In advance of this weekend’s Ortús festival of chamber music in Cork, musician and co-organiser Mairead Hickey talks violins with Cathy Desmond.

WHEN the celebrated Russian violinist, Maxim Vengerov returns to the National Concert Hall in March, he’ll have company. Pairing with him in Bach’s double violin concerto will be a gifted young man from Kilkenny.

ELLA Van Poucke’s career took a big leap forward last July when she emerged as the “Golden Star” of the prestigious Premio Chigiana held in Siena in Italy, writes Cathy Desmond.

AS THE annual West Cork Chamber Music Festival settles comfortably into its third decade, a stellar line-up of musicians will again gather from all over the world for a classical music festival cum country house party on the edge of the Atlantic, writes Cathy Desmond.