Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C, BWV 564

César Cui (1835 - 1918) Orientale, from Kaleidoscope op. 50 no. 9

Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901) Suite in C minor, op. 166 I. Praeludium II. Canzone III. Allemande IV. Moto perpetuo

BOGDAN SOFEI is the leader, founding member of ConTempo Quartet, a celebrated string quartet that became RTE's Quartet in Residence in 2014 and is Galway's Ensemble in Residence since 2003. As the leader of ConTempo, Bogdan has won 14 international prizes in chamber music competitions. Bogdan has performed over 2,000 concerts around the world, in many of the most high-profile concert venues in New York, London, Berlin, Munich, Paris, Tel Aviv, Brussels, Tokyo, Belfast, Rome, Stockholm, Bucharest, Dublin, Los Angeles, and many others. Bogdan graduated from the University of Music in Bucharest where he studied with Stefan Gheorghiu and Ladislau Csendes. He continued his studies at various residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, Royal Academy of Music in London, Accademia Chigiana in Siena, European Academy of Music in Aixen-Province, Britten-Pierce School for Advanced Music Studies in Aldeburgh and Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid with Rainer Schmidt, Siegmund Nissel, Norbert Brainin, Gunter Pichler, Philip Setzer, Stephanie Gonley, Heime Muller, Christoph Poppen, Howard Davis and Hugh Maguire. Bogdan received his Master of Arts in Music with first class honours at Cork School of Music in 2005. In June 2016, Bogdan was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor Honoris Causa, by the National University of Ireland (NUIG).

THOMAS CHARLES MARSHALL is Organist and Director of Music at St Ann's Church, Dawson St., Dublin. He was a member of the Schola Cantorum at St Finian's College, Mullingar, studying with Shane Brennan, and later Organ Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he continued his studies with Peter Hurford. He completed a Masters in Music Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music under the direction of David Adams.