News

      Continuing to tour, The Consequences of Falling duo for double-bass (Geth Griffith) and trumpet (Brendan Ball) will be performed as part of Delia Darling's forthcoming concert at Oxford's North Wall Arts Centre on Thursday 9th October 2014 where...

Ailís will give a talk about her new music-theatre work at Be There at the Start as part of Unlimited Festival at London's Southbank Centre at 10.30am on Thursday 4th September. Ailís has been awarded an R & D development grant by Unlimited to research, develop...

Ailís has been awarded support by the Irish Arts Council to facilitate her attendance and participation at Darmstadt International Summer Course for New Music in August 2014. Darmstadt is a world renowned meeting point for composers, interpreters, performers, sound...

Ailís has been commissioned to compose an original score for solo cello to illustrate Feelgood Productions UK tour of the play Not About Heroes by Stephen MacDonald, directed by Caroline Clegg.  It opens in Scotland in September and runs until December including a one...

A new short play entitled ‘Ostrov’ (Island) was commissioned and premiered at Theatre503 in London as part of their Russian festival of new plays running from 23-28th June 2014.  Directed by Sarah Davey-Hull and starring Elicia Daly and Samuel Caseley. 'Ostrov' is...

Ailís has been invited to give a talk about her writing at the forthcoming conference on Irish drama 'Populating the Irish Stage' organised by University College Cork in Cork, Ireland 27-28th June 2014.  Other speakers include Frank McGuinness, Louise Lowe and...

Ailís has been selected as a ‘Composer Curator’ with Sound and Music. Supported by SAM and Todmorden Town Council she is curating a live concert series of new music in Todmorden during the coming year. More details will follow.  

 Ailís Ní Ríain's play Desolate Heaven has been shortlisted for the prestigious James Tait Black Drama Prize. The 14 nominations – chosen from more than 180 plays world-wide – showcase a range of diverse productions from a mix of new and established writers. Judges...

      Cimbalom/Guitar was included in the Sonic Vigil Festival in Cork City, the Republic of Ireland from 2-4 May 2014.

Thurs 17 April 2014  The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire Sat 19 April 2014 Horse Hospital, London Sat 26 April 2014 Cube Microplex, Bristol Wed 4 June 2014 Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich...

Delia Darlings presented Delia Derbyshire Day 2014 to a packed audience at The International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester on Saturday 12th April. Here is a photo of trumpeter Brendan Ball (of The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) and bassist Geth...

Ailís has been awarded a research and development grant to develop a new piece of music-theatre including live-drawing, live music and BSL as part of the Unlimited 2014 initiative. The programme will include festivals at Southbank Centre in 2014 and 2016 and showcases...

Ailís is a founder-member of Delia Darlings, a new music collective who draw inspiration from the first lady of electronic music, the British composer Delia Derbyshire. We have been given exclusive access to Delia's audio archive at Manchester University and in 2013...

'When I die, you can do what you want' (2014) a video-piece in collaboration with video artist Adela Jusic and violinist Elaine Clarke was included as part of the AV installation work at the New Music Dublin Festival in March 2014 at The National Concert Hall of...

Desolate Heaven at Cork’s Everyman Palace Theatre directed by Tony McCleane-Faye and starring Mary McEvoy.  The play premiered in London’s Theatre503 in early 2013. "A play that demands a psychological engagement." - The Irish Times "A surreal tale of friendship...

A new edition of Desolate Heaven is about to be published by Methuen Drama (part of Bloomsbury) which will be available from January 2014. “The writing is fresh and true, and it nibbles and gnaws at the heart.” – Lyn Gardner, The Guardian “Is an intriguing mix of...

In December Ailís visited Caen in Normandy at the invitation of Irish drama specialist Professor Thierry Dubost Professor to give seminars on her playwriting at Caen University and a seminar on her music to a group of Professors at Conservatoire National de Région.

The Irish musicians Paul Roe - (clarinet) and Elizabeth Hilliard (soprano) performed End with Words of Hope at the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland in Dublin as the Association of Irish Composers launched its new concert series The Irish Canon on 20th November 2013.

Ailís was a recipient of a Finzi Scholarship in 2012. It funded travel and research to the former Yugoslavia and the establishing of new collaborative work in Bosnia. The Finzi Scholarships seek to recognise and perpetuate the philosophical, creative and enabling...

Capsule presents Bring To Light new music festival in Birmingham where Delia Darlings perform on Sunday 27th October. The show will include Ailís' 2013 commission for double-bass and trumpet 'The Consequences of Falling' loosely based on Delia Derbyshire's piece Pot...

The Irish contemporary music ensemble Concorde have commissioned Ailís to compose  a new work for solo violin with video and text.  It will be premiered at the RHA Gallery in Dublin in January 2014 as part of Concorde's 'Up Close' series. The piece is a collaboration...

RTÉ's Lyric FM broadcast 2 Steep 4 Sheep (some hills are) on NOVA 29th September. This recording was made at the Hilltown Music Festival earlier in 2013 where it was given its Irish premiere by harpsichordist Yonit Kosovske.

INTONE is commissioned as part of Brass:Pitch at the UK's Durham International Brass Festival Taking the unusual power of the crown and the cloak wielded by the Prince Bishops of Durham as their starting point, Ní Ríain and Dale present INTONE, an installation piece...

Simon Armitage explores the creative possibilities opened up by Oblique Strategies cards, invented in 1973 by Peter Schmidt and Brian Eno. He interviews Ruth McCullough from AND Festival and includes Ailís Ní Ríain's The Hearing Test in 2012 - played by Adam...

Yonit Kosovske will give the Irish premiere of 2 Steep 4 Sheep (some hills are) for harpsichord and tape as part of the Hilltown New Music Festival on 20th July 2013 in Co. Westmeath, Ireland. Yonit has performed as a soloist, chamber artist, and artistic director...

The Tallest Man in the World, a new theatre-piece by Ailís Ní Ríain will be presented by Corcadorca Theatre Company as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival in Cork, Irish Republic between 27-30 June 2013. Festival preview here   The Irish Times "A significant talent."...

First Absolute Execution, a 12 minute duo for bass clarinet and accordion was performed by Paul Roe and Dermot Dunne at the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland’s Salon Series on March 22nd 2013 in Dublin. The piece was originally commissioned by Music for Galway in...

The American classical duo Linda Chatterton (flute) and Matthew McCright (piano) gave the Irish premiere of Chainstitchembroidered (2012), at The Kevin Barry Room at the National Concert Hall of Ireland on 22nd March 2013.  The piece is based on a selection of piano...

  American flautist Linda Chatterton & Matthew McCright gave the London premiere of Chainstitichembroidered, a new work they commissioned in 2012 which is based on several piano preludes by the writer and composer Anthony Burgess. at St Martin in the Fields...

Desolate Heaven, a new play by composer & playwright Ailís Ní Ríain has opened in London at Theatre 503 starring the veteran Irish Tony award winning actress Bríd Brennan. 5th Feb-2nd March 2013 and has been included in Lyn Gardner's 'Theatre Tips' in The...

New commission The Consequences of Falling was premiered by Heather Bird & Brendan Ball on 12th January 2013 at Manchester's Band on the Wall as part of Delia Derbyshire Day. Commissioned by Delia Darlings, the commission forms part of a new tour of new music by...

Delia Derbyshire Day 2013 will be the first of its kind - a day to celebrate and highlight the fascinating work of Delia Derbyshire (1937-2001), the pioneering electronic music composer most famous for realising the original Dr Who theme and her work for the BBC...

Eyeless, written and composed by Ailís Ní Ríain was premiered by Iarla Ó Lionáird and EnsemBéal conducted by Orla Flanagan as part of Béal Festival at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin on 9th November 2012. Watch an extract "One of the new works that left the strongest...

Eyeless, a commission from Ireland's Béal Festival, will be premiered by the renowned exponent of the Irish traditional singing style séan nós - Iarla Ó Lionáird in Dublin on Friday 9th November. Eyeless combines music and poetry written by Ailís Ní Ríain.

Treasured closed on 6th October at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, it was seen by over 4000 people and several performances sold out. Read the Total Theatre review here and the Liverpool Echo review here. Read a review here The Arts Desk 

TREASURED is a ground breaking site-specific work coming to Liverpool Anglican Cathedral October 2012 . Treasured, a unique, large scale multimedia theatrical event will transform this huge, iconic Liverpool landmark into a living, breathing canvas of Titanic...

On September 12th 2012 Ailís was invited to present a workshop with the new MA Students in dance, electronic arts and ritual chant and a 'Tower Talk' seminar about her collaborative work at the magnificent Irish World Academy in Limerick, Southern Ireland.

Ailís was invited to take part in the closing panel discussion at the recent Women and Music in Ireland Conference at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.  Her composition DON'T! was performed by Paul Roe (Clarinet) and Martin Johnson (Cello) of Concorde at the...

                Recording the music for 'Treasured' with brass players from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.  TREASURED is a ground breaking site-specific work coming to Liverpool Anglican Cathedral October 2012 ....

The Hearing Test is a new and developing online residency collaborative art project between the Irish composer and writer Ailís Ní Ríain and the Spanish creative technologist and artist Andrea Pazos for Abandon Normal Devices Festival and DaDaFest 2012.  Both artists...

A new commission, 'Chainstitchembroidered' for flute & piano by Ailís Ní Ríain commissioned by the American musicians Linda Chatterton (Yamaha Artist) and Matthew McCright based on Anthony Burgess’ Badly Tempered Electronic Keyboard received its premiere at the...

Ailís Ní Ríain's recitation of 'All Love is Insane' from her music-theatre, sign language work Brief-Blue-Electric-Bloom is included as part of Phonographies - a Wax Cylinder Archive by Aleks Kolkowski. Phonographies is a vast array of improvisations, readings,...

Ailís is very proud and pleased to be working with the renowned traditional Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionáird on a new commission for which she has written a new set of texts. The new work will be premiered on 9th November 2012 in Dublin.  

Ailís has been commissioned by the American flautist and Yamaha Performing Artist Linda Chatterton and pianist Matthew McCright to compose a new work for flute and piano which will be premiered at the British Flute Society's International Convention in Manchester,...

  An interview with Ailís about TAKEN appears in the Arts-Culture-Fashion magazine Stimulus Respond. https://www.stimulusrespond.com/

Ailís has been commissioned by Ireland's Béal Festival. The new piece were be premiered as a new vocal commission for Béal Festival in Dublin in November 2012 alongside new works by composers Christopher Fox, Tom Johnson and David Bremner.

Ailís is delighted to have been recently awarded funding by The Finzi Trust to commence research into new music international projects in Eastern Europe. She is grateful to the Trust for their support and will begin her research by visiting Slovenia in 2012.

  Ailís Ní Ríain's ISCM World Music Days prize-winning electroacoustic piece StreetSong was chosen to accompany a new exhibition celebrating the work of contemporary Irish female visual artists in London from 15th to 25th March 2012.

To coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Lancashire Witch trials, TAKEN, a music installation for Clitheroe Castle ‘Keep’ commissioned by Mid Pennine Arts has been extended until June 2012. It can be heard daily from 10am to 5pm and is free to visit. TAKEN is a...

StreetSong was played as part of the 2012 Manchester Irish Festival on 11th March at Manchester Cathedral alongside works by Irish composers Elaine Agnew, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and John Kinsella.

Jeremy Huw Williams premiered Mourning Bracelet by Ailís Ní Ríain in York on 7th April 2012 as part of  York Late Music. It is a setting of a recent poem by the contemporary York-based poet Carole Bromley written in the voice of Charlotte Bronte. "I wear my sisters...

duoDorT premiered Quantitas Speaks, a new work they commissioned and developed at Aldeburgh Music, at the Royal Festival Hall on 9th March 2012 as part of Women of the World Festival. It was also performed at Newcastle University on 20th April. Based on a new...

StreetSong was commissioned by the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland in 2006 to celebrate their 20th anniversary was installed outside the Centre in the old Temple Bar area of Dublin city. It was broadcast on RTE Lyric FM's Blue of the Night on 1st February and on...

A new CD featuring my 2006 piece StreetSong was launched on 7th December at the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland. StreetSong was commissioned by the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland to celebrate their 20th anniversary and was installed for one month in the...

In November 2011 Ailís took part in a Residency at Aldeburgh Music with piano duo DuoDorT where she developed a new work for two pianos, voices, text and wine glasses based on an artwork by Manchester based Zeke Clough. Quantitas Speaks will be premiered by DuoDorT in...

Lighthouse Lullaby, a sound installation for Maryport Lighthouse in West Coast Cumbria is presented as part of the 2011 Engine Room Festival in London until 15th December 2011. Lighthouse Lullaby was featured on BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme.Listen here and watch...

DON'T! A duet for Bass Clarinet and Cello was performed at the Rubicon Gallery, Dublin on 13th November 2011 by Martin Johnson and Paul Roe, members of longest established Irish contemporary music ensemble Concorde.

  Desolate Heaven, a new play by Ailís Ní Ríain was given a two day workshop and subsequently read as part of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouses' Everyword Festival at Liverpool Playhouse on Wednesday 16th November. With Bríd Brennan, Laura Pyper and Lisa...

  Sawn-off Opera developed three new mini-operas by Ailís Ní Ríain with libretto by David Gaffney and Directed by Caroline Clegg as part of a residency at Opera North in Leeds from 7-12 November 2011 supported by Arts Council England, the RVW Trust and Opera...

  The Man Made of Rain was performed at The National Concert Hall in Dublin on Wednesday 19th October by Slovenian based musicians Jose Kotar & Luca Ferrini. Based on the book-length poem by Brendan Kennelly, Ailís recited his poetry within the...

Boy You Turn Me is a specially commissioned music installation for Birmingham Literature Festival 2011 by composer Ailís Ní Ríain and Salt published writer David Gaffney. Situated in an empty shop in the Pavilions shopping centre it uses a unique structure of an inner...

  Ailís has been selected for a unique new research residency with AND Festival in partnership with DaDa - Disability and Deaf Arts in Liverpool. An opportunity for a D/deaf artist to work alongside a technologist to develop an web based art project around...

Ailís has been commissioned to compose a new piece for duoDorT. The new piece will be developed as part of a Residency with duoDorT at Aldeburgh Music, Suffolk in November 2011 where it will subsequently receive it premiere. Supported by the PRS Foundation for Music...

TAKEN was featured on BBC 4's Woman's Hour on 15th July 2011. TAKEN is a sound installation comprising 12 humming voices and harp for Clitheroe Castle 'Keep' in East Lancashire, Northern England based on the last days and hours of the Lancashire Witches as they were...

Contemporary Heritage: A new way of seeing is an ambitious programme of site-responsive commissions at historic sites across Pennine Lancashire. The interventions, inspired by Pennine Lancashire’s heritage, animate each site and offer visitors a rare chance to...

The film Distant Interiors with music by Ailís was commissioned by Drake Music and created in Spring 2011 by three artists investigating translation and interpretation via remote collaboration. They communicated via email, file-sharing and the DMIT blog. Watch...

  A new commission from London-based arts organisation Motiroti, Ailis' 'Pulse Prelude I', is based on 7 'pulses' submitted by people interested in the project. was unveiled as part of the What Counts exhibition at The Rag Factory, London from 26 June-3 July...

Sawn-off Opera have recently been awarded funding by Arts Council England to support the further development of a new suite of mini-operas by Ailis Ni Riain (Composer) and David Gaffney (Librettist), Directed by Caroline Clegg of Feelgood Theatre Productions at Opera...

DOWN, a sound and sculpture work by Ailis Ni Riain and Visual Artist, Nicola Dale commissioned by METALCulture has been selected for The Open West in Cheltenham from 9 Feb to 5 March 2011. The work includes 12,000 painstakingly hand crafted paper feathers made from...

StreetSong (2007), commissioned by the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland & winner of the 2007 ISCM World Music Days 'Short Cuts' Competition will be played at Sensorium Festival at the CMC, Dublin on 11th March 2011.

Ailis has been selected to take part in the Cultural Leadership Wayfayer Programme during Spring 2011 where she will benefit from 1:1 mentoring, action-learning and work-share with other participants. Supported by the Cultural Leadership Programme.

  Commissioned by the Danish trio TTAATTOO (viola, piano & clarinet), funded by the Irish Arts Council and premiered on 12th December 2010 at Mostings Hus, Copenhagen. Reinventions is based on six of JS Bach's keyboard inventions and includes the spoken...

Commissioned by the Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Dancing Fears was premiered there by Gandini Juggling on 17th December 2010. During the last past 18 years, the Gandinis have performed over 4,000 shows in 40 countries and are in constant worldwide demand for their virtuoso...