Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) is celebrated for its adventurous spirit, its fearless genre-crossing, and its ability to create unforgettable musical experiences.
Its Winter/Spring Season 2026 opens in spectacular style with cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe, performing at University Concert Hall, Limerick, and National Concert Hall, Dublin on 3 and 5 February.
Abel Selaocoe doesn’t just play the cello, he reimagines it. Blending classical virtuosity with African vocal traditions, improvisation, rhythm, and storytelling, his music dissolves boundaries and invites everyone in. Fresh from global acclaim for his album, Hymns of Bantu, Selaocoe’s concerts are less like recitals and more like shared rituals – vibrant, physical, and emotionally direct. You hear echoes of Debussy or Sibelius before you’re swept into song, pulse, and communal energy.
That we can experience this with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in Limerick and Dublin is truly special. Selaocoe is one of the most in-demand, boundary-breaking musicians of his generation and live performances in this kind of intimate orchestral setting are rare.
ICO Guest Leader, Nicola Sweeney co-directs as the orchestra throws itself fully into Selaocoe’s world. Anchored by Alan Keary on bass and Bernhard Schimpelsberger on percussion, the pulse runs deep. ICO breathes, moves, and grooves. Janáček’s Suite for Strings opens with earthy bite, flowing seamlessly into the warmth of Selaocoe’s Lerato (Love). Debussy’s Cello Sonata crackles with colour and edge, sharpening the emotional charge of Selaocoe’s Qhawe, before Sibelius’s Romance offers a brief, luminous pause.
Then Selaocoe lights a fire. Ibuyile l’Africa (Africa Is Back) bursts forth in a full-tilt celebration of return and identity, and Kea Morata (I Love Them So) closes the evening as classical and South African sound worlds collide, becoming one shared musical home. For classical fans, HOME delivers virtuosity with fire. For the genre-curious, it’s an electrifying way in. For everyone else, it’s simply unforgettable.
Don’t miss ICO and Abel Selaocoe at University Concert Hall, Limerick, and National Concert Hall, Dublin, 3 and 5 February, concerts that ignite, inspire, and connect.
With the vital support of The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, ICO continues to innovate, delight, and forge unforgettable connections from its home at the University of Limerick.