The Irish Baroque Orchestra, established in 1996 in Dublin, is Ireland’s first early music ensemble. Founded by Mark Duley and Thérèse Timoney until the early 200s, it is now directed since 2018 by bassoonist and musical director Peter Whelan. The group had become a staple of the Concert Hall. Its releases include The Trials of Tenducci (2021), The Hibernian Muse (2022), Mr Charles the Hungarian. Handel's Rival in Dublin (2023), Rachel Baptist: Ireland’s Black Syren (2024), and Handel: Messiah (2026). The orchestra won the 2022 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for Bajazet at the Royal Opera House, and its sell‑out performances of Messiah were highlights of Ireland’s musical calendar.
