Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan

Contributor

Michael Dervan is a music critic and Irish Times contributor.

Chamber Choir Ireland: ‘I’m always trying to find the voice that’s going to move the needle’

In his debut as artistic director of the choir, Gabriel Crouch conducts Little Visitor by composer Amanda Feery

Delius’s The Magic Fountain, at Wexford, is unlikely to appeal to many beyond the already converted

Wexford Festival Opera 2025: Singers cope valiantly with composer’s awkward, meandering vocal lines

Handel’s fascinating, neglected Deidamia, at Wexford, features virtuoso performances

Wexford Festival Opera 2025: Bruno de SĂĄ reaches heights few male singers can aspire to

Le Trouvùre opera is strongly cast but struggles to convey the tensions of Verdi’s story

Wexford Festival Opera 2025: Ben Barnes directs the French-language version of Il Trovatore

Michael Dervan on how opera composer Gioachino Rossini and Ireland are intertwined

From Dublin’s Theatre Royal in 1829 to Wexford’s modern stages, the Italian’s spirit remains woven into Irish operatic history

Wexford Festival Opera: ‘It’s a shining beacon. The main companies do not do obscure repertoire at the moment’

Directors Ben Barnes, George Petrou and Christopher Luscombe on the chance to bring lesser-spotted operas Le TrouvĂšre, Deidamia and The Magic Fountain to the stage

Singing in Carmen: ‘Before I go on stage, I like to think of Eric Cantona’

In advance of appearing at the National Concert Hall, three singers talk about the joy and challenges of performing Bizet’s most celebrated opera

Keri-Lynn Wilson: The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra symbolises what extraordinary good can come out of evil

Founder and music director of a cultural symbol of Ukraine makes her Irish National Opera debut this weekend

Cautionary Tales composer Errollyn Wallen: ‘I always carry my inner child with me. She’s very precious’

Opera Collective Ireland is giving Cautionary Tales its Irish premiere. The composer explains why the form is so important to her

Kilkenny Arts Festival review: Depth of writing is unmatched by the music in this Savita Halappanavar opera

Theatre: In Custom of the Coast the singers have presence. The stories feel relevant. So why is it problematic?

Kilkenny Arts Festival review: Viol recital by Fahmi Alqhai spans from 16th century to a pallid Purple Haze

Demonstration of this ancient instrument in all its guises moves through a wide repertoire

West Cork Chamber Music Festival 2025 review: Wonderful performances at an event that’s as healthy as ever

West Cork Chamber Music Festival 2025 features the Marmen, Doric, Chiaroscuro, Tchalik and Ardeo quartets, among many other performers

Kristian Bezuidenhout/Irish Chamber Orchestra review: Interpretative quirks too often interrupt Beethoven piano concertos’ natural flow

The ICO’s associate artist is so articulate that intricate score markings can stand out with the equivalent of perfect elocution

Louth Contemporary Music Society: Echoes review – Astonishing musicianship brings Bernhard Lang’s iridescent microtonal worlds to life

Aleph Guitar Quartet are a highlight of this year’s Dundalk festival

The Hermes Experiment review: As the lines blur between original works and arrangements, this concert becomes almost mesmerising

At Dublin International Chamber Music Festival, the ensemble’s four musicians show the art of arranging to be alive and well

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