LAOISE KELLY, NELL NÍ CHRÓINÍN, TARA BREEN & JOSEPHINE MARSH

In 2019 Laoise, Nell, Tara and Josephine began their musical collaboration and together they have been “setting the bar high, both at home and around the globe.” (Music Network). We are delighted and excited to have them with us this year!

Laoise Kelly has been described as “the most significant harper of her generation” (Nuala O’Connor) and “An exuberant and innovative talent which catches the spirit of the modern Irish music movement in a way that few harpers have done to date” (Irish Music Magazine). Laoise began playing harp at age 12 in her hometown of Westport, Co. Mayo where she was taught music and encouraged by her parents from a young age. She has won three All-Ireland competitions on harp, as well as numerous other awards including TG4’s Musician of the Year (2020). Laoise was a founding member of the bands The Bumblebees and Fiddletree, with whom she toured and recorded widely. While she has multiple solo and duet trad albums, she has also crossed musical genres as guest musician on albums by Kate Bush and Tim O’Brien. She is a full-time musician and harp tutor and now lives on Achill Island, where she founded the Achill International Harp festival.

Nell Ní Chróinín, from the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) town of Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, is one of the most prominent sean-nós (old style) singers in Ireland. She became interested in singing at the age of 10, when she attended her first Oireachtas na Gaeilge (festival of Irish Language Gathering, first established in 1897). She began taking lessons shortly after, and quickly went on to receive numerous accolades for her Irish language singing, including multiple Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and An tOireachtas awards. She was the youngest ever recipient of both TG4’s ‘Gradam Ceoil Traditional Singer of the Year‘ award in 2012, as well as the national ‘Corn Uí Riada’ competition in 2014. She received a B.Ed at University of Limerick, and is currently a teacher and professional musician. Described as having an “Exceptionally pure voice” (The Living Tradition), Nell has been a guest on several TG4 programs, and is currently the lead singer with the world renowned band Danú and is a member of the Raw Bar Collective, with whom she performed at the 3rd Feile Seamus Creagh in 2012.

Tara Breen is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Ruan, Co. Clare. She comes from a very musical family, and started playing whistle and fiddle at a young age, adding classical flute and saxophone to her long list of instruments along the way. She has received countless awards for her fiddle playing, including All-Ireland titles for fiddle in every age category through the years, in addition to awards for flute and saxophone. She studied music at UCC and graduated with BA (Hons) in Music and Arts, and B.Mus Degrees. She now lives in Ennis, where she teaches fiddle at Music Generation Clare. In addition to her solo work, Tara has performed and recorded extensively with such greats as The Chieftains, Stockton’s Wing, Cirrus, the Trí Tones, Donal Lunny and Carlos Nuñez, to name just a few. She has been described as “a musical wizard” by Music Network in Ireland.

Josephine Marsh, a music teacher, composer and full-time musician, is considered one of the finest accordion players in Ireland. A multi-instrumentalist, she also plays fiddle, whistle, concertina, guitar, mandolin and banjo. Her compositions have been widely recorded not only on her solo albums, and by the Josephine Marsh Band, but also by such performers as Mike McGoldrick and John McSherry, Cherish the Ladies, and The London Lasses. In 2020, she received the TG4 award for Composer of the Year. Born in England to Irish parents, she returned to Ireland with her family in the early ‘70s. Josephine began playing at an early age, and while she was largely self taught, her father Paddy had a significant influence on her playing. She now lives in Co. Clare, where she is an integral part of the music scene. Folk Roots described her playing as "light, joyous and flowing."