En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | RTÉ Concert Orchestra

At the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, a long overdue European debut for one of Latin America's pre-eminent companies.

Max Richter's Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons is performed by the Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. 

Paul Curran's production of Carmen is entertaining and slick, with Paula Murrihy as a feisty heroine.

Byrne is stunning in the title role while a strong cast of singers, orchestra, classic sets and dramatic acting make this a thoroughly enjoyable performance. 

Ailish Tynan's powerful soprano soared above the massive forces of the choir in the thundering "Libera Me" – a wall of sound that blew the audience away.

Joshua Bloom and Paula Murrihy excel in Irish National Opera's staging of Bartók's opera, although director Enda Walsh takes too many liberties with the libretto. 

Roddy Doyle's new translation is ingenious more often than incongruous; John Molloy's Leporello steals the show in the Opera Theatre's Don Giovanni.

In an all French language opera progromme, Juan Diego Flórez shines in his Dublin leg of Tour l'Amour 

Last night’s performance of The Mikado was a historical moment for the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society (affectionately known as the “R&R”) as it celebrates its centenary this year. Its very first performance in the Queen’s Theatre, Dublin in 1913 was also Gilbert and Sullivan’s much-loved Mikado, representing a satisfying continuity with last night’s performance.

The beautiful thing about music is that it can be a physical embodiment of passion. Violinist Andrew Haveron’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on Thursday night in Dublin occasionally felt like it lacked a bit of passion, dazzlingly virtuosic though his performance was.