ONE of the big musical unknowns at the moment is the fate of the PIANO report. The most important recommendation of the ministerially established review body PIANO (Provision and Institutional Arrangements Now for Orchestras and Ensembles) was the removal of the National Symphony Orchestra from the ambit of RTE. If and how the Minister for Arts & Culture, Michael D. Higgins, will choose to deal with this recommendation will be known early in the new year when the details of his new broadcasting legislation will be revealed.

The need for radical management reform for the NSO is as acute as ever. Poor programming and the failure to raise consistently the level of guest conductors and soloists are major issues which continue to hide a host of other failures. The major single barrier facing any proposal for change is that a better orchestra will cost more to run. It's hard to imagine that the funds will be made available for reform on the scale PIANO envisages, but, equally, it's hard to imagine real improvements taking place without the introduction of major structural change.

PIANO also made radical suggestions about the establishment at Earlsfort Terrace of an "Irish Academy for the Performing Arts". This sort of development is also supported by the board of the NCH. This idea, which is being quite strongly pushed, would involve the conversion of a 19th century building with all the concomitant problems of sound proofing, etc. It would be good if its proponents would explain why third level development should precede development of the scandalously under provided primary and secondary levels, offer some hard evidence about the suitability of Earlsfort Terrace, and put a price tag on what's being proposed. The sad fact is that, politically, the idea has a lot more going for it than the altogether more important reform of the musical deprivation in our schools, so don't expect the "Academy" noises to abate.

With cross Border co operation, the opening of Belfast's Waterfront Hall can be expected to create a more viable touring circuit for expensive major musical acts. The busiest concert agency that Ireland has ever known is (and will remain) the Music Network which, during the year, produced a directory, the Irish Music Handbook, to remind everyone that concerts are seen by the network as only the tip of the iceberg of its activities as a music development organisation.

It was the Arts Council's new director, Patricia Quinn, who, 10 years ago, had the vision to mastermind the setting up of the Music Network (at that time she was the council's music officer). It would be heartening to think that in her new position (and with an increase in the Arts Council's own funding) she will look into the establishment of dedicated chamber ensembles, especially one to address the needs of contemporary music.

Artist to watch:

At the end of 1995 the young conductor Fergus Sheil won the British Reserve Insurance Competition in Bristol. Since then he has appeared with the Northern Sinfonia in Durham, the Orchestra of St Cecilia in Dublin, the RTECO at a lunchtime at the NCH, and most recently in the final performance of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore for Opera Ireland, where the point and pace of his conducting quite outclassed what was heard on the opening night.

This year's Must Sees:

1. On Sunday, January 12th, the Irish Chamber Orchestra moves up a league for an appearance at the RDS under Kent Nagano, currently principal conductor of the Halle Orchestra.

2. Friday, January 17th sees the opening of Belfast's new £28 million Waterfront Hall. The opening festival includes two appearances by the Ulster Orchestra, three by the St Petersburg Philharmonic under Yuri Temirkanov, and a recital by soprano Montserrat Caballe; the first concert in the hall's "Studio" venue will be given on Saturday 11th by guitarist Julian Bream.

3. Ireland's only festival of contemporary music, the Sonorities Festival in Belfast (first weekend in May) will be focussing on music by Italian composers.

4. Also in May, the Guardian Dublin International Piano Competition will turn the chattering classes into temporary experts on pianists, piano music and pianos.

5. The West Cork Chamber Music Festival (June/July) will be featuring some of the larger works of Schubert and Brahms in this anniversary year.

6. November should see the second instalment of Hugh Tinney's cherishable three year Mozart piano concerto cycle at the National Concert Hall.