To Stresscafe home pageIrish Music at the Kennedy Center

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. has a free music performance on its Millennium Stage almost every day of the year, a number of which feature Irish music. Audio and video of these performances back to 1998 are available to everyone free over the web. Here are some of the performances of interest to fans of traditional Irish music:

  Date   Artist  
2004, September 30th [ Play it! ] Joe Derrane Legendary button accordion player is joined by Zan Macleod on guitar and dancers.
2004, September 29th [ Play it! ] Dervish Fiddles, flute, accordion, guitar, bouzoukis, and vocals deliver the typical great Dervish results.
  2004, January 14th [ Play it! ] Dervish Fiddles, flute, accordion, guitar, bouzoukis, and vocals deliver the typical great Dervish results.
  2003, December 26th [ Play it! ] Billy McComiskey, Brendan Mulvihill, and Zan McLeod Button accordion, fiddle, and guitar, plus step dancing.
  2003, July 23rd [ Play it! ] Lúnasa More from the Lúnasa lads.
  2003, May 26th [ Play it! ] Karan Casey w/ Niall Vallely, Cillian Vallely, et al. Modern treatments of mostly modern songs; small set in the middle by Niall and Cillian on concertina and uilleann pipes.
  2003, January 9th [ Play it! ] bohola Piano accordion, fiddle, and bouzouki.
  2002, December 26th [ Play it! ] Billy McComiskey, Jim Egan, and Zan McLeod Button accordion, fiddle, and guitar, plus step dancing.
  2002, September 19th [ Play it! ] Kevin Burke Unaccompanied solo fiddling. The cream of the crop.
  2002, January 16th [ Play it! ] Danú Irish fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes, accordion, guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán, and vocals--the works.
  2001, December 26th [ Play it! ] Billy McComiskey, Brendan Mulvihill, Zan McLeod Button accordion, fiddle, and guitar..
  2001, October 4th [ Play it! ] Lúnasa Sophisticated modern band arrangements on flute, fiddle, uilleann pipes, acoustic bass, and guitar.
  2001, March 21st [ Play it! ] Sharon Shannon and the Woodchoppers Sharon's button accordion and fiddle plus her crack band. Dessie O'Halloran sits in for a couple of songs.
  2001, March 16th [ Play it! ] Billy McComiskey and Zan McLeod Button accordion and guitar, plus some step dancing.
  2000, May 20th [ Play it! ] Frank Harte Unaccompanied traditional songs.
  2000, May 18th [ Play it! ] Conal O'Gráda, Kevin Glackin, Ronan Browne, Tommy Hayes, Mary Green Flute, fiddle, uilleann pipes, bodhrán, and guitar, plus songs from Mary.
  2000, May 17th [ Play it! ] Peter Browne Uilleann pipes demonstration and lecture.
  2000, April 2nd [ Play it!] Liz Carroll Unaccompanied solo fiddling, with Billy McComiskey and Myron Bretholz sitting in on button accordion and bodhrán on few sets.
  1999, October 3rd [ Play it! ] Paddy Keenan and Seán Tyrell Uilleann piping and songs.

We haven't tried to list every artist with an Irish music connection, just to hit some of the highlights. To find more, try searching for words like "Irish", "Ireland", "Scottish", "Scotland", "Breton", "Brittany", "Bretagne", "Welsh", "Wales", "Manx", "Shetland", and "Celtic".

The archives have concerts in many styles of music, dance, and other art forms, so go searching or browsing and see what else you find.

Some more Kennedy Center performances of music from Ireland, Scotland, America, and beyond:

  Date   Artist  
  2003, December 10th [ Play it! ] Laura Risk and Paddy League Fiddle of Scotland, Ireland, and elsewhere, with guitar, bodhran, and vocals.
  2003, December 3rd [ Play it! ] Johnny Cunningham and Susan McKeown Johnny and Susan perform their "A Winter Talisman" show of "songs of winter and early Celtic poetry", with guitarist Aidan Brennan.
  2003, October 5th [ Play it! ] Capercaillie A mix of Scottish and Irish influences, of traditional and modern instrumentation, and of traditional music and modern compositions.
  2003, September 16th [ Play it! ] Old Blind Dogs Scottish band that unlike many puts their electric bass and percussion in supporting rather than dominant roles. Songs and tunes fiddle, smallpipes, guitar, bouzouki, etc.
  2003, July 5th [ Play it! ] The Battlefield Band  This version of the evergreen Scottish band includes the return of Pat Killbride on bouzouki. Keyboards, pipes, fiddle, original songs from Alan Reid, etc.
  2003, July 4th [ Play it! ] The Wrigley Sisters et al. String Wizard Concert: Virtuosos from Appalachia, Mali and Scotland. String players from several cultures: Will Keys (Appalachian two-finger style banjo), Scotland’s Wrigley Sisters (fiddle and guitar), and Donso N’goni (Malian harp-lute).
  2003, July 3rd [ Play it! ] Phil and Johnny Cunningham, with Dougie MacLean The legendary Cunninghams on piano accordion and fiddle, with guest Dougie MacLean on guitar. (No fiddle from Dougie this time.)
  2003, July 1st [ Play it! ] Brian McNeill and Friends Brian sings, plays traditional Scottish fiddle, bouzouki. Brian is joined by Ed Miller (singing and guitar), Fiona Hunter (singing, cello), and Finn Moore (highland pipes).
  2003, June 27th [ Play it! ] The Occasionals with caller Sheila McCutcheon
 Scottish ceilidh, including a dance lesson with caller Sheila McCutcheon.
  2003, April 24th [ Play it! ] Flook Very modern, trad-influenced band: flute, whistle, guitar, percussion.
  2003, April 6th [ Play it! ] Elke Baker, Liz Donaldson, Ralph Gordon Scottish fiddle, piano, and bass.
  2002, November 6th [ Play it! ] Hanneke Cassel and Dave Wiesler U.S. nation Scottish fiddle champion Hanneke in collaboration with Dave Wiesler on piano and guitar.
  2002, October 16th [ Play it! ] Aly Bain and Ale Möller The legendary Shetland Island fiddler teams up with Sweden's Ale Möller.
  2002, September 30th [ Play it! ] Clandestine Highland bagpipes, guitar, fiddle, percussion, and vocals.
  2002, May 19th [ Play it! ] Cathie Ryan Former Cherish the Ladies singer performs original and traditional songs.
  2002, May 12th [ Play it! ] The Wrigley Sisters Great traditional and original music on fiddle and guitar from Scotland, particularly the Orkney Islands.
  2002, March 13th [ Play it! ] Matapat Quebecois trio of accordion, fiddle, guitar, electric bass, and percussive feet.
  2002, February 20th [ Play it! ] Kvarts and Zar Fiddle, accordion, guitar, and acoustic bass from Norway by Kvarts, and more wide-ranging, Denmark-based fiddle, guitar, acoustic bass and vocals by Zar.
  2002, January 15th [ Play it! ] Broderick Described as "celtic fusion", with material from all over the place-- fiddle, viola, accordion, guitar, acoustic bass, vocals.
  2001, December 13th [ Play it! ] Johnny Cunningham and Susan McKeown Scottish fiddle and vocals, with Aidan Brennan on guitar.
  2001, November 16th [ Play it! ] Barachois Fiddle, vocals, harmonica, guitar, piano, foot percussion from Prince Edward Island.
  2000, December 14th [ Play it! ] Johnny Cunningham and Susan McKeown Scottish fiddle and vocals, with Aidan Brennan on guitar.

 
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