BlackGate

New sounds from Ireland

Irish double bassist and composer Caimin Gilmore joins internationally acclaimed artists Kate Ellis and Lavinia Meijer for an evening of music that moves between contemporary classical, folk, experimental sound, and electronics. The program features works by Philip Glass, Gabriella Smith, Anne Cleare, and Benedict Schlepper-Connolly, alongside Meijer’s own compositions. At the centre of the evening is BlackGate, Gilmore’s debut record, released in 2025, featuring his genre-fluid composition for double bass, cello, harp, and synthesizer.

Known as one of Ireland’s leading young double bassists, Gilmore emerges here as a major new compositional voice, building captivating sounds as he experiments and allows the music to flow freely. He is joined by Kate Ellis, Artistic Director of Ireland’s Crash Ensemble, and Lavinia Meijer, a Sony Classical recording artist whose recording of Philip Glass’s Metamorphosis went platinum in the Netherlands.

This performance is the start of a multi-year collaboration between Canadian and Irish artists leading toward the Canada-Ireland 180 commemoration in 2027. Over the coming seasons, Music on Main will bring artists together to share ideas, create new work, and build lasting connections across the Atlantic.

This performance is generously supported by Culture Ireland.