Accomplished flute and whistle player and traditional singer Hanz Araki is the son of Irish and Japanese parents. His mother's family left Ireland in the early 20th century and traveled across the Atlantic; landing first in Canada and making a second long journey across North America before arriving in Seattle, Washington. Hanz's father is shakuhachi grandmaster Tatsuya Kodo Araki, the fifth … [Read more...] about Hanz Araki
2016
Shay Black
Shay Black is an avid songcatcher, musician and singer and is known for his extensive knowledge of songs and music from the Irish, English, Scottish, and North American traditions. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he moved in 1994 to Berkeley, CA from Liverpool, where he had lived for the previous twenty years. While in Liverpool, he toured and recorded with Irish band Garva, the celebrated Stan Hugill … [Read more...] about Shay Black
Kevin Crawford
Born in Birmingham, England, Kevin Crawford’s early life was one long journey into Irish music and Co. Clare, where he eventually moved while in his 20s. He was a founding member of Moving Cloud, the Clare-based band who recorded such critically-acclaimed albums as Moving Cloud and Foxglove, and he has also recorded with Grianin, Raise the Rafters, Joe Derrane, Natalie Merchant, Susan McKeown, and … [Read more...] about Kevin Crawford
Danny Diamond
Danny Diamond is a fiddle player based in Dublin, Ireland known for incorporating wider influences from Nordic and American folk to baroque music to experimental pop rooted in the rich heritage of Irish traditional music. Danny plays with the contemporary Nordic/Irish band Slow Moving Clouds and the Irish traditional band Mórga. His 2014 debut solo album, "Fiddle Music," was widely acclaimed as … [Read more...] about Danny Diamond
Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell, whose parents are from Co. Galway and Co. Cavan, was born in Manchester, England, into a musical family. Colin started playing the fiddle and tin whistle from an early age and has made a name for himself performing and recording with an array of great musicians in Europe and the U.S., including Flook, Grada, Karen Casey, John Doyle, The Elders, Julie Fowlis, Tim … [Read more...] about Colin Farrell
Gráinne Hambly
Gráinne Hambly from County Mayo, Ireland is an internationally recognised exponent of the Irish harp, and is in great demand as a performer and teacher, both at home and abroad. Gráinne started to play Irish music on the tin whistle at an early age, before moving on to the concertina and later the harp. She lived in Belfast for six years, where she completed a Masters Degree in Musicology, awarded … [Read more...] about Gráinne Hambly
Cathal Hayden
Cathal Hayden was born in July of 1963, in the village of the Rock, Co. Tyrone, an area immersed in traditional music. The third in a family of eight, he was born into a deep musical background. His first instrument was a tenor banjo before progressing on to fiddle. Cathal’s father was a great follower of the All-Ireland Fleadh and during the mid 1970’s, he brought Cathal all around Ireland … [Read more...] about Cathal Hayden
Michelle Hedden
Michelle Hedden is one of Texas' most in-demand bodhrán players and teachers. Using her vast knowledge of styles and her immense talent, she supports each tune by accentuating its unique character and feel in order to help create the communal magic that is Irish music. Michelle certainly has the ability to step out and provide impressive individual "fireworks" with her playing, but her real focus … [Read more...] about Michelle Hedden
Kieran Jordan
Kieran Jordan, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is a performer, teacher, and director/choreographer of Irish dance, with a professional freelance career spanning more than 15 years. Born in Philadelphia to an Irish American family, Kieran started Irish step dancing when she was just five years old. She has been performing as a featured solo dancer since her high school years and has toured widely … [Read more...] about Kieran Jordan
Jimmy Keane
Irish music's accordion virtuoso Jimmy Keane was born in London of Irish-speaking parents from Connemara and Kerry. His late father Jimmy was a magnificent sean-nos singer, and both parents actively encouraged Jimmy to take up traditional Irish music. Jimmy has achieved unprecedented success in competitive playing, having won five consecutive All-Ireland titles on the piano accordion. His original … [Read more...] about Jimmy Keane