Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra explore the music in Ireland from the 1750s to 1770s - a revolutionary moment where the structures of baroque music break-down and we see the emergence of the classical style.

Many trailblazing early classical composers visit Ireland during this time including Van Maldere, Pasquali and Giordani (some even incorporate Irish traditional melodies into their symphonies). Perhaps the most famous visitor at this time was the super-star castrato, Giusto Tenducci, who had works especially written for him by Mozart, Haydn and JC Bach.

Tenducci caused a huge scandal by eloping with the 15 year old daughter of a nobleman from Limerick and was for a time locked up in jail in Cork. His story is compelling, with drama and intrigue running through the tale of this man whose standing in society was so tremendous that he was painted twice by Thomas Gainsborough.

To tell his swashbuckling tale, we are joined by present-day superstar Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, performing works which would have been sung by Tenducci in Ireland including modern-day premieres from the collection at the National Library of Ireland.

**Approximate running time 1 hour 45 minutes including a short interval**

The Irish Baroque Orchestra receives principal funding from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. It is a resident company of the National Concert Hall, Dublin and a partner organisation of the National Gallery of Ireland.