Lygia O’Riordan

Silence is essential for a conductor when learning new repertoire because one must hear every instrument separately and then collectively in the conductor’s score. To find such silence is a constant struggle in today’s world. I wish to use this residency to study and learn the repertoire for Ensemble XXI’s concerts in 2017. This will include the World Premiere of the Finnish composer, Pia Siirala’s composition, Ulita’s Walk, based on the songs of the indigenous Nivkh people of Sakhalin.

I am also translating my former Professor, the great Russian conductor, Gennady Rozhdestvensky’s book, Fingerings for Conductors (known in Russia as the ”Conductor’s Bible”) under his supervision. It is a practical guide to conducting all the symphonic works of Prokofiev and Shostakovich and the Ballets of Stravinsky.

The Irish conductor Lygia O’Riordan studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory as an orchestral conductor. During her studies, she founded the Chamber orchestra Ensemble XXI, with which she has toured throughout Russia, Europe, Australasia and the Americas and conducted several world premieres amongst which is Arvo Pärt’s Trisagion.  Her recordings include many of the major works of the 20th century repertoire for string orchestra. Ensemble XXI also has a long history of reaching out to communities who for either geographical or financial reasons, have never had the opportunity to hear live classical music.