Anthony Byrne (pianist)

Anthony Byrne (born July 30, 1958) is an Irish pianist.

Early Years

Anthony Byrne was born in Dublin,Ireland and began piano at the late age of 11. His teachers in Ireland were Fergus Sheil, Marie Jones (pupil of Harold Craxton) and the prominent Irish concert pianist John O’Conor.

Advanced Studies

In 1980 Anthony Byrne studied in the University of Western Ontario, Canada with the British pianist Peter Katin. In 1981 and 1982 he studied in New York with Adele Marcus whilst also studying conducting with Vincent La Selva at the Juilliard School. Anthony Byrne’s final studies were with Alexander Kelly in London, England.

Performing career

Anthony Byrne has given many recitals and broadcasts both RTE and the BBC including his Dublin debut, National Concert Hall 1985, London debut, Purcell Room 1986 and Wigmore Hall 1989. He has performed extensively with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland [ [http://www.rte.ie/performinggroups/nationalsymphonyorchestra/about.html RTÉ Performing Groups: Meet the RTÉ NSO ] ] and RTE Concert Orchestra including the Irish premiere of Leroy Anderson’s Piano Concerto in 1997. He has also performed in the USA, Canada and Japan. As a Chamber musician, he has worked with many of Ireland's leading musicians and singers. He performed the complete sonatas for piano and violin by Beethoven with Alan Smale [ [http://www.musicnetwork.ie/music_musicwide_mussmalebyrneduo.php The Music Network ] ] , the leader of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.

Contemporary Music

Anthony’s Byrne most important work has been in the promotion and performing of Irish Contemporary Piano Music. He has performed and broadcast more than 50 works including 17 first performances.

Irish works performed:

First performances marked (1st)

Elain Agnew: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=1 Composer [Elaine Agnew / CMC ] ] :"Seagull" (1st)

Gerald Barry: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=4 Composer [Gerald Barry / CMC ] ] :"Piano Quartet No. 2"

Brian Beckett: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=5 Composer [Brian Beckett / CMC ] ] :"Fastasy Variations"

Seóirse Bodley: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=8 Composer [Seóirse Bodley / CMC ] ] :"Aislingí":"The Tightrope Walker Presents a Rose"

Brian Boydell: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=10 Composer [Brian Boydell / CMC ] ] :"Sarabande":"Sleeping Leprechaun":"Dance"

John Buckley: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=13 Composer [John Buckley / CMC ] ] :"Three Preludes":"The Cloths of Heaven" (written for Anthony Byrne) (1st):"Like Ghosts from an Enchanter Fleeing" (written for Anthony Byrne) (1st):"Jim Singing"; [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=2379 Score [John Buckley: Three Preludes / CMC ] ] :"And wake the purple year":"Three Lullabies for Deirdre":"The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun":"Winter Music" (commissioned by Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=138 Score [John Buckley: Winter Music / CMC ] ] :"Oileáin":"Toccata" (written for Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=2572 Score [John Buckley: Toccata / CMC ] ] "A Thin Halo of Blue" (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=1149 Score [John Buckley: A Thin Halo of Blue / CMC ] ]

Rhona Clarke: [ [http://www.musicweb-international.com/rclarke/index.htm Rhona Clarke (Irish Composer) by David C. F. Wright: ] ] [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=20 Composer [Rhona Clarke / CMC ] ] :"Gleann Da Lough" (written for Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=1738 Score [Rhona Clarke: Gleann Dá Loch / CMC ] ] :"Béal Dearg" (commissioned by Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=3204 Score [Rhona Clarke: Béal Dearg / CMC ] ] :"Piano Trio No. 2" [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=3008 Score [Rhona Clarke: Piano Trio No. 2 / CMC ] ]

Jerome de Bromhead: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=32 Composer [Jerome de Bromhead / CMC ] ] :"Three Fresh Pieces" (commissioned by Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=253 Score [Jerome de Bromhead: Three Fresh Pieces / CMC ] ]

Raymond Deane: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=30 Composer [Raymond Deane / CMC ] ] :"Linos 1 and 2":"Quaterternion for Piano, Celeste and Orchestra" (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=230 Score [Raymond Deane: Quaternion / CMC ] ] :"Compact for Piano and Orchestra" (1st)

Benjamin Dwyer: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=37 Composer [Benjamin Dwyer / CMC ] ] :"Three Pieces for Piano" (commissioned by Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=3204 Score [Rhona Clarke: Béal Dearg / CMC ] ] :"Tiento"

Hormoz Farhat [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=41 Composer [Hormoz Farhat / CMC ] ] (Persian composer living in Ireland)::"4 Etudes"

John Gibson [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=49 Composer [John Gibson / CMC ] ] :"Nocturne 1977":"Moladh go Deo le Dia"

Fergus Johnson: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=69 Composer [Fergus Johnston / CMC ] ] :"Three piano pieces"

John Kinsella: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=75 Composer [John Kinsella / CMC ] ] :"Sonata no 1":"Reflection no 2":"Reflection no 3"

Eibhlis Farrell: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=42 Composer [Eibhlis Farrell / CMC ] ] :"Time Drops" [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=236 Score [Eibhlis Farrell: Time Drops / CMC ] ]

Philip Flood: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=45 Composer [Philip Flood / CMC ] ] :"December Preludes"

Bernard Geary: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=48 Composer [Bernard Geary / CMC ] ] :"Scherzo" (written for Anthony Byrne) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=2873 Score [Bernard Geary: Scherzo / CMC ] ] :"Two Cameos" (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=2846 Score [Bernard Geary: Two Cameos / CMC ] ] :"And lastly came cold February" (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=2871 Score [Bernard Geary: And lastly came cold February / CMC ] ] :"Sonatina" (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=2850 Score [Bernard Geary: Sonatina / CMC ] ] :"Prelude and Interlude":"Two Poems for Violin and Piano"

Marion Ingoldsby: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=67 Composer [Marian Ingoldsby / CMC ] ] :"Undulations 2"

Philip Martin: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=83 Composer [Philip Martin / CMC ] ] :"Soundings" (commissioned by Anthony Byrne) (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=1884 Score [Philip Martin: Soundings / CMC ] ]

Colman Pearce: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=146 Composer [Colman Pearce / CMC ] ] :"Prelude and Ludus" (written for Anthony Byrne) (1st):"Toccata Festiva" (written for Anthony Byrne) (1st)

Eric Sweeney: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=108 Composer [Eric Sweeney / CMC ] ] :"5 inventions"

James Wilson: [ [http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=117 Composer [James Wilson / CMC ] ] :"Five Preludes" (1st) [ [http://www.cmc.ie/library/work_detail.cfm?workID=906 Score [James Wilson: Five Preludes / CMC ] ] :"Ostinato" (written for Anthony Byrne)

Recordings

*John Buckley: "The complete piano music"; Naxos Marco Polo 8.223784 issued 1999
*Bernard Geary: "Piano and Choral music"; SDGCD 610 issued 2000
*Raymond Deane: "Orchestral Works"; Naxos Marco Polo 8.225106 issued 1999
*Arthur O’Leary: "Piano Music from a Victorian Age"; GDD001 issued 2002

Recognition

Anthony Byrne is an Associate of the Royal College of Music, London and in 1993 was honnoured in Japan with the Ishibashi Zogoro Memorial Scholarship for his work in Contemporary Irish Music. Fact|date=March 2008 He has also been listed in the "Encyclopedia of Ireland 2003" [ [http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300094428 The Encyclopedia of Ireland - Lalor, Brian - Yale University Press ] ] and "Who's Who in Ireland 2006".

Teaching

Anthony Byrne has been a Lecturer in Piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music [ [http://www.riam.ie/en/homepage.aspx Royal Irish Academy of Music ] ] since 1991.

References

* [http://www.naxos.com/artistinfo/bio865.htm Biography on Naxos Records]

External links

* [http://www.iol.ie/~anthonybyrne/Recordings.htm Recordings]