History of the IMCOIMCO is the culmination of a process that was started in the Midlands several years ago. The idea is to start a process which would produce an amateur professional symphony orchestra for an area of the country that is largely deprived of instrumental musical tuition and symphonic orchestral playing. The orchestra would be using players that have started their tuition in this country. Vincent Hunt, the Kinnegad based conductor and cellist, who has been the chairperson for the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras and is director of the Midlands Youth Orchestra is leading the charge to create this orchestra and represent this region.
Vincent Hunt - Musical Director
Vincent Hunt began his Musical Journey at a young age playing Piano. At the tender age of 10 he began his life-long love for Cello.
He formed, with his sisters, the Hunt Piano Trio. They became widely successful performing in Ireland and Europe. Vincent left Belfast for Dublin in 1974. He studied first under the famous Coral Bognuda. After this he left for Italy to study with Franco Rossi in Florence (of the Quartetto Italiano). He then became an instrumental teacher with the Western Education and Library Board in the North of Ireland. He also performed widely as a soloist with Francis King during this time. From 1990 - 1997, Vincent was Head of Music at St. MacNissi's College, County Antrim. He then moved to Kildare and here he took up a post as a cello teacher and performer with the County Kildare Orchestra. Vincent has a post-graduate diploma in Music from the University of Ulster, and an MA in performing from the University of Limerick, studying chamber music with the famous Bruno Giuranna. In recent years he has studied under John Pryce-Jones, Bobby Houlihan, George Hurst and Rodolfo Saglimbeni, and he has studied conducting under Denis Ham and Toby Purser. At present he performs as Soloist, a Chamber Musician, Conductor and is Chairman of the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras. Currently he conducts and is musical director with the Lir Orchestra, Laois School of Music Orchestra, Midlands Youth Orchestra, Irish Midlands Concert Orchestra and the Tullamore Town Band. |
John Kenny - conductor and trumpet player
John Kenny is a native of Dublin and was born into a family and neighbourhood that nurtured his love of all things musical. He learned Guitar and Cornet while in primary school and later studied Trumpet in the college of music Chatham Row under Tom Barry (RTELO).He has been involved with community music for many years performing in various ensembles and wind bands, including the Dublin Concert Band. This year John completes a professional qualification in Music Education at Trinity College. His road to the conducting rostrum has involved studying with David Brophy (RTE Concert Orch.) and participating in conducting workshops/courses with international conductors Robert Houlihan and Rodolfo Saglimbeni (George Hurst Orchestral Conducting Summer School, UK).John’s life in and passion for music is revealed in his philosophy of ‘Music for All’ which looks to foster greater community spirit and friendship through music.
Fergus Conaghan - Winds Section Leader and OboistFergus hails from Dublin from a musical family. He started his musical training in the College of Music, Dublin first on piano up to Grade 6 then changed over to trumpet for a few short years where he joined ‘The Transport Band’ based in Liberty Hall where he did all his grades. It was on trumpet that he joined the Army band in 1977 only to change for the last time to finally oboe. He went right up to Diploma level in Performance and won the gold medal in the Feis Ceoil and the Principle’s Prize. Since then he has been in many orchestras, bands and musicals where he has travelled here and aborad in England, Scotland, France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Estonia, Canada, and the United States in concerts, military tattoos and orchestral festivals, television, radio and recordings.
He also has a great interest in singing where he sings in a choir where his wife conducts and has often sung as soloist where he featured in ‘Faure’s Requiem’ in the Baritone solos with the Longford Choral in 2012. Fergus lives in Edenderry with his wife Anne and two children Adrian and Rachael. |
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