Crash Ensemble at New Music Dublin 2026
Premieres, film screenings, and new collaborations across 4 events
at the National Concert Hall, Dublin
16 - 19 April 2026
Crash Ensemble return to New Music Dublin 2026 with a series of performances, premieres and screenings taking place at the National Concert Hall, Dublin from 16–19 April 2026. Across the 4 days of the festival, Ireland’s leading new music ensemble will present new commissions, international collaborations, and works-in-progress, highlighting the breadth of contemporary music being created in Ireland and beyond.
On Saturday 18 April, Crash perform as part of a double bill on the National Concert Hall’s main stage. The evening opens with Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Seán Mac Erlaine performing music from their acclaimed album Old Segotia, a collaboration that blends traditional sources with improvisation, live electronics and extended instrumental techniques. In the second half, Crash perform the Dublin premiere of Donnacha Dennehy’s Land of Winter, a large-scale work inspired by cycles of time, light and renewal. Structured across 12 movements corresponding to the months of the year and drawing on Ireland’s Roman name, Hibernia, the piece explores repetition, transformation and seasonal return.
The festival also offers audiences an opportunity to witness the early stages of new music through Crash Works III – ‘You Heard It First’, an open workshop on Sunday morning in the National Concert Hall’s Studio. Part of Crash Works III (2026–2027), a two-year commission and development hub for music creators, the session invites audiences to hear musical sketches and early ideas from 5 selected creators: Niamh Dalton, Sofia Féria, Peter Joyce, Joanna Mattrey and Michael Sullivan.
Later that evening, Crash close their festival offerings with Jack, an immersive late-night concert in the Studio featuring 4 premieres by Hannah Kendall, Tansy Davies, Jonathan Nangle and David Fennessy. The programme includes the world premiere of Kendall’s Building a Burning House. Tansy Davies’ Lost Science receives its Irish premiere, while new works by Jonathan Nangle and David Fennessy have their live premiere – both commissioned as part of Crash Ensemble’s [REACTIONS] series – explore intimacy, restraint and near-silence through writing for electric guitars.
Throughout the festival, audiences can experience a screening of Children in the Universe, a hybrid symphony by composer Sam Perkin created with filmmaker Laura Sheeran with audio recorded by Crash. Screened in the foyer of the National Concert Hall, the film explores ritual, reflection and collective listening through a layered audiovisual form.
New Music Dublin 2026 takes place from 16–19 April at venues across Dublin, with Crash Ensemble appearing throughout the festival at the National Concert Hall. For further details, or to book tickets, visit: https://www.crashensemble.com/whats-on
Explore the full New Music Dublin programme at https://www.newmusicdublin.ie/
Listings:
A Double Bill: Old Segotia / Land of Winter
Date: Saturday 18th April
Venue: Main Stage, NCH
Time: 7.00pm
Tickets: €30 | Multi-Concert Discount Packages available | Concessions Available
https://www.crashensemble.com/events/a-double-bill-old-segotia-land-of-winter
Crash Works III ‘You Heard It First’ Workshop
Date: Sunday 19th April
Venue: The Studio at NCH
Time: 10.30am
Tickets: €15 | Multi-Concert Discount Packages available | Concessions Available
https://www.crashensemble.com/events/crash-works-iii-you-heard-it-first
Jack
Date: Sunday 19th April
Venue: The Studio at NCH
Time: 9.15pm
Tickets: €22 | Multi-Concert Discount Packages available | Concessions Available
https://www.crashensemble.com/events/jack-new-music-dublin
Children of the Universe (Screenings)
Date: Throughout the festival, Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 April 2026
Venue: Foyer, National Concert Hall
Tickets: Free
https://www.crashensemble.com/events/children-of-the-universe-screenings
Crash Ensemble Bio
Crash are a group of world-class musicians making music that defies boundaries. Led by Artistic Director and cellist Kate Ellis, Crash brings together a flexible group of exceptional performers drawn from across Ireland, spanning strings, winds, percussion, piano and electric instruments.
Crash commission, collaborate, and experiment with artists across musical genres and artforms, creating cutting-edge projects that inspire, engage, and resonate with audiences in Ireland and internationally.
Crash perform regularly throughout Ireland and worldwide, with recent appearances at November Music (NL), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Carnegie Hall (US), Edinburgh International Festival (UK), The Barbican (UK), National Concert Hall (IE), Royal Opera House (UK), GAIDA Festival (LT).
Crash Ensemble is a not-for-profit organisation supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin City Council with international touring supported by Culture Ireland. They are ensemble-in-residence at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, and Kilkenny Arts Festival.