| Thursday 23 July 2026 | 18:00 |
| Orsino Ensemble | |
| Danel Quartet | |
| Andres Kaljuste | Viola |
| Berit Cardas | Viola |
| Adam Walker | Flute |
| Nicholas Daniel | Oboe |
| Irina Zahharenkova | Piano |
| Matthew Hunt | Clarinet |
| Meta4 |
John Koenig’s work The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is a collection of new words for different emotions. It seeks to shed light on the curious question of what it means to be human.
Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality, or the mere possibility of its being revealed, struck fear into those around him. The threat of a scandal was always lurking around the corner, a scandal that the composer’s circle – everyone from his family to the aristocracy – was keen to avoid. Tchaikovsky’s death gave rise to speculation and theories ranging from suicide to poisoning or the composer’s contracting cholera by accidentally drinking a glass of dirty water. While Tchaikovsky’s death is the subject of much fascination, sadly no one thought to ask him how he would have preferred to live.
Very often, those fighting for equality are themselves members of a minority group, sometimes several minorities at once. Ethel Smyth advocated for women’s suffrage and was in a relationship with another woman at a time when women doing ‘men’s work’ was always viewed with scepticism and suspicion. She was a brave, determined human-rights campaigner and an inspiration for many marginalised people living in the shadows of narrow-minded societal constraints.
Tickets: €33 | 25
