Kilkenny Arts Festival 2014 runs from the 8th to the 14th of August. They’ve just announced some of the highlights of this years festival and they’ve once more managed to get the Globe theatre to visit, this time with a production of Much Ado about Nothing! There’s also Trad supergroup the Gloaming and Beethoven’s complete string quartets.

The complete programme will be released in the upcoming weeks, along with the gigs. They generally have a few interesting events, so we’ll let you know when they’re announced the rest.

– Beethoven Quest: The Complete String Quartets and Piano Concertos: The 2014 Festival offers audiences a unique, epic journey through some of the most extraordinary music of all time – the complete string quartets and piano concertos of Beethoven:

The Complete String Quartets with the Heath Quartet: Beethoven’s complete String Quartets will be performed in ten one-hour concerts throughout the Festival by the Heath Quartet, one of Europe’s most exciting young ensembles which this week makes its Carnegie Hall debut. Oliver Heath (violin), Cerys Jones (violin), Gary Pomeroy (viola) and Christopher Murray (cello) will take up residence in the wonderfully intimate St John’s Priory for this captivating series of lunchtime concerts. (8-17 August)

The Complete Piano Concertos with Barry Douglas (piano/director) and Camerata Ireland: Barry Douglas and his acclaimed ensemble return to Kilkenny with a rare cycle of Beethoven’s five piano concertos over two evenings (15 and 16 August) in the glorious acoustics of St Canice’s Cathedral, one of Ireland’s most beautiful medieval buildings.

– The Gloaming with special guests at St Canice’s Cathedral: Already hailed as “one of the greatest Irish acts of their generation”, The Gloaming bring their gloriously unfettered take on traditional music to St Canice’s Cathedral for their long-awaited Kilkenny debut. These five remarkable musicians (Thomas Bartlett, Dennis Cahill, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh and Martin Hayes) will be joined for this unforgettable evening by a number of surprise special guests.

– Shakespeare’s Globe returns to Castle Yard: Following their sold-out performances in 2012 and 2013, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Company, one of the world’s finest ensembles, will return with a brand-new production of Much Ado About Nothing, a masterpiece of comic timing and dramatic suspense featuring literature’s wittiest bickering couple. Directed by Max Webster, the production will open on 8 August and run for the duration the Festival in the stunning historic setting of Castle Yard.

The full programme for the 2014 Kilkenny Arts Festival will be announced in the coming months.

Booking details: www.kilkennyarts.ie

Listings Information:

Beethoven Quest: The Complete String Quartets

The Heath Quartet

Venue: St John’s Priory

Dates: 8-17 August

Time: 1pm

Tickets: from €13

Beethoven Quest: The Complete Piano Concertos

Barry Douglas (piano/director) and Camerata Ireland

Venue: St Canice’s Cathedral

Programme I

Date: Friday 15 August

Time: 8pm

Piano Concerto No 2 in Bb

Piano Concerto No 1 in C

Piano Concerto No 4 in G

Tickets: from €23.50

Programme II

Date: Saturday 16 August

Time: 8pm

Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor

Piano Concerto No 5 “Emperor” in Eb

Tickets: from €23.50

The Gloaming with Special Guests

Venue: St Canice’s Cathedral

Date: 13 August

Time: 8pm

Tickets: from €26

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Directed by Max Webster

Venue: Castle Yard

Dates: 8–12, 14-17 August

Time: 7.30pm

Tickets: from €22.50

Special offers, family tickets and bundles available – see www.kilkennyarts.ie for details.