The Reich Effect

Cork Opera House Wed 27th-Sun 31st 021-4270022

Cork Opera House Wed 27th-Sun 31st 021-4270022

Renowned minimalist composer Steve Reich will be 75 in October, and Cork is getting in that bit early with its birthday celebrations. The Reich Effect is a five-day festival based in and around the Cork Opera House, with Reich himself in attendance for a public interview with DJ John Kelly on Wednesday's opening night, following a screening of the documentary Phase to Face.

Performers include the Kronos Quartet (who will give the Irish premiere of WTC 9/11), the London Sinfonietta (playing Music for 18Musicians), Crash Ensemble (mixing Reich with Donnacha Dennehy and Frederic Rzewski), and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under Robert Ziegler (in a programme that includes Reich's Eight Lines as well as pieces by Nico Muhly, Jonny Greenwood and Kjartan Sveinsson).

There are new dance works to Reich’s music from David Bolger and Nic Gareiss. Kate Ellis and Clíodhna Ryan’s Kaleidoscope will pay its first visit to the southern capital. And there will also be a Reich Remix club, as well as concerts by the Johann Johannsson Ensemble and Efterklang with Daniel Bjarnason and the Messing Orchestra.

Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan is a music critic and Irish Times contributor