This unique 2-year Masters course focuses on the needs of the individual student and is aimed at gifted string players as the final step towards a professional career. Refining solo, chamber music, orchestral skills, and audition preparation, whilst developing a greater awareness of the importance of the body, creativity & all-round musicianship, students are encouraged to explore their own ‘personal path’ towards realising their full musical potential.

 

The Irish World Academy’s Master of Arts in Classical String Performance is offered in association with the Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO). The ICO is world-renowned for its vibrant approach to creative chamber music-making, which also lies at the heart of this MA programme. The programme is led by Principal players of the ICO, who rehearse, tutor and perform with the students.

 

Students receive weekly individual lessons, regular technique classes, weekly chamber music classes and other weekly specialized workshops and sessions.

 

Specialised tuition is offered in a wide range of performance practice aspects including audition techniques, orchestral excerpts, baroque and contemporary music, Dalcroze Eurhythmics & creative embodied performance development, and other real-life requirements. The programme also includes regular sessions with a pianist, including intensive coaching weeks on duo sonata repertoire.

 

In addition to the core skills, an eclectic range of elective subjects are offered. These include multimedia, improvisation, traditional Irish music, gamelan, somatic movement, composition and many more. 

 

MA Classical String Performance students present solo or chamber music repertoire in an ongoing series of concerts through Limerick and the surrounding area, and gain automatic acceptance onto the Irish Chamber Orchestra Academy Project – an exciting, annual collaboration project involving elite students from around the world and members of the ICO. 

 

To apply, please send:

• a current CV
• a cover letter telling us a little about yourself and why you are interested in this MA programme
• a recent video recording