ConTempo will join other talented artists from all over Europe for Music for Galway's Schubert Festival, beginning Friday, Jan. 18. For complete details, visit the Music for Galway Web site: [Visit website]

ConTempo, along with Dr. Jane O'Leary, Galway-based musician and composer, will join the NUI Galway Arts in Action Programme for a recital and lecture. Directed by Mary McPartlan, Arts in Action seeks to enrich students' engagement in the creative arts.

ConTempo will again join their good friend, renowned Irish pianist Finghin Collins, for the Music in Armagh season. They will play quartets by Haydn and Schubert, and Schumann's Piano Quintet at The Market Place: Armagh Theatre and Arts Centre. [Visit website]

As part of ConTempo's Education Programme, the quartet will travel to Clifden and visit with primary school children there, teaching them the basics of string instruments and classical music, all in a fun, interactive way.

ConTempo's free monthly lunchtime concerts return for 2008! Lunchtime with ConTempo is held on the first Tuesday of every month, offering a free performance. No booking is required; just come and enjoy!

ConTempo travel to Cork to play at Ionad Cultúrtha, Baile Mhúirne. ConTempo will play Haydn's String Quartet in B flat, Op. 76, no. 4 'The Sunrise', Schubert's Quartettsatz and Beethoven's String Quartet No. 1, Op. 18 'Romeo and Juliet'. Tickets are €15/€10 and are available by contacting Ionad Cultúrtha: (026) 45733. [Visit website]

ConTempo will join the Galway Choral Association for its Spring Concert, featuring Fauré's Messe Basse, Mozart's 'Spatzen' Mass, and Haydn's 'Nelson' Mass and Insane et Vanae Curae. The concert takes place at the Franciscan Abbey, Francis Street, Galway. Tickets are €20/€10 and are available at Opus II music store on St. Augustine Street, Galway or at the door. [Visit website]

Enjoy another free lunchtime concert at the Kenny Gallery, High Street, Galway. Continuing their celebration of Beethoven's string quartets, ConTempo will perform his String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 18 no. 6.

ConTempo will play a lunchtime concert for the Árus Mháirtín Uí Chadhain in An Cheathrú Rua (Carraroe). All are welcome to this performance, featuring Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 18 no. 6, as well as contemporary music by Irish composer Jennifer Walshe and ConTempo's own arrangement of the Romanian traditional 'Transylvanian Dance'.

Join ConTempo at The Kenny Gallery, High Street, Galway as they continue their celebration of Beethoven's string quartets in their monthly free concert series. This month they will perform Beethoven's String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1 (Rasumovsky), leading a discussion of the music as well.

ConTempo and RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet will tour Italy March 6-22, with music including octets by Mendelssohn, Enescu and Shostakovich.

String players of all ages are welcome to the ConTempo Spring School, to be held March 26-28 at the Galway Education Centre, Cluain Mhuire, Wellpark in Galway City. [Visit website]

ConTempo will perform at the Nuns' Island Theatre as part of the Galway Arts Centre's March music series. They will perform Haydn's 'Sunrise' Quartet and Beethoven's String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 18 no. 6 as well as contemporary Irish composer Jennifer Walshe's 'minard/nithsdale'.

Lunchtime with ConTempo will be held Tuesday, April 1 at 1:10 p.m. at The Kenny Gallery, High Street, Galway. At this month's free concert ConTempo will perform Beethoven's String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 18 no. 6. All are welcome, and there's no need to book.

All are welcome to a free performance at the Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, An Cheathrú Rua on Thursday, April 3 at 1 p.m. ConTempo will perform Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 18 no. 6, Irish composer Jennifer Walshe's "minard/nithsdale" and "Transylvanian Dance", a Romanian folk dance from the "Spiccato Junction" CD.

Stop in to NUI Galway's Hardiman Library to hear a free lunchtime concert by ConTempo. Along with Beethoven's String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 (Rasumovsky), ConTempo will perform music by contemporary Romanian composers Sabin Pautza and Radu Paladi.

Always popular with the Galway community, the ConTempo concerts at NUI Galway's Martin Ryan Institutes continue on Thursday, May 1 at 1 p.m. All are welcome, and no booking is required. The programme will feature music by Sabin Pautza and Radu Paladi, contemporary composers from ConTempo's native Romania. [Visit website]

ConTempo will offer another fee lunchtime performance on Tuesday, May 6 at The Kenny Gallery, High Street, Galway. Continuing the celebration of Beethoven's string quartets, ConTempo will perform Op. 59, No. 2 (Rasumovsky). As always, no prior booking is required.

Your chance for a glimpse at ConTempo behind the scenes! An Open Rehearsal is your opportunity to see the quartet as they interpret music and refine their performance. Feel free to drop in to our first-ever Open Rehearsal at the Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway.

ConTempo will perform a free concert and music discussion for the students of Dunmore Community School. The public are welcome to join the concert, on Wednesday, May 14 at 11:30 a.m.

ConTempo will travel to South London to perform Elgar's Piano Quintet again with renowned UK pianist James Lisney. ConTempo will then join BBC's Richard Baker for his Festival at Sea.

June's Lunchtime with ConTempo will be turned over to Carousel Quartet, ConTempo's Apprentice Quartet (see link for more information). These four young Loughrea musicians will play their premiere performance as the Carousel Quartet at The Kenny Gallery, featuring Dvorak's 'American' Quartet and Haydn's 'Bird' Quartet. [Visit website]

The ConTempo Summer School for string players features a blend of chamber music lessons from ConTempo and orchestral tuition from talented guest conductors. This intense, seven-day course is challenging and fun. The Summer School 2008 will run July 7-13 in Galway. Ring (091) 586706 or email galwayensemble@eircom.net for full details.

ConTempo will be joined for their three-concert series by Italian stars Cristiano Burato on piano and Mara Martinelli on flute. Burato received the Grand Prize and was named "Best Chopin Interpreter" at the Dino Ciani International Piano Competition at Milan's Scala Theatre. See information on all three concerts: Thursday 17th, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th. [Visit website]

Sounds of Italy: Flute, piano and strings combine in a delightful selection of music fromsunny Italy Boccherini: Flute quintet Op. 17, no. 4 Donizetti: Sonata for Flute and Piano in C minor Vivaldi: 'Pastorale' from Il Pastor Fido, Op. 13 Vivaldi: Sonata for Cello and Piano no. 5 Boccherini: Flute quintet Op. 17, no. 5 [Visit website]

Classics of Vienna: Classical masterpieces by master composers Mozart: Sonata in C major, K. 296 Haydn: String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 76, no. 4 'Sunrise' [Visit website]

Melodies of Chopin: Music from Poland's greatest lyric composer Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante for solo piano, Op. 22 Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 for string quartet and piano [Visit website]

The popular free-concert series Lunchtime with ConTempo continues after a short summer break. The next performance will be held Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 1:10 p.m. at The Kenny Gallery, Middle Street, Galway. September's Beethoven piece will be his String Quartet in D major, Op. 18, no. 3. As always, admission is free and there is no need to book tickets.

Galway's ConTempo Quartet will play their first public concert at NUI Galway for the autumn at the Martin Ryan Institute. They will perform two quartets by Haydn, the father of the string quartet: String Quartet Op. 20, no. 2 and Op. 76, no. 2 'Fifths'. All are welcome to this free concert, and there is no need to book tickets. [Visit website]

ConTempo will join the Dublin launch of their upcoming performance in New York's Carnegie Hall, "New Music, New Ireland", along with fellow performers, composers and the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Thomas Foley. See concert details below in the Oct. 17 listing. [Visit website]

ConTempo Quartet will join poet Moya Cannon for an exciting performance of music and poetry with Galway's Culture Night celebration.

Galway's ConTempo Quartet will perform for the students and staff of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, one of the sponsors of the ConTempo's residency. The concert will take place at the GMIT library and will feature Beethoven's String Quartet in D major, Op. 18, no. 3.

ConTempo cellist Adrian Mantu will join the Music for Galway performance "The Lunatick, The Lover and The Poet". [Visit website]

Music fans will enjoy another "behind-the-scenes" look at ConTempo String Quartet at an Open Rehearsal at the Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway. Feel free to drop in any time between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and see professional musicians as they perfect their performance, Wednesday, Oct. 1.

ConTempo Quartet and Mark Duley, renowned conductor and musician, are thrilled to announce the establishment of a new Galway Chamber Orchestra. Duley and ConTempo plan two performances in the coming year for the new orchestra, initially to be comprised of string players, with wind sections to be added in due course. Auditions will be held Oct. 3 and 4 in Galway. To audition or for more information, ring Sharon Mulry at (091) 586706 or Maureen Rabbitt at (087) 230 8860.

October's Lunchtime with ConTempo will be held Oct. 7 at 1:10 p.m., at The Kenny Gallery, Middle Street, Galway. ConTempo will perform Beethoven's String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 74 (Harp).

ConTempo will perform music workshops for local schoolchildren at Galway City library branches in Westside and Ballybane, on Wed. and Thurs., 8-9 Oct. (respectively). More details to come.

ConTempo will make their Carnegie Hall, New York debut as part of the "New Music, New Ireland" concert along with clarinettist Carol McGonnell and pianist Isabelle O'Connell. The showcase of modern Irish music is organised by the Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin, with financial support from Culture Ireland. The performance will feature works by modern Irish composers: established, major figures such as Galway's own Jane O'Leary, John Kinsella and Ian Wilson, as well as exciting younger composers Ed Bennett, Deirdre McKay, Ailís Ní Ríain and Jennifer Walshe. [Visit website]

The ConTempo Autumn School offers individual lessons to string players in the Galway Youth Orchestra and to leaving cert students from throughout County Galway. The Autumn School will be held during the school break, Wed. to Fri., 29-31 Oct. from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Galway Education Centre, Wellpark, Galway. For full details ring (091) 586706. [Visit website]

Enjoy another free Lunchtime with ConTempo performance. This popular series continues at The Kenny Gallery, Middle Street, Galway on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 1:10 p.m. ConTempo will perform Beethoven's String Quartet in G major, Op. 18, No. 2. As always, the concert is free and there is no need to pre-book.

As part of its County Galway music programme, ConTempo Quartet will perform at the Seanscoil Sailearna, Inverin on Wednesday, 12 November at 8:00 p.m. Programme includes: Beethoven's String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 2. Tickets are €5 at the door, with students and children free.

ConTempo String Quartet will perform at The Forge Restaurant in Moycullen Village for a performance of: Beethoven's String Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2; and from Haydn, Serenade from String Quartet Op. 3, no. 5 and Presto from String Quartet Op. 20, no. 1. The concert will take place on Friday, 14 November at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are €5, with children and students free.

ConTempo will work with the students of Music Matters, New Inn, Co. Galway at St. Killians School on Saturday, 15 November.

ConTempo will perform at The Slatefort House Restaurant, New Inn Road, Bullaun on 19 November at 8:15 p.m. Music will be Beethoven's String Quartet in G major, Op. 18, no. 2, Haydn's String Quartet in F major, Op. 3, no. 5 and Haydn's String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 20, no. 1. Tickets are €15/€12 conc. to benefit Music Matters music school in New Inn.

Galway's ConTempo String Quartet will perform for the Mill Hill Music Club in London, along with clarinettist Sarah Williamson, winner of the BBC Young Musician award. Music will be clarinet quintets by Mozart and Brahms, as well as Puccini's "Chrysanthemums". [Visit website]

The public are invited as ConTempo joins Subhóró, Cumann Ealaíona na Ceathrún Rua, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, for a lunchtime performance of Beethoven's String Quartet in A major, Op. 18, no. 5. All are welcome. Tickets are €3 for Subhóró members/€5 non-members.