Dublin – London – Paris – Salzburg
The Royal Irish Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Conservatoire de Paris and the University Mozarteum Salzburg
PRESENT
Open Your Eyes And Tell Me What You See
Shining a spotlight on the Climate Crisis through the powerful combination of words and music, this exciting collaborative project features the collective talents of students from four European conservatoires: the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP) and the University Mozarteum Salzburg.   
The distinguished pianist Iain Burnside has devised a performance piece to connect performers and audience to the profound changes happening in our world. Highly charged works by writers Nick Drake, Jaques Prévert, Mairéad Byrne and Rose Ausländer are interwoven with music by leading contemporary composers Linda Buckley, Judith Weir, Julian Philips and Raymond Yiu. Songs by Schumann, Fauré and Elgar take on new resonance, placed within a fresh context.
The programme features the four languages of the conservatoires. Performances will take place in Dublin, London, Paris and Salzburg, with all travel overland.
Performance Dates
Mon 7 November 2022
Milton Court Concert Hall
London, England
Free admission, no booking required
Wed 9 November 2022
Embassy of Ireland
Paris, France
By Invitation Only
IAIN BURNSIDE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Thanks to prolific careers both as pianist and award-winning broadcaster, Iain is one of the UK’s best known musicians.
Iain has worked with a huge number of international singers, notably Dame Margaret Price, Rosa Feola, Ailish Tynan, Joyce DiDonato, Laurence Brownlee, Roderick Williams, and Bryn Terfel, among many others. He has recorded more than 60 CDs, often created around neglected composers, where his curatorial skills are displayed to the full. He is a great champion of young singers, playing a crucial role in introducing them to a wider audience. This year he has taken on an additional role, as founding member of Trio Balthasar, alongside violinist Michael Foyle and cellist Tim Hugh.
Innovative programme planning has led Iain to expand his concert work into a hybrid form of music theatre, creating staged work around Brahms (Shining Armour), Wagner (The View from the Villa) and Gurney (A Soldier and a Maker). He has broadcast extensively on both radio and TV, notably as host of BBC R3’s acclaimed Voices series. In addition to a long association with London’s Guildhall School, Iain is Visiting International Artist at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. He is Artistic Director of the Ludlow English Song Weekend and Artistic Consultant to Grange Park Opera, Surrey.
Deborah Kelleher
Director’s Welcome - Royal Irish Academy of Music
RIAM is proud to lead this European artistic project, which marks our most significant artistic response to the climate crisis to date. I am enormously grateful to our colleagues from the UK, France and Austria for their enthusiastic support. In addition to the message found in the music and text, we have made practical decisions around travel, accommodation, food and communications that have minimised our carbon emissions. I am delighted by the ideas and creativity that all of our students and colleagues have brought to 'Open Your Eyes', and I hope we will maintain this good practice into the future.
Deborah Kelleher
Director, Royal Irish Academy of Music
Vice-President, European Association of Conservatoires
Armin Zanner
Director’s Welcome - Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London
At a moment when the climate emergency requires each of us to Open Our Eyes, it is time, too, for the music industry collectively to wake up to its environmental impact. This urgent reality is the starting point for a project that unites the theme of nature on-stage with sustainable choices off-stage. It also unites our students from Guildhall School with new musical friends from our partners in Dublin, Paris and Salzburg, and we are excited that together they now ask you in audiences across Europe to 'Open Your Eyes And Tell Me What You See'.
Armin Zanner
Interim Director of Music & Head of Vocal Studies
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Émilie Delorme
Director’s Welcome - Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris
How can we share music beyond borders while preserving our planet? Open Your Eyes is a groundbreaking response on a European scale to this question which has been challenging our sector for many years. An affirmative one too, as it is proving the possibility of sustainable travel and accommodation on one of the most beautiful, ambitious tours we have implemented so far. It is only fitting that Iain Burnside’s wonderful program should artistically engage with these essential values. The Paris Conservatoire is proud to take part in this journey, and very grateful to all partners who made it possible.
Émilie Delorme
Director
Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris
Elisabeth Gutjahr
Director’s Welcome - Mozarteum, Salzburg
The University Mozarteum Salzburg is proud to be part of this international and inter-university project, which aims to set a signal for the climate by prioritising sustainability in travel, accommodation and concerts. We would like to thank the partner universities, especially the initiating RIAM in Dublin, for their commitment. Special thanks go to our private sponsors who made the financing of this project possible.
Elisabeth Gutjahr
Rektorin
University Mozarteum Salzburg
