Asheville Irish Band story

This Asheville Irish Band began in a jam session in the wee-hours of the morning at the National Old Time Fiddle contest in Weiser, Idaho. These two musicians connected instantly on both musical and personal levels and have since fuelled each other’s creativity in a non-stop musical exploration.

Prior to their meeting, one of the members of this This Asheville Irish Band simultaneously pursued careers as a revered solo fiddler and a professional symphony violinist. Subsequent to his winning the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship in 2002, he devoted himself entirely to touring throughout the States and Scotland and appeared regularly on NPR radio, concert series, and large festival stages.

Meanwhile, the second member of this This Asheville Irish Band had competed regularly in fiddle contests, ultimately winning the Western Open Picking Championship in 2003 and 2004. She went on to collaborate with world renowned mandolinist Mike Marshal on his method books, taught at the Mandolin Symposium in California, and played in a number of Los Angeles area bands while studying classical violin and cello in college.

Asheville Irish Band accolades

The San Diego Tribune recently featured this new Asheville Irish Band in a full-page spread, calling her a “mandolin phenomenon.” Mike Marshal admiringly refers to this artist as “A rising star in the world of traditional and alternative music who is as comfortable playing in formal musical settings as in spontaneous jam sessions.”

Following his 28-concert tour of Scotland, he was heralded as “A new star for the Old World” (FiddleOn Magazine) and “The next Alasdair Fraser” (Scotland Press and Post). In the US, he is said to be “One of North America’s finest practitioners of traditional Scottish music” (San Jose Mercury News) and “A fantastic fiddler. He captures the essence of Celtic sentiment and yearning” (Olympian Weekender).

Asheville Irish Band audience appeal

This Asheville Irish Band consistently creates rapt audiences every time they take the stage, mixing intense passion and tenderness with a coyness and playful interaction that has become their trademark. Their popularity earns them invitations to venues such as The Freight & Salvage (Berkeley, CA); Club Passim (Cambridge, MA); Don Quixote’s (Santa Cruz, CA); Duke University (Durham, NC); California Traditional Music Society’s Solstice Festival (Los Angeles, CA); Sutter Creek Theatre (Sacramento, CA); Blackstone River Theatre (Providence, RI); Northwest Folklife Festival (Seattle, WA); The Hollywood Theatre (Portland, OR); Arts West Theatre (Seattle, WA); Swallow Hill Productions (Denver, CO); Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (Boone, NC); and many others throughout the U.S. and Scotland.