Bill Whelan

Bill Whelan has composed music for theatre, film and orchestra. His best known work Riverdance, was composed especially for the interval act of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. As a single release, Riverdance spent 18 weeks at no.1 in the Irish charts and was a top ten hit in the UK. Since then Riverdance the Show has gone on to play to 22 million people world wide. In his memoir, The Road to Riverdance he reveals the nuts, bolts, sheer effort and serendipities that formed the unconscious preparation of his reinvention of the Irish tradition for a modern age. Hot Press wrote of the book: ‘Paints an unforgettable picture of how one man navigated the rapids of music in Ireland – and came up trumps in the long run … an essential read for anyone who loves Irish music.’