fractured rhapsody

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Featuring the works of Stefan L. Smith, Jessie Montgomery, Laura Vega, James Lee III and more, this rhapsodically fractured program curated by Berginald Rash is unfettered bliss and tumult or the facade of the former in the face of the latter.

Promises broken, life and livelihood lost, fractured rhapsody is the excavation, dissection and interrogation of post-traumatic joy - siloed, singular, surpassing understanding and broken. It illuminates unspoken revolution, the tempered and shuttered release, ecstasy, catharsis amidst a shattered covenant that yields splintered shards of incongruous peace and malaise, hope and regret. Featuring the works of Stefan L. Smith, Jessie Montgomery, James Lee III, Iván Enrique Rodriguez, Laura Vega, Shawn Okpebholo, Dolores Serrano Cueto, Raymond Yiu and the Irish premiere of Joseph Hallman’s Duet for clarinet and harp, is this rhapsodically fractured program unfettered bliss and tumult or the facade of the former in the face of the latter? You decide.

Berginald Rash
Hailed for his ‘especially stylish’ playing (The Guardian), acclaimed clarinetist Berginald Rash is a captivating international artist having performed with such orchestras as RTÉ Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and the Ulster Orchestra, collaborating with members of Philharmonia, Nashville Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt hr-Sinfonieorchester, and Atlanta Symphony. He has given masterclasses at such universities as University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, University of Kansas, and Vanderbilt. A TEDx Speaker and radio presenter, Berginald has been a reviewer for BBC Radio 3's Record Review, a presenter on BBC Radio 3's Inside Music, presented a three-part docu-series on BBC Radio 3 entitled "The American Clarinet", and a contributor on BBC Radio 4's How to Play. He has been featured on RTÉ lyric FM's Full Score with Liz Nolan and Aedín in the Afternoon where he along with his duo partner, harpist Fiona Gryson, shared their debut album, Dathanna: Hues and Shades.

Fiona Gryson
Fiona Gryson enjoys a varied career as a professional, freelance harpist and teacher. A thoughtful and consummate curator, Fiona is music director of the Cornstown House ‘Music on the Farm’ concert series, a member of the Advisory Group for Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland, director of the Fingal Harp Ensemble and co-director of the TU Dublin Conservatoire Harp Ensemble with Rachel Duffy and Clíona Doris. Fiona is in demand as a teacher of both lever and concert pedal harps, running a private harp studio in Co. Dublin. A recipient of a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship awarded by Research Ireland, Fiona Gryson is pursuing PhD research with Prof. Clíona Doris and Dr. Helen Lawlor at TU Dublin Conservatoire. With clarinettist Berginald Rash, Fiona recently released their début album of clarinet and harp transcriptions entitled ‘Dathanna: Hues and Shades’ under the Orchid label. She has performed as Principal Harpist with the National Symphony and RTÉ Concert Orchestras, the Irish Chamber and the Ulster Orchestras. As a soloist and member of ensembles, she has performed extensively nationally and internationally, both live and on television and radio.With Rachel Duffy, she is delighted to co-direct Cairde na Cruite’s An Chúirt Chruitireachta International Harp Festival 2025.

Irene Cano
Irene Cano completed her Bachelor’s degree in Violin at the Conservatorio Superior Manuel Massotti Littel in Murcia in 2013. From an early age, she became involved in orchestral projects, joining the Youth Orchestra of the Region of Murcia from 2008 to 2011 and touring across Europe and the United States. She has participated in courses and masterclasses with renowned violinists such as Ara Malikian, Rainer Sonne, Santiago de la Riva, Helena Wood, and Tim Vogler.

Since 2013, Irene has worked as a freelance violinist with several Spanish orchestras, including the Symphony Orchestra of the Region of Murcia, the Alicante Philharmonic Orchestra, the Elche Symphony Orchestra, and the Orihuela Philharmonic Orchestra.

Her passion for music education led her to move to Dublin in 2014, where she earned the Diploma in Music Teaching and Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She later continued her training in music pedagogy, obtaining the Dalcroze Eurhythmics Certificate from the Escola Joan Llongueres in Barcelona and attending various specialization courses in violin teaching.

Irene’s interest in folk music has inspired her involvement in numerous projects in Spain. She has recorded three studio albums with the bands Túa (Coordenadas Norte-Sur, Encuentro) and Oh Bro (Moving to the Country), and has performed at folk festivals in Spain and Portugal.

In the field of chamber music, Irene has been part of several quartets in her hometown of Murcia and co-founded chamber ensembles such as Trío Lézard (2011–2014) and Tríptico (2015–2017). Recently based in Ireland, she founded Trasnú alongside pianist Cahal Masterson, with whom she made her debut in 2024 at the Mullingar Arts Centre, presenting a program of classical music inspired by Spanish and Irish folk traditions.