“Chamber Choir Ireland always sing incredibly, their sound rich and with unparalleled precision and control. Their musicality is matched by an adventurous spirit in programming.”
The Journal of Music, 2024
As the country’s national chamber choir, Chamber Choir Ireland holds a unique place in the cultural life of Ireland. Through broadcasts, streaming, and live performances, they bring the joy of world-class choral music to over a million listeners each year.
Chamber Choir Ireland has built a stellar reputation as Ireland’s premier professional choral ensemble, with awe-inspiring performances at home and abroad, described as “a fine reminder of the power and beauty that voices alone can achieve” (Goldenplec, 2022).
CCI’s programming is as diverse as it is daring, rediscovering rarely heard treasures of early music like Andrea Gabrieli’s Edipo Tiranno, performing choral masterworks like Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil, and championing leading Irish and international composers through commissions and premieres. Recent commissions include exciting new works by Caroline Shaw, John Luther Adams, Gabriel Jackson, Cassandra Miller, David Fennessy, and Stephen McNeff.
CCI’s recordings are consistently met with critical acclaim, with releases on Harmonia Mundi, Orchid Classics, Naxos, and RTÉ lyric fm labels. Their 2020 release, Letters, received a 5-star review from the Irish Times and was the recipient of a New Music Scotland Award. Their latest release, Folks’ Music (LCMS), was featured in the New Yorker’s Notable Classical Recordings of 2023.
Based at Ireland’s National Concert Hall, the choir tours extensively throughout the island of Ireland including annual performances at Kilkenny Arts Festival, New Music Dublin and Cork International Choral Festival. Internationally, CCI has toured to the USA, UK, Belgium, Estonia, Russia, Germany, and South America.
Beyond the concert stage, CCI is deeply committed to working closely with communities across Ireland through its Learning and Participation activities. Whether inspiring young composers in schools, or supporting amateur and community choirs nationwide, CCI is passionate about making the reach of choral music in Ireland inclusive and accessible to all. CCI believes in ensuring the future of choral music, providing professional development programmes for composers in partnership with the Contemporary Music Centre, and training the next generation of professional choral singers in the CCI Studio.
Chamber Choir Ireland receives principal funding from the Arts Council/an Chomhairle Ealaíon, and support from Dublin City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through its National Lottery Fund. CCI is a resident ensemble at the National Concert Hall of Ireland, Associate Artists to Dublin City University, and a member of TENSO, the network of professional chamber choirs in Europe.