East Cork Early Music Festival is an Irish

arts festival An arts festival is a festival that can encompass a wide range of art forms including music, dance, film, fine art, literature, poetry and isn't solely focused on visual arts. Arts festivals may feature a mixed program that include music, lite ...

that is intended to "promote the performance and appreciation" of music written before 1750 on

period instruments In the historically informed performance movement, musicians perform classical music using restored or replicated versions of the instruments for which it was originally written. Often performances by such musicians are said to be "on authentic ...

. Formed in 2003 under the artistic direction of Sarah Cunningham, the festival takes place in the

East Cork East Cork lies in south-west Ireland, in Ireland's largest county, County Cork. The term "East Cork" is used in tourism, sporting and other contexts, and is the name given to one of eight municipal districts of Cork County Council. East Cork con ...

area during the autumn (usually at the beginning of October). It features concerts, lectures, workshops and other events related to early music. East Cork Early Music Festival has included events in local landmark buildings such as St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral,

Fota House Fota (statutory spelling Foaty; ga, Fóite) is an island in Cork Harbour, Ireland, just north of the larger island of Great Island. Fota Island is host to Ireland's only wildlife park – as well as the historical Fota House and gardens and go ...

, the Grainstore at Ballymaloe, the Collegiate Church in Youghal and Cloyne Cathedral. Other events have taken place in the Curtis Auditorium and Stack Theatre in the Cork School of Music. In October 2017, the festival established a partnership with Nano Nagle Place, with some concerts taking place at this venue. A number of Irish and international performers have appeared at the festival, including

Emma Kirkby Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, (; born 26 February 1949) is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings. Education and early career Kirkby was educated at Hanford School, Sherborne School for Girls in Dorse ...

Rachel Podger Rachel Podger (born 1968 in England) is a British violinist and conductor specialising in the performance of Baroque music. Career Podger was born to a British father and a German mother. She was educated at a German Rudolf Steiner school then ...

, Barthold and Wieland Kuijken, James Bowman, Rachel Brown, the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and

Bob van Asperen Bob van Asperen (born 8 October 1947, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch harpsichordist and early keyboard instrument performer, as well as a conductor. He graduated in 1971 from the Amsterdam Conservatory, where he studied the harpsichord with Gustav Leonh ...

References

External links

*{{official, http://www.eastcorkearlymusic.ie Classical music festivals in Ireland Arts festivals in Ireland Early music festivals Music festivals established in 2003 Autumn events in the Republic of Ireland