Mícheál O Súilleabháin (1950 – 2018) was, for many years, one of Ireland’s most popular and respected musicians. As a piano player and composer, his music straddled the worlds of traditional Irish music and contemporary orchestral settings. His piano playing – whether as a soloist, in a group setting or with his regular orchestral partners the Irish Chamber Orchestra – was honed to explore and interpret the nuances of Irish music on an instrument not generally associated with the tradition. The combination of his arrangements and personal performance style brought new resonance to slow airs and dance tunes alike, while his own compositions have become as familiar as many of the traditional pieces he played. He was also a well-known writer/presenter – his River of Sound series was broadcast on RTE in Ireland & the BBC in the UK. As an academic and Professor of Music, he founded The Irish World Academy of World Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.

Between Worlds was the first compilation of Mícheál’s recordings for Venture Recordings (part of Virgin Records) between 1987 & 1995 including an edit of the title track of the TV series River of Sound & Lumen – a hit single in Ireland – as used in the centre section of that year’s Eurovision Song Contest.