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Young Laois pianist uses Lockdown to celebrate 350th anniversary of famous composer

David Vesey

This year, 2020, marks not only the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven but also the 350th anniversary of the birth of Irish composer Turlough O’Carolan.

To celebrate the anniversary of the blind Celtic harper, composer and singer, young Laois pianist, David Vesey, who is well-versed in classical and traditional music, blended both styles to arrange and record three of O’Carolan’s airs for solo piano.

The resulting five piano arrangements combine elements of classical and contemporary music highlighting the traditional Irish style of O’Carolan himself.

David Vesey took advantage of the Pandemic lockdown to create these arrangements and to perform them.

David Vesey, a 21 year old pianist from Abbeyleix, is in his final year of the BMus programme at the CIT Cork School of Music.

He studies solo piano with Santa Ignace and Michael McHale, with frequent masterclasses with pianists such as Barry Douglas, Finghin Collins, Philip Martin, Pascal Nemirovski and Therese Fahy.

David recently took part in the National Concert Hall’s “International Mastercourse” series, receiving an online masterclass from pianist Finghin Collins.

David is also an accomplished traditional Irish musician, being a member of the Comhaltas “National Folk Orchestra of Ireland”.

He is a former All – Ireland Fleadh champion and took part in the Comhaltas Tours of Ireland and Britain for 2017/18.

David formed and led the group “Fiuntas”, and this group achieved 2nd place in the Siansa Gael Linn competition in 2017 at the National Concert Hall.

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