For the seventh time in a row, the Berlin ufaFabrik will present the IRISH FESTIVAL BERLIN on August 16 and 17, 2024 on their open-air stage.
This year, international artists like the duo Zoë Conway & John Mc Intyre, singer Ben Sands, and the Peaky Pluckers formation have been recruited for the festival, which already has a good tradition in Berlin.
Also in 2024, musicians based in Berlin will showcase how traditional Irish music is kept alive here, with performances by The Fine Tunes.
Dance is a fundamental part of Irish culture, featuring soloists Gyula Glaser and Nicole Ohnesorge in 2024. Additionally, two Irish dance schools in Berlin will be showcased – Tap Connection and Jigs and Reels.
Internationally acclaimed author Hugo Hamilton (The Speckled People) will provide insight into his work and discuss why storytelling is so important in Ireland.
Both evenings will conclude with an Open Session featuring traditional Irish music.
Let yourself be taken on a weekend journey to the Emerald Isle!
Program – Irish Festival Berlin 2024
Friday, August 16, 2024
6:00 PM - Doors open
7:00 PM - Donal O´Connor – Concert
8:00 PM - Zoë Conway & John Mc Intyre – Concert
Nicole Ohnesorge & Gyula Glaser – Dance
10:00 PM - Open Session (indoor)
Saturday, August 17, 2024
3:00 PM - Doors open
3:30 PM - Hugo Hamilton – Reading, Talk, Music
4:30 PM - Fines Tunes – Irish music from Berlin
5:30 PM - Jigs & Reels – Dance
6:15 PM - Ben Sands – Concert
7:30 PM - Tap Connection – Dance
8:00 PM - Peaky Pluckers – Concert
10:00 PM - Open Session (indoor)
Donal O´Connor
Donal O´Connor grew up in the west of Ireland, a region rich in traditional Irish music. Inspired by the music of his homeland, he has composed over 80 songs in the contemporary folk genre in the last 20 years and has toured the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand with them. Three CDs of his music have been released so far, described by Christy Moore as "a pure joy."
More about Donal O´Conor:
https://www.facebook.com/donal.connor.9Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre
“Simply one of the best folk duos on the planet” (BBC)
"Folk Instrumentalist of the Year 2020" RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards (Zoë)
"Featured Composer 2021" ITMA Irish Traditional Music Archive (Zoë)
With an exciting mix of eclectic violin and guitar music, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre bring heartfelt arrangements of traditional Irish music, compositions, and songs, old and new, to the stage. The male-female folk duo has the rare ability to incorporate pieces from other genres like classical, jazz, and world music into their repertoire and interpret this material in a way that not only showcases the full range and knowledge of the two instrumentalists but also the wonderful versatility of their instruments.
Recently dubbed as "simply one of the best folk duos on the planet" (BBC) and awarded the best live show by the popular YouTube channel Balcony TV, Zoë and John have received international attention for their first duo album titled Go Mairir I Bhfad (Long Life To You) acclaimed by The Irish Times with 5 stars. For this unique album, they commissioned twelve leading Irish composers to each compose a piece specifically for Zoë and John, for violin and guitar, with the aim of presenting a snapshot of contemporary Irish music today.
These two albums garnered international recognition for the duo.
Zoë also collaborates with internationally renowned artists and performs in their shows, including Riverdance, Damien Rice, Lou Reed, and Nick Cave. She is also a prominent musician in Ireland and abroad's classical music scene, performing as a soloist with prestigious orchestras such as the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the WDR Symphony Orchestra.
John grew up in the Cooley Mountains in the northern county of Louth, where he began playing guitar at the age of 8. He started his career as an electric guitarist with the successful indie band The Revs, performing on many famous stages and festivals and touring the USA, Australia, and Europe. John studied classical guitar and piano and was familiar with the language, songs, and traditional dance music of southwest Donegal from an early age – his father's homeland.
http://www.zoeandjohn.com http://www.zoeconway.comNicole Ohnesorge and Gyula Glaser
Nicole Ohnesorge started ballet lessons at the age of 5 and switched to American tap dance 10 years later. In 2000, she began Irish dance, which led her on tour with the show "Flames of the Dance" a few years later. With the band Cornamusa and her partner Gyula Glaser, she created the show "World of Pipe Rock and Irish Dance," which successfully premiered in 2013 and has been playing to sold-out venues since. She has won multiple German championships and ranked 3rd in the World Irish Dance Championships in 2009.
Gyula Glaser has won three consecutive European titles and qualified for the World Championships in Irish Dance (CLRG). In recent years, he has danced in well-known Irish dance shows that have taken him around the world. In 2010, he danced in Brendan de Gallai’s Irish Dance stage play Noctu. With the show Noctu, he also had the opportunity to perform off-Broadway in New York for a month. During the winter tour 2014/2015 of Magic of the Dance, he danced in the lead role "The Devil."
In 2011, Nicole and Gyula founded the Irish Beats Dance Company, which has grown into an established dance ensemble since its inception.
Reading, Talk, Music with Hugo Hamilton
Hugo Hamilton, born in 1953 in Dublin, is the author of Speckled People, a memoir of his German-Irish childhood in Dublin. His German mother came from Kempen am Niederrhein. His Irish father forbade him from speaking English. Only Irish and German at home were allowed.
Initially working as a journalist, Hugo Hamilton later published his first novels and short stories. Speckled People also became a bestseller in Germany. Hamilton lives with his family in Dublin and occasionally in Schöneberg. His work now comprises eleven novels and numerous short stories.
Hugo Hamilton will read from his works, talk about his life, play the tin whistle and guitar, and chat about the Irish fondness for storytelling.
Fine Tunes
The Fine Tunes seamlessly blend various musical backgrounds into a harmonious and diverse mix of traditional and modern Irish music. Alongside singer/songwriter Patrick Calvert (guitar and vocals), the band includes Dean Woodrow (whistle and flute), Daniil Markov (whistle, flute, guitar), Tobi Zethoven (violin), and Liadán Sage (bodhrán, harp, piano).
Patrick, originally from Belfast, regularly performs solo and with his band Amazing Astronauts. Dean has been passionate about Irish music since his teenage years, starting with a five-dollar tin whistle and now focusing on flute. Daniil, a neurobiologist, discovered Irish music through Clannad and other artists, immersing himself in Moscow's lively Irish music scene. Tobi initially played classical and Klezmer music and learned his first tunes in Dublin, where he joined a grúpa cheoil. Liadán hails from Cork, Ireland, participated in music competitions regularly, and toured with her band Teas.
The paths of the five musicians crossed at the regular Trad Sessions in Berlin. The band is delighted to share their love for Irish music and regularly captivates the audience with their skilled fusion of different musical influences into a cohesive whole.
Irish Dance with "Jigs and Reels"
"Jigs & Reels" stands for high-quality Irish dance instruction and shows led by the certified trainer Sandra Kuhnert TCRG (CLRG), who completed her training at the renowned O'Shea School of Irish Dancing in Dublin. Irish dance is powerful, captivating, magical, and challenging. Our dance students are passionate about it, and we welcome the diversity: many of them participate in international competitions, some dance in our show troupe, and many simply enjoy coming to class, getting fitter, and being swept away by the music. We see ourselves as cultural ambassadors of Irish dance as danced in Ireland, and we are proud to have created a place in Prenzlauer Berg where one can learn under the best conditions.
They will showcase their full talent and skills at the Irish Festival 2024!
Ben Sands – Singer Songwriter
Ben Sands is a singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and storyteller who has been performing and recording since his early days growing up on a small Irish farm with his parents and six siblings.
As a member of the famed Sands family, he has had numerous performances in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and North America.
These days he mostly performs as a solo artist, but the Sands Family still performs together whenever possible.
In addition to over 20 albums recorded with the Sands Family, Ben has released nine solo albums and is currently working on his next album.
https://www.bensands.comTAP CONNECTION – IRISH DANCE
Students of the Steglitz dance studio Tap Connection will showcase their skills at the Irish Festival Berlin. Let them take you to the Emerald Isle and celebrate Irish culture and joy of life together with the children and adults of Tap Connection.
TAP CONNECTION teaches Irish dance in all age groups from beginners to professional training. Beyond preparing students for performances and championships, Tap Connection offers the opportunity for anyone who enjoys Irish music to move to the traditional rhythms. In addition to training in soft and hard shoes, Céilí evenings are also held where Gaelic dances are taught.
https://tap-connection.dePeaky Pluckers
Peaky Pluckers is a band from Hamburg that plays a wide range of music styles and genres, from Irish Folk, Country Folk, Gypsy Folk, Jazz, and Rap to classic rock and pop covers as well as original music. The two musicians are Irish singer and guitarist Alex Walker from Dublin, Ireland, and violinist Mario Ostermann from Essen, Germany. Accompanying them is drummer Aaron Donohue.
https://www.instagram.com/peakypluckers/Main entrance opens at 6:00 PM.
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
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