West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Westland Baroque Ensemble at West Cork Chamber Music Festival 2018

The West Cork Chamber Music Festival is a chamber music festival, established in 1995, ^[1] in the town of Bantry in West Cork, Ireland. It takes place over ten days in June and July each year.

Background

The festival was founded by Francis Humphrys, the programme director and the CEO of West Cork Music (WCM). WCM runs the West Cork Chamber Music Festival. ^[2]

Performers who have previously contributed to the festival include the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, Barry Douglas, Nicola Benedetti, Tanja Becker-Bender and Natalie Clein. ^[3] Presented works have included some by contemporary composers, such as Thomas Larcher.^{[ citation needed ]}

Venues and activities

Bantry House has been a central venue for the West Cork Chamber Music Festival

Festival performances take place at venues around the town, including Bantry House and St Brendan's Church. The festival's fringe events take place at locations including Whiddy, Sherkin, Bere and Heir islands.^{[ citation needed ]}

Previous festivals have included original commissioned works, presentations on violin and bow making, and masterclasses for young chamber musicians. West Cork Music also runs an annual composition competition, with past winners including Harry Whalley, Sebastian Adams and Solfa Carlisle.^{[ citation needed ]} The organisation has also held competitions for young composers. ^[4]

References

1. "West Cork Music 2016 About". westcorkmusic.ie. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
2. "Inside West Cork Music's €20m plan for a new cultural and performance hub in Bantry". irishexaminer.com. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
3. "WCM Archive - Homepage". westcorkmusic.ie. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
4. "West Cork Chamber Music Festival Composition Competition 2008 – 2015" (PDF). westcorkmusic.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2017.