  Highlights of their domestic tours included concerts at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, which marked the final performance of the 1999 International Belfast Arts Festival, and a gala performance to celebrate the new Cultural Centre in Armagh, the historic and ecclesiastical center of Ireland.  

Highlights of the 2006/2007 season included the launch of the Camerata Ireland International Concert Series, an annual series bringing the ensemble to major world capitol venues.  The first concerts in this series were held in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, London’s Cadogan Hall and Dublin’s National Concert Hall. U.S. appearances included a concert for the Smithsonian Festival at the Library of Congress in Washington DC in March 2007. The orchestra enjoyed additional performances at the Manchester Piano Festival, the Beethoven Festival in Poland, and appearances in St. Riquier and Colmar, France.  

In the 2007/2008 season the ensemble returned to the US for their biggest tour, to date.  Highlights of this tour include the orchestra’s debut on the Boston Celebrity Series, and at the Kravis Center in Florida, at the University of Notre Dame and Seattles’s Benaroya Hall, among others.  Camerata Ireland will also make debut performances in Finland and Mexico. Camerata Ireland's first commercial recording, released in 2005, featured Maestro Douglas performing Beethoven Piano Concertos No. 2 & No. 4. The CD was hailed by Audiophile Audition as “music making of the highest order”, with Gramophone praising the group as “Ireland’s best”.  Of their second release, Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 5, Fanfare Magazine said, “Douglas plays and leads superbly; and for an ensemble formed as recently as Camerata Ireland, execution is highly polished and well nigh perfect.”   The full cycle of Beethoven Piano Concerto recordings was completed with the release of Piano Concerto No. 3 and Triple in the Fall of 2007, and a box set was released on the Satirino label.  Camerata Ireland
continues to perform around the world and returns to the United States in March 2011.

At the heart of Camerata Ireland's work is its commitment to young Irish musicians.  Each year, the Orchestra funds twelve students for a weeklong series of master classes with Maestro Douglas and other international artists.  One exemplary artist is awarded the Camerata Ireland Young Musician of the Year Award with the opportunity to perform a concerto with the orchestra.  This commitment to, and investment in, the musical future of Ireland is central to the mission of Camerata Ireland.

Artistic Director, conductor and pianist Barry Douglas has enjoyed a major career since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. The Belfast native has performed with such leading orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic and all the major London orchestras.  Highlights of his work with Camerata Ireland include a gala concert for President Clinton in Belfast - the subject of a Landseer Productions television documentary - and tours throughout Europe, North America and the Far East.   Recent guest conducting engagements include the complete Beethoven Symphonies with the Orchestra of St. Cecilia at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.  His solo performances for 2006-2007 included appearances with the London Symphony and the BBC Symphony Orchestras, and concerts in the US with the Seattle, Rochester and Pittsburgh Orchestras.

Among Camerata Ireland’s numerous media credits is a documentary feature about the orchestra, which was broadcast on London’s “Artsworld” station.  In the US, the ensemble can be heard on NPR and Performance Today.

 For additional information about Camerata Ireland, please visit www.camerata-ireland.com

Last updated November 2009. Contact Opus 3 Artists for the most up-to-date version.