“‘What struck me about
Flynn was his self-confidence and sure-footedness. He had something to
say in his music and was damned well going to say it. The audience loved
it and so did the players—the Smith Quartet”
Barbara Slaughter - WSWS Arts Review
Dave Flynn - Composer Bio
Photo: Fran Flynn
Dublin born composer Dave Flynn’s work encompasses most musical styles
including classical, jazz, rock and traditional Irish music. His music has been
performed by renowned musicians including Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, the
New Juilliard Ensemble, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ioana Petcu-Colan, John
Feeley, the Smith Quartet, the ConTempo Quartet and the Dublin Guitar Quartet
in concerts and festivals including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival,
Summergarden in New York, Prague Premieres, the Masters of Tradition Festival
and the City of London Festival
Dave’s numerous awards include the 2004 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Composers Award, the 2002 IMRO Award at the Feis Ceoil and grants from the Arts Council of Ireland, IMRO, the Bliss Trust, Galway County Council and Culture Ireland. Initially self-taught, Dave began formal studies at the DIT Conservatory of Music in 1999, studying guitar with John Feeley. In 2004 he obtained his MMus in composition with Malcolm Singer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was awarded a PhD through the DIT in 2011 for his dissertation Traditional Irish Music: A Path to New Music.
In 2009 an edition of the acclaimed show ‘New Sounds’ was dedicated to his music and broadcast internationally by New York’s WNYC radio. Also in 2009 his guitar pieces ‘Four Études for Five Fingers’ were published worldwide by Mel Bay Publications.
In 2009 his ‘String Quartet No.2 – The Cranning’ was given its US Premiere by the New Juilliard Ensemble at the Summergarden Festival in the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In 2010 ‘Music for the Departed’, a groundbreaking piece for Irish fiddle, guitar and violin, was given its US Premiere by Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Gregory Harrington at the Irish Arts Center in New York. His fiddle concerto ‘Aontacht’, commissioned by RTÉ in 2007, was premiered by Martin Hayes and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in November 2010 to an enthusiastic capacity audience at Ireland's National Concert Hall. This concert was broadcast on national Irish radio station RTÉ Lyric FM in March 2011.
Dave is a former founding member of the Dublin Guitar Quartet and he instigated the foundation of the Irish Composers’ Collective. He remains active as a performer and in 2009 released his second album, ‘Contemporary Traditional Irish Guitar’ to great acclaim through Frisbee Records.
Dave’s numerous awards include the 2004 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Composers Award, the 2002 IMRO Award at the Feis Ceoil and grants from the Arts Council of Ireland, IMRO, the Bliss Trust, Galway County Council and Culture Ireland. Initially self-taught, Dave began formal studies at the DIT Conservatory of Music in 1999, studying guitar with John Feeley. In 2004 he obtained his MMus in composition with Malcolm Singer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was awarded a PhD through the DIT in 2011 for his dissertation Traditional Irish Music: A Path to New Music.
In 2009 an edition of the acclaimed show ‘New Sounds’ was dedicated to his music and broadcast internationally by New York’s WNYC radio. Also in 2009 his guitar pieces ‘Four Études for Five Fingers’ were published worldwide by Mel Bay Publications.
In 2009 his ‘String Quartet No.2 – The Cranning’ was given its US Premiere by the New Juilliard Ensemble at the Summergarden Festival in the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In 2010 ‘Music for the Departed’, a groundbreaking piece for Irish fiddle, guitar and violin, was given its US Premiere by Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Gregory Harrington at the Irish Arts Center in New York. His fiddle concerto ‘Aontacht’, commissioned by RTÉ in 2007, was premiered by Martin Hayes and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in November 2010 to an enthusiastic capacity audience at Ireland's National Concert Hall. This concert was broadcast on national Irish radio station RTÉ Lyric FM in March 2011.
Dave is a former founding member of the Dublin Guitar Quartet and he instigated the foundation of the Irish Composers’ Collective. He remains active as a performer and in 2009 released his second album, ‘Contemporary Traditional Irish Guitar’ to great acclaim through Frisbee Records.
