John O'Conor, hailed as "the world's premier Beethoven interpreter," has made more than 20 recordings, including the complete Beethoven Bagatelles -- cited by the New York Times as the best recordings of these works; the complete Beethoven Concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra under Andreas Delfs in 2007-08; and Mozart Concertos with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has also recorded the complete Nocturnes, Sonatas and Concertos of the Irish Composer John Field. He has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, l'Orchestre National de France, the NHK Orchestra in Japan and the Cleveland, San Francisco, Dallas, Montreal and Detroit Symphonies in North America.

 

O'Conor has given concerts in many of the world's most famous halls including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Wigmore Hall and South Bank Centre in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Dvorak Hall in Prague and the Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo.

 

John O'Conor is now regarded as one of the most important piano teachers in the world today. He is currently Director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music. For his services to music he has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the National University of Ireland and by Trinity College Dublin, the title "Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Government, and the "Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst" by the Austrian Government.

 

The Royal Irish Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Cavanagh, is comprised of Academy's finest musicians from all over Ireland. The group performs regularly in concert in Dublin and around the country. In the week prior to their performance for the Washington Conservatory they will appear at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in New York.

 

Parking is on-street on Massachusetts and Western Avenues and in the parking lot of Westmoreland Congregational UCC church.