Fingal Chamber Music presents the inaugural International Perspectives Chamber Music Series, a concert series that offers audiences the opportunity to experience a diverse range of renowned, internationally acclaimed musicians performing colourful and meaningful chamber music programmes. Each concert with also feature a new composition inspired by a traditional Irish music written by series composer, Aristide Moari. With each concert, audiences can expect to enjoy an evening celebrating the magical world of chamber music!
Join us for the final concert of the series featuring world-renowned artists trumpeter Omar Tomasoni, saxophonist Femke IJlstra, and pianist Éadaoin Copeland, performing an wondrous programme of works from Mozart to Berlioz, and Gershwin to Morricone!
Artists:
Femke IJlstra
Femke is one of the most successful saxophonists of her generation. Public, jury andpressareimpressedbyherversatilityandexpressiveness. Thesaxophone brought Femke around the globe, performing in the USA, Canada, South America, Asia and all of Europe. Ever since Femke finished her masters degree ‘cum laude’ with Arno Bornkamp in Amsterdam, she plays on a regular basis in world’s leading orchestras like the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich.
Femke IJlstra is one of the youngest female professors in Europe, holding this position from when she was 29 years old. She is an educator at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen and Codarts, University of the Arts, Rotterdam.
Femke profiles herself more and more as a soloïst. She plays recitals all over the world and made appearances as a soloïst with L’opera Toulon under the baton of Jurjen Hempel and The North Netherlands Orchestra under the baton of Dirk Brosse and Frans-Aert Burghgraef. She is a regular guest in Dutch radio- and tv- show. Dutch composers have written music for Femke , such as Karmit Fadael, Jacob TV, Bernard van Beurden, Richard Rijnvos and Douwe Eisenga.
Femke loves chamber music: she is founder of Syrène Saxophone Quartet, and played soprano-sax in the renowned Aurelia Saxophone Quartet. In 2018 Femke started Jeux d’anches with (bass-) clarinetist Fie Schouten and accordeonist Marko Kassel. They explore new music for this unusual setting.
In her first album Femke worked together with other artists which lead to the creation of the book called Stofsûgersjongers. The CD – where Femke plays music by M. Turnage and other ‘living composers’- got great reviews by the press and audience.
Two other albums have been made with her quartet Syrène. In march 2022 Femke’s latest album was released (Colores del Sur) with pianist Celia García- García) which had great reviews and was in second place of Textura’s best instrumental albums in 2022.
Femke IJlstra is curious about theater and other disciplines in art, which resulted in many music- theater performances and tours across the Netherlands. She worked together with actors, poets and dancers. Femke is artistic director of the Emmy Verhey Festival in Zaltbommel, The Netherlands.
Omar Tomasoni
Omar Tomasoni is principal trumpet player with the Concertgebouworkest since August 2013. Tomasoni graduated with honours from the conservatory of Brescia, where he quickly established a career as principal trumpeter with the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, the Janáček Festival Orchestra and – from 2004 to 2008 – the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the direction of Zubin Mehta. Tomasoni has worked as a substitute with the Concertgebouworkest, the Mozart Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In 2008, he was appointed principal trumpeter with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, led by Sir Antonio Pappano.
He was awarded the Bronze Medal of the Italian Republic in 2003 for his achievements as an active member of the European Union Youth Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Tomasoni is a member and co-founder of the eclectic wind quintet Italian Wonderbrass.
Omar Tomasoni has a C trumpet, built by Gerd Dowids, on loan fromthe Foundation Concertgebouworkest. This instrument is a gift fromthe Freundeskreis Schweiz, the Swiss Circle of Friends of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. He also plays on a Flügelhorn, which was financed by the Els Mosler Fund, a Named Fund.
Éadaoin Copeland
Éadaoin Copeland is a classical pianist from Dublin, Ireland who has established herself in the field of collaborative piano. She earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin, during which time she was also a student at the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she studied with Patricia Kavanagh and Réamonn Keary. Éadaoin completed her master’s studies in the Conservatorium van Amsterdam specialising in collaborative piano, under the tutelage of Frank van de Laar. Following her graduation, she joined the faculty of the Conservatorium as collaborative pianist. She also held a position as a staff pianist in the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. In 2025, Éadaoin joined the faculty of the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
With a passion for chamber music, Éadaoin performs regularly with various instrumentalists and singers across Ireland and the Netherlands. Her performances have also taken her further afield to stages in France, Italy, Spain, the UK and the Czech Republic as well as the US and Japan. Éadaoin works closely with musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. She performs regularly with the RCO horn player José Sogorb, and the duo released their first album Mélodies Volées in 2023. She has also toured Japan with principal trumpeter Omar Tomasoni and saxophonist Femke IJlstra, and regularly plays for the masterclasses of RCO bass clarinettist Davide Lattuada in both the Netherlands and Italy. Éadaoin is also a member of the Dublin-based Pircorlino trio alongside horn player Hannah Miller and violinist Hugh Murray. Éadaoin has worked as a collaborative pianist for various festivals and masterclasses including the Adriatic Woodwinds Festival, Dublin Brass Week, the National Concert Hall International Master Course and BassoonLab Amsterdam.
Supported by:
Arbour Blooms
Fingal County Council Artist Support Scheme
Arts Council of Ireland
RTÉ Supporting the Arts