Three days of classical and jazz concerts, leading Irish and British musicians, family events and masterclasses
The inaugural Newry Piano Festival takes place from 6-8 February 2026, bringing together leading pianists from Ireland and Britain for three days of classical and jazz performances, concerts, and events.
Three of the finest classical pianists from these islands – Ireland’s Finghin Collins and David Quigley, and Scotland’s Steven Osborne – give concerts at the Festival, while fans of Jazz and musical theatre can look forward to an evening of Leonard Bernstein with the Rob Barron Trio, joined by vocalist Georgia Cécile.
The Festival is organised by Newry Chamber Music and marks an exciting new addition to Northern Ireland’s music festival calendar. Concerts, as well as family events, involving music and storytelling, as well as piano masterclasses, will take place in Newry Town Hall and the Newry Chamber Music Hub at The Quays Shopping Centre.
“This Piano Festival grew out of a pilot piano masterclass series we held last January with my brother, David Quigley. The response was exceptional and confirmed there is a real appetite for high-level piano performance and training in our region,” said Joanne Quigley McParland, Artistic Director of Newry Chamber Music.
“While this is our first festival dedicated exclusively to the piano, it grows directly from the artistic values Newry Chamber Music has developed over the past 25 years — a commitment to excellence in chamber music and solo performance, and to presenting artists of the highest international standard. The piano has always been central to that tradition.
“With concerts, masterclasses, and open platforms spanning classical and jazz, this festival positions Newry not only as a place where great music is enjoyed, but as a destination where inspiring artistic work happens — attracting performers, students, keen amateur players, and audiences from across the country.”
An extraordinary series of firsts marks the Festival’s opening concert (Newry Town Hall, 6 February, 7.30pm) as David Quigley and Finghin Collins give their first performance together, with a programme featuring two world premieres by leading Irish composers Philip Martin and Sam Perkin.
Quigley and Collins will perform these works on two magnificent Steinway Model D concert grand pianos, kindly loaned to the Festival from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Orchestra. The programme also features work by Mozart, Rachmaninov, Joan Trimble, and Elaine Agnew.
In another coup for the Festival, acclaimed pianist Steven Osborne will give the closing concert (Newry Town Hall, 8 February, 2.30pm) with a beautifully crafted programme centring on the waltz, including works by Schumann, Satie, and Ravel, along with Schubert’s mighty Sonata in Bb Major.
Osborne will also give a public Piano Masterclass (Newry Town Hall, 7 February) for aspiring young pianists – an amazing opportunity for the participants, piano teachers, and enthusiasts alike.
American composer Leonard Bernstein will be celebrated when the Rob Barron Trio (Newry Town Hall, 7 February, 8pm) perform imaginative and improvised re-interpretations of Bernstein’s music from West Side Story, Candide, On The Town, A Quiet Place, and Wonderful Town. The trio will be joined by the award-winning British jazz vocalist, Georgia Cécile.
In a further treat for Jazz fans, Rob Barron will perform a Sunday morning concert (NCM Hub, The Quays Shopping Centre, 8 February, 1 1.30am), treating listeners to George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart, and other Broadway masters. Then at 1pm, Barron will give a Jazz Masterclass for beginner and intermediate musicians.
Newry Piano Festival will also host a delightful family event, when David Quigley and Finghin Collins again join forces for Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, and be joined by acclaimed actor Séamus O’Hara (House of Guinness, Blue Lights), who will narrate Poulenc’s Babar the Elephant.
Aspiring and amateur pianists and performers of all ages can look forward to the Open Keys at the Quays open-mic piano concert (NCM Hub, 7 February, 4pm), where people can share music in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
“We want this Piano Festival to draw people to Newry and the wider region,” says Joanne Quigley McParland, “to experience outstanding artists and inspiring performances, while discovering an area known for its extraordinary landscape and superb hospitality, and now firmly recognised as a centre of excellence in classical music on these islands.”
For more information and booking, see https://newrychambermusic.org/piano-fest. To be considered for Steve Osbourne’s Piano Masterclass, or to perform at Open Keys at the Quays, email concerts@newrychambermusic.org.
Newry Piano Festival is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Newry Mourne and Down District Council, and RTÉ Supporting the Arts.