Garter Lane Arts Centre and Improvised Music Company (IMC) are delighted to announce composer, conductor and guitarist Dave Flynn as their first musician in residence for the 2024 NAVIGATOR residency programme.
IMC’s Navigator Jazz Residency programme was established in 2021. Since then 20 musicians have enjoyed bespoke residencies through venue partners Ballina Arts Centre, The Source Arts Centre Thurles, An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny, Riverbank Arts Centre Newbridge and Courthouse Arts Tinahely and Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford.
NAVIGATOR offers jazz and improvising musicians professionally remunerated time and space to develop and perform work, while building creative and professional relationships in new locations.
Celebrated by the New York Times for the “power and grittiness” of his music, composer, conductor and guitarist Dave Flynn is a musician of international renown. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, he redefined orchestral music by creating the cross-genre Irish Memory Orchestra: a “formidable collective of musicians” (The Irish Times)—and the first and only orchestra in the Western world to perform exclusively by memory. Amalgamating orchestral, jazz, rock and folk elements with deft and deep understanding, his compositions have been performed by the likes of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Crash Ensemble, New Juilliard Ensemble, New Zealand String Quartet, Vanbrugh Quartet, ConTempo Quartet, Laura Snowden, Craig Ogden, John Feeley and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and many more.
Ahead of his Navigator residency, Dave said:
“I am thrilled to be appointed the IMC Navigator Musician-in-Residence at Garter Lane Theatre, Waterford. During my residency, I’ll be exploring innovative ways to create improvised music inspired by audience prompts—think ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ for new music! Through my ‘Musical Pathways’ workshop at Garter Lane, it will be fascinating to work with local audiences to shape these new ideas together. My residency will culminate during the Imagine Arts Festival, in a live, improv-driven concert at Waterford Gallery of Art. I’m delighted to be joined in this by master percussionist Cion O’Callaghan. Together with the audience, we’ll bring these concepts to life in improvisations dedicated to the memory of my jazz hero, Waterford-born legend, Louis Stewart.”
Sile Penkert, Garter Lane Director said:
“The Arts Centre is delighted to be host and partner to the IMC Navigator Residency for the second year. We view residencies like these as invaluable professional development opportunities for artists, ultimately strengthening the sector’s resources. We are really looking forward to Dave being present in the Studios and interacting with his practice.”
The NAVIGATOR residency programme is part of IMC’s commitment to further develop the national scene for jazz and improvised music, improve artist touring mobility, develop audiences nationwide, and develop creative opportunities and fruitful new relationships for musicians.
