The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra brings together the finest of Irish and European orchestral musicians, with Irish and International soloists, conductors and composers...celebrating our shared musical heritage, pursuing performance excellence in the tradition of classical and contemporary symphonic music. Founded in the mid 1800's, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra gave regular concerts throughout the capital city until the late 1930's, at which point there was a cessation of activities with the advent of World War Two.

In 1997 The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra was reconstituted under the direction of Music Director Derek Gleeson, drawing its members from Irish and other European orchestral musicians. The reconstituted Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra gave its premier concert during the 1997 Kilkenny Arts Festival at the great 13th century Norman cathedral, "St, Canices" in the ancient city of Kilkenny.

In addition to performing the repertoire of standard classical masterworks, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to giving a voice to Ireland's contemporary composers. Under Maestro Gleeson, the orchestra has recorded classical and contemporary repertoire for commercial record companies, including Albany Records (U.S.A.), BMG/Windham Hill Records, and in 2006 is featured on the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland's "Contemporary Music from Ireland, Volume Six" CD. Additionally, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded film scores for Motion Pictures and Television.
In 2009, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director Derek Gleeson will undertake its inaugural tour of the United States of America with a 49 concert tour under the auspices of Columbia Artists Management Inc.

Music Director & Conductor: Derek Gleeson
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Derek Gleeson studied piano, percussion, composition and conducting at the music conservatories of Dublin (College of Music Dublin, The Royal Irish Academy of Music), London (The Royal Academy of Music), and Vienna (Hochschule fur Musik), and film scoring at the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.). As a teenager, he represented Ireland as an orchestral musician in the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) where he had the opportunity to perform under the great conductors Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, Sir Georg Solti, and Daniel Berenboim, amongst others. These early experiences moved him specifically toward a career in conducting. In 1984, he was a prize winner in the Shell/London Symphony Orchestra music scholarship program.

As a freelance musician, Gleeson performed with many of the leading British orchestras, including The London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Orchestras, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, as well as European Jazz and Pop ensembles, before directing his time exclusively to conducting in 1989.

Derek Gleeson has conducted the premier CD recording of Tchaikovsky's oratorio, Ode to Joy, The Original Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture, and Prokofiev's Zdravitsa with The London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir (released on IMP Masters/Carlton Classics) An ardent champion of contemporary music, Gleeson has provided many premier performances of works by living composers, his own works having been broadcast in Europe and the U.S., including his work titled "Buenos Aires" premiered in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2004. A percussion concerto for Evelyn Glennie will be premiered in 2009.

Amongst others, Gleeson has conducted The London Philharmonic Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra (Ireland's national broadcaster), The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra (Ireland), Orchestra Da Camera Fiorentina (Italy), The Brohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic), Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra (Czech Republic), Philharmonic Orchestra Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic), RTL Orchestra (Luxembourg), NOS Orchestra (Holland), The R?ckert Orchestra (Ireland), Szombathely-Savaria Symphony Orchestra (Hungary), The Danish Radio Concert Orchestra (Denmark), Orchestra of the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet (England), Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonica Bulgarica, The Vratza Philharmonic, Plovdiv State Opera and Bourgas Opera/Philharmonic (Bulgaria), and The Los Angeles Composers Guild Chamber Orchestra (U.S.A.).  Gleeson's opera repertoire includes performances of Verdi's La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, and Un Ballo in Maschera, Mozart's La Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute, Bizet's Carmen, and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, etc. In  September 2008, Gleeson conducted Rigoletto for the Anna Livia International Opera Festival in Dublin. 

Gleeson recorded the first Gaelic rendition of Prokofiev's Peter & The Wolf.  He conducts The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra ("DPO") in Carolan Suite on Patrick Cassidy's CD, Deirdre of the Sorrows (BMG/Windham Hill), coupled with The London Symphony Orchestra in other works by Cassidy.  Amongst his other recordings, Gleeson conducted the DPO recording of American composer Don Ray's orchestral suite, Family Portrait and the premier recording of Ray's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with Philharmonia Bulgarica (Albany Records, 2004), and Ray's Homestead Dances with the DPO (Albany Records, 2007).  In 2009, he will conduct the premier recording of composer Patrick Cassidy's new Mass with The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

Gleeson composed film scores for the feature films The White Pony (Director: Brian Kelly), Irish Whiskey (Director: Jon Stevens), Moving Target (Director: Paul Ziller), The Doorway (Director: Michael Druxman), Kitchen (Director: Kieron Walsh) and additional music on The Suicide Club (Director: Rachel Samuels). In addition to composing music for film, Gleeson is Director of Screen Training Ireland's Film Scoring Program, Dublin. He is Composer Advisor to Moonstone International, and Music Jury Chairman of the IFTA Awards (Irish Film and Television Awards).

Programs
July10, 2010
Chinese/Celtic Themed Overture    　　　　　　　　　　　　　Wylegala 

Song to the Moon, from Rusalka, Act I    　　　　　　　　　　　Dvorak  
　Sopran Celine Byrne

Ebben n'andro Lontana, from La Wally, Act I   　　　　　　　　 Catalani
　Sopran Celine Byrne

Carmen Fantasy    Sarasate 
　Violin: Cora Venus Lunny

Steeplechase  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Jonathan Casey
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis 
　Uilleann Pipe, Banjo and Guitar: Aidan O'Brien
　Percussion, Bodhran: Peadar Townsend
　Dancer: Fiona Collins

Mna Na hEireann（the woman of Ireland） 　　　　　　　　　Gregory Magee 
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis

Slide  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Athena Tergis / Derek Gleeson  
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis

The Legend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill   　　　　　　　　　　　    Peadar Townsend
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis 
　Uilleann Pipe, Banjo and Guitar: Aidan O'Brien
　Percussion, Bodhran: Peadar Townsend

——Intermission——

Inishlacken 　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　     Bill Whelan
　Violin: Cora Venus Lunny
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis

Frankie Gavin & De Dannan with the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by dancer Fiona Collins 
　Wild Irish Men  (Band only)

　Barn Dances (Band with DPO) 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Arr. Eimear Noone

　Sweet Sixteen (Vocal/Band with DPO)  　　　　　　　　　　 Arr. Antonio Cafolla

　Here Comes the Sun (Band only)

　Traditional Jigs    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   Arr. Jonathan Casey
　(Band with DPO and dancer Fiona Collins)

　Dark Rosaline (Band with DPO)  　　　　　　　　 　　　　Arr. Jonathan Casey

　If You Love Me (Vocal/Band with DPO) 　　　　　　　　　    Arr. Eimear Noone

　Reel Groove  (Band with DPO)  　　　　　　　　　　　　    Arr. Antonio Cafolla

　Down The Moor (Band only)

　Galway to China, aka Planet Ireland (Band with DPO)  　　　   Arr. Peadar Townsend/Jonathan Casey
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

July 11, 2010
The Legend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill   　　　　　　　　　　　　Peadar Townsend 
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis 
　Uilleann Pipe, Banjo and Guitar: Aidan O'Brien
　Percussion, Bodhran: Peadar Townsend

The Jewel Song, from Faust, Act II    　　　　　　　　　　　　Gounod
 　Sopran Celine Byrne

Poeme   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chausson
　Violin: Cora Venus Lunny

Suantrai    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Andreja Malir 
　Sopran Celine Byrne

Medley of Reels  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Michael Fleming
　Fiddle: Athena Tergis
　Uilleann Pipe, Banjo and Guitar: Aidan O'Brien

Aughrim Suite    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Patrick Cassidy 
　Uilleann Pipe: Aidan O'Brien

Old Quarry  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Tergis Athena / Gleeson Derek
　Violin: Athena Tergis

Irish Washerwoman  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Anderson Leroy 

——Intermission——

　Traditional Jigs    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   Arr. Jonathan Casey
　(Band with DPO and dancer Fiona Collins)

　Dark Rosaline (Band with DPO)  　　　　　　　　 　　　　Arr. Jonathan Casey

　If You Love Me (Vocal/Band with DPO) 　　　　　　　　　    Arr. Eimear Noone

　Reel Groove  (Band with DPO)  　　　　　　　　　　　　    Arr. Antonio Cafolla

　Down The Moor (Band only)

　Galway to China, aka Planet Ireland (Band with DPO)  　　　   Arr. Peadar Townsend/Jonathan Casey

Steeplechase