Caitlín and Ciarán

Ireland’s Caitlín Nic Gabhann and Ciarán Ó Maonaigh

Join us on Thursday, Nov. 3 for one of Ireland’s most talented young duos on their first-ever U.S. West Coast tour! Acclaimed musicians each in their own right, Caitlín Nic Gabhann and Ciarán Ó Maonaigh have joined forces to create one of traditional music’s most impressive acts. The pair’s spirited music and dance is rooted in the tradition, brimming with soul and life. Through fiddle, concertina and dance, Caitlín and Ciarán breathe fire into musical pieces, combining their arts with chemistry and energy. Caitlín and Ciarán have a connection as deep as the Irish folk traditions they come out of. Their music is a joyful unleashing of talents learned at the hearths of their parents, family and friends. Ciarán’s fiddle is complimented by Caitlín’s concertina and dance, her footsteps expertly tapping out the rhythms and elevating the duo’s musical excellence. Three-time All-Ireland champion on concertina, Caitlin is a regular performer at festivals and concert halls from North America all the way to Asia. She is also an accomplished dancer and has toured with the world with Riverdance as a troupe dancer. Writing tunes since the age of ten, her compositions have been performed at the Cork Opera House and The National Concert Hall, Dublin and recorded by renowned musicians in Ireland and abroad. Her debut solo CD release, Caitlin, was voted 2012 “CD of the Year” award by tradconnect.com as well as being labelled the “top Irish traditional album of 2012” by The Wall Street Journal. A former recipient of TG4 Young Musician of the Year, fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh hails from the Gaoth Dobhair gaeltacht in Co. Donegal. He is also a member of the band Fidil, and they have released 3 acclaimed albums. Fidil, released in June 2008, was described by Irish Music Magazine as “One of the most challenging and beautifully austere albums of the last fifty years;” 3 was released in 2009 and was awarded a 5-star review and was named CD of the week in The Irish Times. In 2011, The Old Wheel of Fortune was released with Songlines magazine declaring it “one of the finest albums to emerge from Ireland this decade.”