This May, Kilkenny’s Marble City Music Festival enters a new phase of artistic ambition with two major orchestral events featuring international violinist Patrick Rafter, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the Galway-based Luminosa String Orchestra.
Presented in two of Kilkenny’s most historic venues, the concerts mark a significant moment in the festival’s continued growth, strengthening national artistic partnerships while bringing large-scale orchestral performance to the heart of the city.
The first concert takes place on Friday 8 May at St. Canice’s RC Church, where Patrick Rafter joins forces with Luminosa String Orchestra to perform and direct Antonio Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons. One of the most celebrated works in classical music, these vivid and virtuosic concertos remain as electrifying today as they were three centuries ago. Included in the programme is also Elgar’s magical serenade for strings.
One week later, on Friday 15 May at St. Canice’s Cathedral, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra appears under Rafter’s baton in The Great Romantics, an expansive programme of orchestral favourites. The evening features music from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, Elgar’s Salut d’Amour and Sospiri, Amy Beach’s Romance, and Rossini’s brilliant Overture to The Barber of Seville.
The concert forms part of an ongoing artistic collaboration between Patrick Rafter and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, following earlier performances together this season and ahead of a forthcoming recording project planned for release later this year.
Founded in 2023, the Marble City Music Festival has rapidly established itself as an exciting addition to Ireland’s cultural landscape. Now presenting festival editions in both May and December, it has already welcomed a distinguished roster of artists including Barry Douglas, Michel Lethiec, Fiachra Garvey, and many others.
The May 2026 programme, bringing two professional orchestras to Kilkenny within one week, represents an important milestone in the festival’s development — reinforcing its ambition to present world-class classical music while positioning Kilkenny as an increasingly vibrant centre for orchestral performance.
Artistic Director Patrick Rafter commented:
“These collaborations reflect the direction in which the festival is moving — bringing Ireland’s finest musicians to Kilkenny and building upon a strong and growing reputation for joy-filled, world-class concerts.”
Tickets & Information
Tickets available at www.marblecitymusicfestival.com
Follow Marble City Music Festival on Instagram and Facebook
RTE Concert Orchestra: https://orchestra.rte.ie/performinggroup/rte-concert-orchestra/
Patrick Rafter — www.patrickrafter.com
Luminosa Orchestra — www.luminosa.ie
