The National Chamber Choir of Ireland presents 17 of Ireland's finest singers and is widely regarded as Ireland's most distinguished choral ensemble. It is celebrated both nationally and internationally for its fresh, innovative and invigorating sound and its dedication to performing the finest vocal music old and new. The National Chamber Choir of Ireland has developed a standard of performance which is at the pinnacle of its genre, regularly premiering Irish and International work, written for the NCC by esteemed composers.
Founded in 1991 by composer and conductor, Colin Mawby, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland is the country’s only choir that employs professional singers on a year-round basis. It is made up of 17 extraordinary vocalists drawn from the ranks of Europe’s leading choral singers. Each vocalist has a different and wide-ranging background in solo and choral performance, which enhances the choir’s ability to undertake some of the most diverse and challenging choral music and contributes to the warm and special sound that is unique to this ensemble.
The National Chamber Choir of Ireland tour Ireland twice yearly, Spring and Autumn bringing with it an opportunity for Irish audiences nationwide to experience the cutting edge of choral music and vocal performance. As well as this, the choir undertake two concert series’ per year – the Summer Series and the Winter Series. Both take place in the National Gallery of Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast – the choir’s respective performance homes. In recent years, the choir has participated in significant international touring including programmes in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Lebanon.
Although primarily a performance group the NCC records many life programmes for RTE Lyric fm and BBC Radio Ulster. The ensemble has also been recorded by the EBU; BBC Radio 3; Swedish Radio and RTE Television. The National Chamber Choir has a strong commitment to education and engages in a strong and meaningful way with primary and second-level pupils in Dublin and throughout the country through the Composition Workshops and the Children's Opera project.
Major funding for the National Chamber Choir comes from the Arts Council / an Chomhairle EalaÃon; a contract with RTÉ; the Department of Education; the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and major in-kind support from Dublin City University, where the group has been Choir in Residence since 1996.
