Thurston Moore among artists for New Music Dublin contemporary sound festival this April
New Music Dublin has just announced its programme for this year’s festival, taking place from April 2nd to 6th at the National Concert Hall and venues across Dublin.
The annual festival of contemporary music this year features a special performance from Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore presenting a world premiere suite inspired by cloud formations, along with new music for the cosmos at Dunsink Observatory, sonic sculptures, improvised music in complete darkness and more in its eighth year.
New Music Dublin features world and Irish premieres, pioneering collaborations, and immersive installations in contemporary sound.
Crash Ensemble, the National Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra & Chamber Choir Ireland and a night from BAN BAM – female and gender diverse composers in Irish jazz and improvised music are also programmed.
Here’s a look at the highlights announced:
- Thurston Moore: Guitar Explorations of Cloud Formations – The legendary Sonic Youth guitarist presents a suite inspired by cloud formations. A world premiere, performed with Alex Ward, Jennifer Chochinov, and Jeremy Doulton.
- Blood of a Poet – A mesmerising live score by Erik Friedlander and Matthew Nolan, accompanying Jean Cocteau’s surrealist film Le Sang d’un poète.
- Nocturne at Dunsink Observatory – Ann Cleare’s cosmic, site-specific new work blending music, theatre, and multimedia.
- Caimin Gilmore: BlackGate: A bold fusion of double bass, cello, harp, and electronics, with Gilmore’s signature experimental edge.
- National Symphony Orchestra – Featuring the world premiere of John Buckley’s Clarinet Concerto, plus works by Arvo Pärt and Unsuk Chin.
- RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Chamber Choir Ireland – An exhilarating programme including Olga Neuwirth’s Miramondo Multiplo and Irene Buckley’s Lament for Art O’Leary.
- Berginald presents Bombast!: A thrilling collision of chamber music and visual artistry, celebrating the voices of Black and Latiné composers in a defiant and electrifying showcase.
- The Totally Made Up Orchestra – musicians of all ages and abilities coming together for an unforgettable, entirely spontaneous performance led by Brian Irvine.
- In the Dark – a blindfolded musical experience at The Cooler, where neither musicians nor audience know who will perform, embracing risk, instinct, and intuition.
- CrashWorks’ You Heard It First – a programme showcasing raw, unfiltered improvisation and boundary-pushing electronics.
- Córas Trio – Irish musicians exploring links between the ancient and the 21st century, Belfast’s Córas Trio is steeped in free improvisation, electronic music, and the city’s ‘seisiún’ or session scen
- Evlana Ensemble’s A Memory offers a deeply moving blend of ensemble and solo works, connecting the recent past with the present.
- BAN BAM presents fearless new compositions from gender-diverse voices in jazz and improvisation.
- This year’s festival also features major public sound and visual installations, including Laura Sheeran’s evocative film project Postcards, and Jonathan Nangle’s Blue Haze of Deep Time, an all-encompassing sonic and visual journey installed throughout the National Concert Hall.
Ticketing and Accessibility
New Music Dublin 2025 offers a range of ticketing options, including discounted multi-event passes and special concessions for students, arts workers, and those unwaged. A Full-Festival Ticket is available at a 50% discount, while multi-buy packages encourage audiences to explore a wider selection of performances. Sensory-friendly performances and accessibility considerations are also integrated into the programme.
See the full programme and book your tickets now at newmusicdublin.ie.
About New Music Dublin
New Music Dublin is Ireland’s foremost contemporary music festival, taking place in Spring each year within the National Concert Hall and other venues throughout Dublin. It is a true partnership project, as whilst the festival is programmed and managed by New Music Dublin CLG, it only exists through very significant support from partner organisations including the Arts Council, the National Concert Hall, RTÉ, Culture Ireland, the Contemporary Music Centre, RIAM, and Irish performing groups including Crash Ensemble, Evlana and Chamber Choir Ireland.
“With explorations of Javanese Gamelan alongside Uilleann Pipes, new music for the cosmos at Dunsink Observatory, sonic sculptures, free improvisation in complete darkness in a disused fridge, and compositions shaped by environmental recordings, this festival resists any attempt at easy categorisation. It is, as always, a testament to the sheer creative aliveness of new music in Ireland.”
Festival Director John Harris
