t o n n t a
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tonnta is a performance company and vocal ensemble dedicated to new music.
led by vocalist and composer robbie blake, tonnta champions the interdisciplinary creation and performance of music.
tonnta's sound is vibrant and dynamic – the work references the worlds of live art, contemporary dance and theatre while being rooted in sound.
tonnta believes in creating experiences for all, and where possible ensures all events are accessible to those with reduced mobility, wheelchair users and are delivered in a relaxed-performance style. If you have any concerns about upcoming events, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
tonnta prioritises performances and events that are invigorating, boundary-pushing and accessible for all.
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Don’t anticipate the ending, digital exhibition MoLI - Museum of Literature, Ireland
Practice-based research project by academic researcher Dr. Zosia Kuczyńska, dancer-choreographer Jessie Keenan, and performance-maker Robbie Blake.
Focusing on the creative process of Irish playwright Brian Friel as revealed by his literary archives at the National Library of Ireland, it asks whether one artist’s ways of working can generate new ways of making art for contemporary practitioners through archival engagement.
Explore this archive of an archive in this open-access digital exhibition at MoLI - Museum of Literature, Ireland here.
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Tonnta featured in a 90-minute cinematic programme Samhlú on TG4 on 15th December 2020, broadcasting worldwide. Commissioned for the feature, the group performs Las, Leas, Léas (Light, Heal, Insight) composed by Robbie Blake with words written by Manchán Magan. Appearing as the ‘doorstep choir’, Tonnta gives its first performance on the silver screen in Samhlú. Watch the film here.
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Ireland: A Dataset by Jennifer Walshe
What is Ireland? Is it a country? An idea? The location of Planet Ahch-To and Game of Thrones? What does it mean to be considered “Irish”?
Tonnta’s vocalists join a blistering creative team to brought Walshe’s world premiere to life in this live stream direct from Ireland’s National Concert Hall on Saturday 26 September 2020. In 2023, the work was performed in the UK’s largest festival for contemporary music at Huddersfield to a sold out audience and standing ovation. The performance was recorded by the BBC and aired on BBC 3’s New Music Show.
Read about this piece and Jennifer’s music in an article written by Alex Ross in The New Yorker.
Listen to a podcast about this work from Ireland’s Contemporary Music Centre.
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Highlights
Brave New Voices 2019-20
POSTAL NOTES at New Music Dublin Festival, National Concert Hall. A playful, interactive installation of postcard pieces created by members of the Irish Composers Collective, curated by Tonnta, with live performances dotted throughout the festival. Free and open to all. 27 February - 1 March 2020. More info here.
THEIR CHORUS at Quarter Block Party Festival, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork. An adaption of Jennifer Walshe’s installation piece Volunteer Chorus, Tonnta performs with a cast non-binary artists set amongst the larger-than-life Canova Cast collection at Crawford Art Gallery. Free and open to all. 9 February 2020. More info here.
LISTENING BODIES with Kirkos Ensemble at Smock Alley Theatre. An immersive, four-hour exhibition of live and installation music. Created by Michelle O’Rourke, Robert Coleman, Robbie Blake and Sebastian Adams. 9 November 2019.
STIMMUNG by Karlheinz Stockhausen. The first performance by an Irish ensemble, Stockhausen’s vocal masterpiece Stimmung is performed in the evocative acoustic and visual setting of Dublin’s City Hall. 25 October 2019. More info and tickets here.
Brave New Voices is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin City Council and Cork City Council, with additional support from Goethe-Institut Irland, Smock Alley Theatre, Crawford Art Gallery, Quarter Block Party, New Music Dublin, Heartspace Sanctuary and Kirkos Ensemble.
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The Worlding, September 2018, world premiere of durational installation by Jennifer Walshe at The Model, Sligo, created in collaboration with Tonnta. More info here. Read Toner Quinn’s review of the event on The Journal of Music here.
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In Clouds by Peter Power for the Cork Midsummer Festival, developed in association with Tonnta. Music by Peter Power and Michael Gallen, choreographed by Stephanie Dufresne. More info here.
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photos: Mihai Cucu, Ste Murray, Simon Lazewski
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To hear a sample of tonnta’s performance, use the audio player embedded at the top of the page
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Say hello!
Email us: tonntamusic@gmail.com
Connect with us:
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tonnta is supported by Smock Alley Theatre as artists-in-residence.