RTÉ Concert Orchestra

The RTÉ Concert Orchestra (Principal Guest Conductor Stephen Bell; Associate Principal Conductor Gavin Maloney; Associate Artist Guy Barker; Conductor Laureate Proinnsías Ó Duinn; Leader Mia Cooper) is part of RTÉ, Ireland’s national public service multimedia organization. Founded in 1948, the orchestra specializes in eclectic programming and has performed with Luciano Pavarotti, Lang Lang and Cleo Laine, and Irish artists, including Sinéad O’Connor and Imelda May. A recent series of 1990s dance music events won the IMRO radio Outstanding Achievement Award for 2018, and the RTÉ CO is now collaborating with Jenny Greene on a new set. The RTÉ CO has performed in seven Eurovision Song Contests and holds numeral film credits, including Stephen Rennicks’ score to Room and Brian Byrne’s Golden Globe-nominated score to Albert Nobbs. Recent recordings include Howard Shore’s A Palace Upon the Ruins, and Flicker with Irish singer Niall Horan. The orchestra has also collaborated with the Irish National Opera, the English National Ballet, and Our Lady’s Choral Society, as well as giving the Ireland premieres of Amadeus and The Nightmare Before Christmas with Danny Elfman. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the RTÉ CO produced a wide range of works including new Guy Barker jazz arrangements, an award-winning John Lennon tribute, a 50th anniversary Clannad celebration, a chart-topping single, and a TV tribute to David Bowie with an international line-up including members of Bowie’s own band. Recent projects have included Thin Lizzy Orchestrated, the world première screening of Room with live score, and a rare combination of blues and orchestra in the Delta Blues Project, a concert introduced by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman.