72Dr. Dave Flynn is one of the leading composers and researchers involved in the interaction between traditional Irish music and contemporary composition. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Irish Memory Orchestra, a uniquely Irish orchestra which mixes some of Ireland’s finest classical and folk musicians to create a distinctive new 21st Century sound.
His writings on music have been published by the Journal of Music, Irish Times and Na Píobaire Uilleann and numerous articles about his work and music have been published.
He was awarded a PhD in 2011 for his dissertation Traditional Irish Music: A Path to New Music.
Dr. Flynn's compositions embrace many styles and instrumentations including orchestral, chamber and electro-acoustic works. They have been performed and commissioned by internationally acclaimed artists including the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, New Juilliard Ensemble, Smith Quartet, Vanbrugh Quartet, Engegard Quartet, RTÉ Con Tempo Quartet, Rolf Hind, John Feeley, Liz Carroll, Mairtín Ó'Connor and Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill.
His numerous awards include the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Composers’ Award, Eamon Ceannt Memorial Commission and the IMRO Composition Award. His music has been published by Mel Bay, Reed Music and Frisbee Publications and broadcast internationally on WNYC Radio, RTÉ and the BBC.
He studied for his PhD at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin under the supervision of Dr. Jane O'Leary with the aid of an ABBEST Scholarship. Prior to this Dr. Flynn gained a Master’s Degree in Composition from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and a BMus (Composition) from the DIT. He was previously Guest Lecturer in Composition at the DIT where he had the responsibility of supervising final year undergraduate composition students.
His work and studies have been funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland, The Guildhall Trust, The Michael Collins Memorial Foundation, an ABBEST Scholarship and IMRO. He has given workshops, papers and master-classes throughout Ireland and in New York, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Japan, Russia and Romania.
In July 2014 he was invited by the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins to perform at Áras an Uachataráin with his cross-genre ensemble D.F.F. In January 2012 he represented Ireland, joining then Minister for the Arts Jimmy Deenihan TD as part of the Culture Ireland delegation to the APAP conference in New York. In November 2010 then Minister for Arts Mary Hanafin TD presented him with a special award at the National Concert Hall in recognition of the world premiere of his fiddle concerto Aontacht. Earlier the same year he was invited to perform for a room full of dignitaries including former US President Bill Clinton and Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Dr. Flynn is also an award-winning guitarist. In this capacity he has premiered music by composers including Michael Gordon, Kevin Volans, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt and Eric Sweeney. His solo guitar recordings Contemporary Traditional Irish Guitar and Winter Variations have received considerable acclaim.
Academic Qualifications
2006-2010 - DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin – Ph.D.
2003-2004 - Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London – M.Mus. (Composition)
1999-2003 - DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin – B.Mus. (Composition)
1995-1997 – Senior College Ballyfermot, Diploma in Popular Music Performance
Research Interests
Contemporary composition, ethno-musicology, traditional Irish music, Congolese music, Zimbabwean music, Malian music, Nigerian music, Balkan traditional music, Eastern European traditional music, Scandanavian traditional music, baroque music practices, minimalism, improvisation, poly-metric music, modality, micro-tonality, aural learning, classical guitar music, American composers, Irish composers, the music of Jean Sibelius, folk music composition, popular music, electro-acoustic music, alternative tuning systems, early music, nationalism in music, 80's pop music.
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