“The Magic of Ireland”: Urszula Janiszewska on Channeling Celtic Emotion

Composer Urszula Janiszewska has been awarded the Platinum Prize in the Original Composition category at the Global Best Creative Awards 2025 Season 1 for her vivid and emotionally rich piece The Magic of Ireland.

A long-time admirer of Irish music, Janiszewska blends the lively spirit of reels, jigs, and slip jigs with the haunting beauty of traditional ballads. “Irish music has always inspired me,” she explains. “It’s both energetic and deeply nostalgic. In The Magic of Ireland, I wanted to bring these contrasting emotions together—combining simple, uplifting melodies with lyrical themes and layered harmonies.”

Her composition paints an aural landscape of green hills and rocky cliffs, inviting listeners into the heart of Irish tradition. The instrumentation plays a central role, with solo parts for violin, flute, and guitar—instruments chosen for their central place in Irish folk music. “The flute and violin play in unison at times, a characteristic hallmark of this style,” she notes. “The guitar opens the piece and carries a solo line in the middle section, setting the atmosphere and anchoring the harmony.”

Janiszewska’s careful use of Irish ornaments, especially in the violin part, adds authenticity and color, bringing each phrase to life.

With The Magic of Ireland, she hopes audiences will not only enjoy the music but feel immersed in the atmosphere it evokes. “Everyone should draw their own emotions and images from it,” she says. “But above all, I want listeners to experience the beauty of Ireland—its music, its soul, and its landscape.”

What inspired the setting or context of this work?

For many years Irish music has been incredibly inspiring to me. I often return to various music albums featuring traditional Irish dances such as reel, jig, slipjig, but I also like to reach for very atmospheric Irish ballads. Irish music is, on the one hand, incredibly energetic and lively, but on the other hand nostalgic and melancholic. In my composition I wanted to combine simple and energetic melodies with lyrical themes and more complex harmonies. „The Magic of Ireland” is the epitome of Irish music.

What emotions or ideas were you hoping to express through this work?

Through my composition, I wanted to bring the amazing atmosphere of Ireland closer to listeners around the world, hence the title of the piece „ Magic of Ireland”.

Many emotions are stirred by very energetic, fast-paced fragments, but nostalgic themes that introduce a contemplative mood are also moving. All these emotions and images bring to mind green hills and rocky cliffs. Anyone who listens to this composition at least once will notice the unique melody, harmony and instrumentation illustrating the beauty of the green island.

Is there a particular element or detail in the piece that holds special meaning for you?

Of particular importance in the piece are the solo instrumental parts, especially the violin, flute and guitar. They interwine and complement each othes. I used these instruments on purpose because in Irish music these instruments are in the foreground. In my piece I also used the soloists unison playing, combining the flute and violin parts. This is also a very charakteristic feature of this music. I entrusted the solo intro to the guitar, which outlines the atmosphere of this composition. This instrument not only complements the harmony, but also plays the role of a solo instrument in the middle section, realizing fast melodic passages. To reflect the character of this music, I used numerous Irish ornaments in the violin part.

What do you hope audiences take away from experiencing your work?

I think everyone should draw their own conclusions, but above all, enjoy this unique Irish atmosphere. I encourage everyone to listen to my composition „ The Magic of Ireland”. I think that through my creative work they can see the beauty of the Irish landscape and the beauty of this music.