Concerts:
11 June 2026 | Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin | Sold Out
14 June 2026 | King House, Boyle
“From the Danube to the Dodder”: New Romanian-Irish Musical Dialogues on the Emerald Isle
Following the success of last year’s tour in Ireland, the trio formed by Adrian Mantu, Dermot Dunne and Sebastian Tegzesiu returns to Irish audiences for two new concerts. The strong interest in the project is confirmed by the fact that the event scheduled at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin, is already sold out.
The concert series “From the Danube to the Dodder: Dialogues for Cello, Accordion and Violin” continues the artistic collaboration between violinist Sebastian Tegzesiu, cellist Adrian Mantu and accordionist Dermot Dunne. The collaboration began during a tour held in Ireland at the end of last year, which concluded at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, at the initiative of the Embassy of Romania in Ireland.
At the invitation of their Irish partners, the three musicians now return to the Emerald Isle for two new concerts, scheduled for 11 June at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin, and 14 June at King House, Boyle. The programme proposes an encounter between Romanian and Irish music, alongside celebrated works from the European repertoire, in a chamber music format that brings together virtuosity, expressiveness and spontaneity.
Adrian Mantu, founding member of the ConTempo Quartet and one of the most highly regarded Romanian-Irish musical personalities, is recognised for his artistic and pedagogical activity on major international stages. Dermot Dunneis among Ireland’s leading accordionists, appreciated for his versatility and for projects that cross the boundaries between musical genres. They are joined by Romanian violinist Sebastian Tegzesiu, Manager of the Brașov Philharmonic and a musician with an extensive solo and chamber music career.
The project is organised by UCIMR – the Romanian Association of Music Performers, in partnership with ICon Arts Partnership, King House Cultural Centre – Boyle and the Office of Public Works (OPW), the institution responsible for managing some of Ireland’s most important monuments and heritage sites. The initiative contributes to strengthening the cultural dialogue between Romania and Ireland and to promoting Romanian musicians in international artistic contexts.
Adrian Mantu – Cello
Founding cellist of the ConTempo Quartet, Adrian Mantu is one of Ireland’s most active and respected performers and artistic leaders. Born in Romania and based in Galway, he has performed over 3,000 concerts worldwide, appearing on prestigious stages such as Wigmore Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall and the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
A laureate of numerous national and international cello and chamber music competitions, Adrian has studied at leading institutions including the Royal Academy of Music in London, the University of Music Bucharest, Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid and Trinity College Dublin / Royal Irish Academy of Music. Over the course of his career, he has served as Artistic Director of several festivals and cultural organisations, including The Galway Music Residency, ConTempo Partnership, ICon Arts Festival & Summer Classes, Enescu Festival Dublin and the CelloVision Project.
In 2016, Adrian and his colleagues from the RTÉ ConTempo Quartet were awarded the degree of Doctor of Music honoris causa by the National University of Ireland, Galway. In 2022, he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of Knight by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, for his contribution to universal culture and to promoting Romania’s image abroad.
As an educator and cultural ambassador, Adrian is dedicated to building bridges between communities through music, while his performances combine expressive depth with refined technical mastery.
Dermot Dunne – Accordion
Dermot Dunne is widely recognised as one of Ireland’s foremost accordionists, celebrated for his versatility, charisma and expressive stage presence. He began his performing career after winning the Irish National Music Competition – “Musician of the Future” in 1996.
He studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Kyiv, Ukraine, between 1996 and 2001, and now pursues an active career both as a performer and as a lecturer at the TU Dublin Conservatoire.
Dermot performs regularly in concert halls and festivals across Ireland and has given chamber music recitals and concerts in numerous European countries, as well as in the United States, Canada, China, Singapore and Qatar.
He has performed alongside renowned European musicians including Pekka Kuusisto, Natalie Klein, Katherine Hunka and the Vogler Quartet, and has recorded with ensembles and artists such as Crash Ensemble, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Lunfardia, cellist Adrian Mantu, Mary Coughlan and The Far Flung Trio.
His repertoire spans classical transcriptions, contemporary compositions, traditional music and cross-genre collaborations, bringing to every performance a rare combination of virtuosity, warmth and spontaneity.
Sebastian Tegzesiu – Violin
Romanian violinist Sebastian Tegzesiu is a distinguished performer and cultural leader, currently serving as Manager of the Brașov Philharmonic. A former concertmaster of the same institution, he has built a rich artistic career through solo, chamber and orchestral projects across Europe.
His playing is marked by expressive depth, elegance and precision — qualities that reflect both his dedication to artistic excellence and his commitment to fostering the cultural life of his community in Brașov.
The project is organised by ICon Arts Partnership and UCIMR – the Romanian Association of Music Performers, in partnership with King House Cultural Centre – Boyle and the Office of Public Works (OPW).
The initiative contributes to strengthening the cultural dialogue between Romania and Ireland and to promoting Romanian musicians in international artistic contexts.