Latest News
24th April 2011
Ian resigns as director of SNMF
After 8 years as director of the Sligo New Music Festival and founder of its 21st-century incarnation, Ian has decided to step down from the role. Rather than any one factor being the reason for this decision, Ian cited wanting to clear the decks work-wise and quitting while he was ahead as being influences.
Ian's desire to bring the music of significant composers not well-known in Ireland, and significant performers of new music to the country for the first time, was more than realised in the programmes he designed, with features on the music of Sciarrino, Rebecca Saunders, Andrew Toovey, Aureliano Cattaneo, Nono, Feldman, Jacob TV, Gavin Bryars and Radulescu and performances by musikFabrik, Alter Ego, Ixion, the Amstel and Smith Quartets and, this year, Oren Ambarchi and Genevieve Lacey, among the highlights of his tenure.
"I am very proud of what we achieved with the SNMF and I believe the festival would have transformed Ireland's understanding of contemporary music had it been held in the capital. As it was, those who made the effort to come to Sligo each spring had their eyes and ears opened in a way that no other festival, pound-for-pound, could have done."