Award-winning composer Ailís Ní Ríain’s commemoration of the end of the siege of Sarajevo, combining music and video, and featuring the acclaimed accordion player Dermot Dunne. The piece uses archive footage, storytelling, the images of Sarajevo-based photographer Jim Marshall and texts by Bosnian writer Semezdin Mehmedinović.

“The stories that accompany the photographs, provided by citizens of the city, are a means of conveying the survival, humanity, humour, warmth and kindness of Sarajevo’s citizens during the siege. They describe an atmosphere in which the remarkable became routine, and the extraordinary became the norm, and capture the surreal horror, desperation, brutality and madness of a modern city under siege.”

The perfomer: Dermot Dunne has been a regular performer throughout Ireland, Europe and the USA. He took masterclasses in Belgrade (Serbia) during the war followed by studies at the Kiev conservatory in the Ukraine. His time in Belgrade remains a subject close to his heart. He is a much sought-after musician who specialises in contemporary music. He plays with various chamber groups and orchestras including the RTE Concert Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra, Crash Ensemble and Concorde.

The soundtrack to Sklonište also includes prepared piano (Ailís Ní Ríain), violin (Elaine Clarke, Leader of the Irish National Symphony Orchestra) and the vocals of Bosnia’s leading Sevdah singer Amira Medunjanin.

“Sklonište pays respectful homage to the people of Sarajevo, a timely reminder of how the horrors of war impact on innocent civilians. An excellent musical recital, Dermot Dunne’s accordion playing lent a disturbing sense of immediacy. Its discordant soundtrack, ever truly evoked a strong response.” (The Irish Examiner)