Mr John Moore continued to expand the established brand name SS Moore Sports to enthusiasts both in the North and South of Ireland. 

Chairman of the Baird Group , Director Ulster Television plc and Resolve (Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Body). Past Chairman of Northern Ireland Tourist Board and CBI (NI) ; and Past Director of Bank of Ireland Group , Bank of England and IDB

WilliamMontgomery represents Sotheby's on the island of Ireland. He advises clients on the purchase and sale of historic and architecturally-important properties in Ireland, the UK and Europe.  He is a member of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and a  Trustee of The Gibson Trust, the Church of Ireland, the Ulster Historical Foundation, and the Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland. He was Governor of the Linen Hall Library, Belfast and past Director and then Chairman of Opera Northern Ireland.

The Friends Programme

At the Clandeboye Festival each year, we give young Irish musicians a unique week long experience; training and playing with brilliant international artists.

The Clandeboye Festival gives you the ideal opportunity to enjoy Camerata Ireland in Northern Ireland and the rewards of the Friends of Camerata Ireland Programme.

We would be delighted to welcome you as a Friend of Camerata Ireland.

Friends of Camerata

CEO  (Joint) 

Phone: +44 7778 705070 

             +353871263857
 

CEO (Joint)

+44 2890 427600 

Brian O’Kane - Camerata Ireland/ Accenture Young Musician of the Year 2007 and Clandeboye winner 2007 

It has only been 4 months since I won the Accenture Camerata Young Musician of the Year, but I have already received both wonderful opportunities and the support of Camerata Ireland. Winning the competition last August was an incredible experience, but what I found most beneficial was the encouragement of all the artists, resident at Clandeboye, to aim for and achieve higher goals, especially to try and lose the label of "promising" and achieve a more consistent artistic level. It led to a performance in the National Concert Hall with Barry and Camerata in front of President McAleese which was certainly a personal highlight of 2007. Another highlight from 2007 was a performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra in front of the Prince of Wales. I have always had an ambition to tour the world performing chamber music. I am lucky enough to have such opportunities as a founding member of the Cappa String Quartet. Tours of Japan, New Zealand and Australia are scheduled for an exiting 2008 which also includes a second appearance at the Wigmore Hall. I am currently working towards several octet concerts as guest cellist with members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Anthony Marwood.

Eimear McGeown - Camerata Ireland/ Accenture Young Musician of the Year 2006 and Clandeboye winner 2006 

Before I won the Clandeboye award I was teaching, working in a pub and in a flute shop, which took up all my time. Then the Accenture Award money gave me the opportunity to cut down on all my jobs and gave me time to practice and focus on getting more performing opportunities. It also gave me self belief and determination to really go for my career. Two competitions that I entered I came runner-up in the British Final of the Lion's European Music Competition and Prizewinning Finalist in the Eastbourne Concerto competition. Then I started depping on Lord of the Rings show in the West End using also my Irish flutes, had solo recitals including St. Martins-in-the-Fields, St. James, Piccadilly and Belfast Music Society International festival. I also went to Italy to a flute festival. I performed a concerto with the Studio Symphony Orchestra in Ireland and recorded on the new album of a folk/rock band called Amsterdam and in a contemporary ensemble with Jazz musicians. The highlights of the year that Camerata Ireland provided were performing solo on RTE TV programme, 'The View', performing a World Premiere Concerto in Washington DC and the solo recital in the Clandeboye festival which enabled me to also play my Irish flutes and whistles. Also through Camerata Ireland I have received many reviews and quotes from Belfast Telegraph, Irish Times and Irish Independent which I have used to help promote myself. My career aspirations are to have a career as a flautist performing in a wide variety of ways including orchestral but mainly my passion lies in performing as soloist.

Winning Camerata/Accenture Young Musician of the Year in 2005 has been one the most amazing experiences of my life. I have received so many opportunities from this award including playing solo concertos with Camerata Ireland and working with the orchestra on a regular basis. Working with an Orchestra of this standard has not only helped me gain orchestral experience but has inspired me as a musician. Travelling the world to places such as Poland, Mexico, France, England and America performing with this incredible Orchestra and Barry Douglas has been most enjoyable and educational.
 
Through the competition I met Chee Yun, solo violinist from Korea/USA. Last August I got the opportunity to play the Bach Double Violin Concerto with her and Camerata Ireland. She is an inspirational musician who I learned a huge amount from. Camerata have helped me to launch my career in Ireland and abroad and my relationship with them is invaluable. I have just recently moved to Dallas to study in SMU with Chee Yun and am excited about the knowledge I will gain from such a wonderful musician. I still perform with Camerata on a regular basis both as Orchestral Musician and as Soloist and hope that this will continue well into the future.

Michael McHale - Camerata Ireland/ Accenture Young Musician of the Year 2004 and Clandeboye winner 2004

Michael was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1983. His interest in music began at the age of seven when he began cello lessons at the City of Belfast School of Music, soon followed by piano studies. A varied education took Michael from Belfast to Dublin, Cambridge and ultimately London where he is now based.

His performing career encompasses solo recital, concerto and chamber music appearances and he enjoys playing both core and contemporary repertoire. See the professional biography below for more detailed information.

Biography for professional purposes

Belfast-born pianist Michael McHale came to widespead public attention as winner of the 2009 Terence Judd/Hallé Award and has established himself as one of the leading Irish pianists of his generation.

After early piano studies with John O’Conor and Reamonn Keary at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Michael read Music at Cambridge University, graduating with a double first-class honours degree and all the major performance prizes. He completed his formal studies with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with distinction in 2006.

Michael was featured as a 'rising star' in International Piano magazine as a result of his performance of two Mozart concertos with the Hallé Orchestra at the Piano 2006 festival in Manchester. He won the 2004 Camerata Ireland Musician of the Year and the Brennan and Field Prizes at the 2006 AXA Dublin International Piano Competition prior to his biggest competitive success at the Terence Judd/Hallé Award finals in 2009. The prize includes a recording opportunity with EMI Classics or the Hallé's own label in addition to a number of high profile concert engagements.

Michael has performed throughout the UK and Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Hungary and USA, including broadcast performances for BBC TV, Radio 3, RTE, PBS television and Deutschlandradio Kultur. Highlights include critically acclaimed début recitals in Washington DC and the National Concert Hall, Dublin, concerto performances in Berlin Konzerthaus and Vígadó Hall, Budapest and four performances of Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos with Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland. Recently Michael was honoured to perform Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody with the Ulster Orchestra at the re-opening concert of the Ulster Hall, Belfast, broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Also an active chamber musician, Michael has recently collaborated with distinguished artists such as Richard Watkins, James Galway, Barry Douglas, Patricia Rozario and Michael Collins. September 2008 saw the release of an album of piano trios with Ensemble Avalon on the RTE lyric fm label. The disc was chosen as 'selection of the month' in The Strad, described by critic Julian Haylock as 'one of the highlights of my listening year', while Classical Music magazine's Phillip Sommerich wrote that 'the Beethoven [Ghost Trio] is in the front rank of modern versions on disc'.

An interest in the music of living composers has seen Michael give premières of solo piano works by Irish composers Breffni O'Byrne (on RTE Radio) and Philip Hammond (for BBC Radio 3) as well as a collaboration with the celebrated Estonian composer Arvo Pärt last year. Michael recently recorded a CD for Louth Contemporary Music Society featuring solo works by John Cage and Arvo Pärt as well as chamber works by Silvestrov, Knaifel and Gorecki, and he made studio recordings for RTE of four new solo works by Irish composers written for the 2009 AXA Dublin International Piano Competition.

Future engagements include concerto performances with the Hallé and Ulster Orchestras, chamber music concerts in King's Place, London and the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and a solo recital début in the Wigmore Hall.

Michael is grateful to Camerata Ireland / Accenture, EMI Music Sound Foundation and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for supporting his performing career. For further information visit michaelmchale.com

Barry Douglas won the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow - the only non-Russian since Van Cliburn to have won this prestigious award outright. He had previously won the Bronze Medal at the Van Cliburn Competition in Texas in 1985 and the top prize in the Santander Paloma O'Shea competition in Spain.