The newly established Northern Irish Suzuki piano community welcomed my tutor, mentor and friend Mary McCarthy for an eagerly anticipated workshop. This was a nourishing experience for both the young and teenage groups. Each group opened with a concert followed by short individual lessons and concluded with a group activity. The teenagers finished with an […]
Bridges Concert Programme Spain February 2017
Algeciras, 22nd February 2017 Boecillo, 25 th February 2017 Irish Air. Morrissey’s Jig. Mary McCarthy, Traditional Gigue; from Partita n 1 in B flat Major, last movement (Suzuki Book 4). J. S. Bach Rondo (Suzuki Book 4). W. A. Mozart Lord Inchiquin, Fanny Power, Sí Beag, Sí Mór. T. O’Carolan Andante; from 2nd movement, Sonatina […]
Previous performances and workshops
March, 2016 Awarded a second Travel Scholarship to Serbia, to return, to further study and engage with musicians and composers, some of whom are professors in Novi Sad Academy, whom Mary has already met on a previous travel scholarship there,when she met many musicians and composers who gave her invaluable help with this research. She played Serbian and her own arrangements of Irish […]
Serbia
Just boarding my flight to Belgrade,Serbia. Nineteen years since I met Professor Statkic and many others, tomorrow,we will meet again… This is my last night here in Novi Sad, Serbia, for now. I will be back-dates have already been discussed, in a provisional way.I am sitting and enjoying looking at the music I have been […]
Ronald Stevenson
I first met Ronald in April 1988 in Edinburgh. The occasion was an afternoon of music-making,with Ronald playing and teaching-all part of Ronald’s 60th Birthday Celebration hosted by European Piano Teachers’ Association. The energy, warmth, phenomenal pianism, breadth of knowledge, sense of fun, humanity, in the way he dealt with each little pianist, all of these and […]
Bridges – Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015
3 unique concerts from Edinburgh based pianist Mary McCarthy, celebrating 20 years continuous development in bridging the music of Serbia and Scotland. Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015 19th, 24th and 26th August – Venues vary PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS OF IRISH AND SCOTTISH MUSIC Aug 19, 2.30-3.30pm (£8/£5) The Jazz Bar | Fringe Venue 57 | BOOK Edinburgh […]
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013
Traditional Piano Music from Scotland and Ireland 4pm 13 August (1 hour) The Jazz Bar ‘Mary McCarthy beguiles with understatement and glistens with melodic clarity. The harmony is at times compound but never over-played showing no need to force the vernacular. As such, this is the only recent solo piano recording of the Gaelic and […]
Step into my Parlour
I went along to see Michelle Burke‘s show last night at the Fringe-its at Royal Oak.Its called, “Step into my Parlour“. Michelle is in her “parlour”,,, you can see photos of it on her Twitter page. Its a real “step-back-in-time” experience but with Michelle’s sense of humour and her great voice, with James Ross as […]
Valledolid Concert
I am just about to leave for Madrid airport to return home to Edinburgh after a fantastic week. My concert in Valledolid was a wonderful experience for me and also the audience (of every age) loved the Scottish and Irish music and the stories behind the music. I had the perfect translator – one of […]
World Saxophone Congress 2012
I am just leaving for St.Andrews for the rehearsal at 1pm. Fantastic rehearsal on Sunday – fantastic fun doing it with all the saxes-including Baritone Sax. In our group is the legendary Claude Delangle, who is Professor of Sax at the Paris Conservatoire… Only the third Prof since Adolphe Sax, the Belgian who invented the sax […]