RTÉ CO presents Classic Ballet Music by Various, Joi 30 Nov. 2023, De la (2023/2023), Dirijor Andrew Gourlay, National Concert Hall (NCH), Dublin, Ireland

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra invites you to a celebration of some of the greatest classical music ever created for dance. Ranging from thrilling to moving, from powerful to poignant, from the Dance of the Hours to the Waltz of the Flowers and from the Eugene Onegin Polonaise to the Mazurka from Coppélia. At the compelling centre of the evening, two masterpieces: jewels from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and the full 1919 version of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. Making his RTÉ CO debut is conductor Andrew Gourlay, selected by Gramophone magazine as ‘One to Watch’ and by BBC Music Magazine as a ‘Rising Star. Reviews often remark on his command of pacing, drama and colour, making him an ideal choice for this evening of dance music. The Guardian observed of a Firebird performance in particular that it showed his gift for musical storytelling and was a dramatic tour de force. The concert will be presented by Liz Nolan of RTÉ lyric fm and as special guest we’ll have Monica Loughman, whose name is synonymous with ballet in Ireland. She’ll share her memories of being the first westerner to achieve solo status with the Perm State Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Russia, where she danced for 14 years.