Friday, October 28, 2022 @ 17:45 – 19:00
Patrick Dexter is a globally-renowned cellist from Ireland. Though Patrick spent much
of youth in Dublin, he now lives in a tiny stone cottage in County Mayo with his wife
and daughter, surrounded by immense amounts of nature. The remoteness provided
both solace from the business of city life and excellent fodder for writing music.
During the Coronavirus lockdown, Patrick developed a habit of practicing the cello
outside. One day, he posted a video of himself online, and the Internet took the wheel
(as it tends to do).
His performances started to rack up millions of views, and messages from people all
over the world who had taken comfort in his rich, expansive playing flooded in. He
was invited to do a talk on the healing power of music for TEDX Stormont, and his
virtuosic arrangements of classical, traditional Irish folk and contemporary pop music
saw him skyrocket to international notoriety, all while he wasn’t allowed more than 5
kilometres from his front door.
Patrick will release his debut album, Solace, in 2022. Exploring themes of home, the
natural world, and the dichotomy of despair and joy found in both the landscape of the
west of Ireland and the sonic depth of the cello (one of classical music’s most
arresting instruments), Solace weaves through a complex and fascinating history of
traditional Irish music, as well as Patrick’s own personal history. It’s a vast,
accomplished, and incredibly life-affirming body of work that comes during one of the
darkest moments in human history, from an artist who has much more to offer.
