Nóra Hickey M'Sichili, Director of the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, joined the Sam Steen Show on RTL Today Radio to discuss Réaltbhuíonta (Constellations), a specially commissioned concert marking the opening of Ireland's 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Taking place on Wednesday, July 8th, the performance brings together some of Ireland's finest contemporary traditional musicians for what Nóra describes as a concert unlike any they've staged before.
"We wanted to come up with something a bit unusual," she explained. "Réaltbhuíonta is the Irish word for 'constellations', but literally it means 'a band of stars'. We have eight musicians and two percussive dancers who will share the stage for the first time ever together."
Rather than presenting a traditional concert, Réaltbhuíonta has been designed around the idea of collaboration.
Throughout the evening, artists from different musical backgrounds will perform in constantly changing combinations, creating new musical conversations as the performance unfolds.
"It's really amazing virtuoso musicians coming together," Nóra said. "They're the top of their game in Ireland and they're coming together for the first time for this concert."
While Irish traditional music forms the heart of the programme, audiences can also expect influences from jazz, classical music and beyond.
"We've got bouzouki players, sax players... the kind of unusual instruments you might not expect at a traditional concert," she said.
The programme has been carefully curated to reflect the cultural connections that exist across Europe.
The bouzouki itself, now a familiar instrument in Irish traditional music, originally arrived from Greece, while the inclusion of the saxophone offers a nod to Belgium, where it was invented.
"The whole concert is about connection rather than boundaries," Nóra explained. "There's a nice message behind it as well."
Presented as part of Cultúr 2026, the wider cultural programme celebrating Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the performance showcases an Ireland that is rooted in tradition while remaining open to new ideas and influences.
For Nóra, one of the concert's central themes is demonstrating that Irish traditional music has never been static.
"I think it's about showing that Irish traditional music has never stood still," she said. "It's always travelled, and the best traditions are the ones that keep evolving."
She believes even lifelong fans of traditional Irish music will hear something unexpected.
"I think people who are familiar with Irish traditional music will be surprised," she added.
Réaltbhuíonta | Constellations
The performance features Aoife Ní Bhriain, Cormac McCarthy, Sam Comerford, Macdara Ó Faoláin, Cormac Begley, Niwel Tsumbu, Francesco Turrisi, Sibéal Davitt, Stephanie Keane and Ciara Ní É in a unique collaboration created especially to mark Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
A limited number of tickets are still available by emailing luxembourg@dfa.ie.
You can also listen back to Nóra Hickey M'Sichili's full interview on the Sam Steen Show below.
