Award for CYO's Terry and Tomás McCarthy

Terry and Tomás McCarthy of the CYO are Honoured

Countless numbers of young Cork musicians have been under the baton of Cork husband and wife team Tomás and Terry McCarthy over the decades. Tomás is Musical Director and Chairman of the Cork Youth Orchestra, which caters for 12 to 19 year olds, and his wife Terry conducts the Junior Cork Youth Orchestra with members from 11 to 15 years of age. They have been presented with Cork Persons of the Month awards to mark their work.

Tomás McCarthy is a lecturer and conductor at the CIT Cork School of Music and his association with the Cork Youth Orchestra goes back some 40 years. Terry McCarthy has been the Conductor of the Junior Cork Youth Orchestra since its foundation in 1991. She is also an accomplished pianist and a Primary school teacher in St. Mark's Boys National School in The Glen.

The Cork Youth Orchestra is a gem in the cultural fabric of Cork. The McCarthys' roles involve many hours of project planning, preparation and rehearsals every week and weekend for hundreds of young musicians in five orchestras. The Cork Youth Orchestra was established in 1958 and Tomás is only its third conductor since its formation. Under Tomás's leadership, the orchestras have presented many benefit concerts for a long list of Cork charities, they showcase the talents of some of Ireland's finest young musicians in concert halls throughout Ireland and abroad, and have brought many visiting singers and musicians such as Michael Ball, Hayley Westenra, James Galway and Colm Wilkinson to Cork. This summer, under the baton of Tomás, the CYO Board brought 120 players to Italy to represent Cork and Ireland at the European Festival of Youth Orchestras, playing to audiences of over 3,000 with their performance of 'Reflections of Ireland 2016'.

The Junior Cork Youth Orchestra and Conductor Terry McCarthy celebrated their 25th Anniversary this year with a sell out concert in the Everyman Palace Theatre. The orchestra has come a long way from its humble beginnings of 18 players to a full orchestra of 60-70 members today. Terry has brought the JCYO to a standard capable of national performances and they have played in the National Concert Hall on four occasions since 2002.

Terry and Tomás's names will now also go forward, with the other Persons of Month chosen this year, for possible selection as Cork Persons of the Year at a Gala Awards Lunch on January 20th (2017) next. Award Judges will be the Chief Executives of Cork City Council and Cork County Council. Some 250 invited guests will attend this lunch representing all sectors of Cork society.

Reflections Of Ireland

Reflections Of Ireland 2015

1st July 2016 City Hall, Cork

Representing Ireland at the European Festival of Youth Orchestras in Florence, Perugia and Montecatini July 2016, the Cork Youth Orchestra, under conductor Tomás McCarthy performed in City Hall, Cork, Ireland on July 1st in City Hall, prior to their departure to Italy.

An incredible performance was given by the orchestra and tour soloist Flaithri Neff. Facebook reactions have been so uplifting. Do have a look and share the videos, especially the National Anthem. The orchestral performed their full festival programme, including 'The Brendan Voyage' with soloist Flaithrí Neff (Uilleann Pipes).

Thewas a very unique event, and all tour concerts in Italy were treated to a rear projected 4 x 3 m screen displaying drone video footage of our beautiful country. These images were supplied by Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland and we are very grateful for their assistance in delivering this concept. We are also grateful to professional video and photography businesses and the Cork Camera Club for their enthusiasm and support. Chris Hurley from the Cork Film Centre put it all together and included some green screen imagery of our soloist as we performed our Irish programme. The orchestra presented this concert three times in Italy - Reflections Of Ireland 2016 - on big screen. This was a very special tourism driven project supported by Cork County Council.

#Ireland on 'Big Screen'

#Fáilte Ireland / #Tourism Ireland videos and stunning photos of the 'Wild Atlantic Way' and 'Ireland's Ancient East' as Ireland's Largest Orchestra performs

The Brendan Voyage Shaun Davey

The Irish Suite, Leroy Anderson

Finnegan's Wake A.J. Potter

'Aisling Dr.Declan Townsend)

Conductor: Tomás McCarthy Co-Leaders: Sean Desmond & Seamus Hickey

JCYO

Celebrating 25 years, conductor and orchestra.

Junior Cork Youth Orchestra with Terry McCarthy

Compered by the wonderful Elmarie Mawe their guests included the Fluteenys and choir from Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh Cailíní.

This was a very special night.

It is not very often that an orchestra can celebrate 25 years with just one conductor, Terry McCarthy.

The Junior Cork Youth Orchestra was formed in 1991 as a training orchestra for Cork Youth Orchestra

Cork Youth Orchestra CHRISTMAS PROMS Conductor: Tomas McCarthy Compere: Evelyn Grant

Cork Youth Orchestra CHRISTMAS PROMS

December 12th 8.00pm Featuring: Michael McCarthy - Les Neish

Compere; Evelyn Grant

Special Guests:

The Lee Singers

Cork Arts Studio Youth Choir

Pakie O'Callaghan

Sean O'Brien

Magical SNOWMAN Matinee

Cork Youth Orchestra
The SNOWMAN

December 12th
at 12 noon and 2pm
Two Special Matinees

The Snowman returns to Cork with CYO

Ireland's Oldest Youth Orchestra presented TWO Magical SNOWMAN Matinees incl. TUBBY THE TUBA
with - SPECIAL GUEST: Les Neish - Tuba -

live drawings by Sean O'Brien
and 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS read by Cork's own Pakie O'Callaghan

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