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Newry is set to welcome world-class pianists from across Ireland and Britain next month when the inaugural Newry Piano Festival takes place from 6 to 8 February 2026. The three-day event will feature classical and jazz performances, masterclasses, and family events across the city.
The festival is organised by Newry Chamber Music and marks an exciting new addition to Northern Ireland's music festival calendar. Concerts and events will take place in Newry Town Hall and the Newry Chamber Music Hub at The Quays Shopping Centre.
Joanne Quigley McParland, Artistic Director of Newry Chamber Music explained that the festival grew from a successful pilot programme. "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," she said.
Three of the finest classical pianists from these islands will perform at the festival. Ireland's Finghin Collins and David Quigley will give their first performance together at the opening concert on 6 February at 7.30pm in Newry Town Hall. The pair will perform 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 features two world premieres by leading Irish composers Philip Martin and Sam Perkin, alongside works by Mozart, Rachmaninov, Joan Trimble, and Elaine Agnew.
Scotland's Steven Osborne will give the closing concert on 8 February at 2.30pm in Newry Town Hall, 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 on 7 February for aspiring young pianists.
Jazz fans can look forward to an evening of Leonard Bernstein with the Rob Barron Trio on 7 February at 8pm, joined by award-winning British jazz vocalist Georgia Cécile. The trio will perform imaginative and improvised re-interpretations of Bernstein's music from West Side Story, Candide, On The Town, A Quiet Place, and Wonderful Town. Rob Barron will also perform a Sunday morning concert at the NCM Hub in The Quays Shopping Centre on 8 February at 11.30am, treating listeners to George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart, and other Broadway masters, followed by a Jazz Masterclass at 1pm for beginner and intermediate musicians.
Families can enjoy a special event when David Quigley and Finghin Collins again join forces for Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, joined by acclaimed actor Séamus O'Hara, who will narrate Poulenc's Babar the Elephant.
Aspiring and amateur pianists of all ages can take part in the Open Keys at the Quays open-mic piano concert at the NCM Hub on 7 February at 4pm, where people can share music in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Quigley McParland explained that whilst this is the first festival dedicated exclusively to the piano, it builds on Newry Chamber Music's 25-year tradition. "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."
She added, "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."
The Newry Piano Festival is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Newry Mourne and Down District Council, and RTÉ Supporting the Arts. Quigley McParland hopes the festival will draw people to Newry "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, visit https://newrychambermusic.org/piano-fest.
To be considered for Steve Osborne's Piano Masterclass, or to perform at Open Keys at the Quays, email concerts@newrychambermusic.org.
