"The great fiddler Martin Hayes speaks with the soul of a poet...A remarkable artist, the only one of his type." - The Sunday Independent, Ireland
"One of the best fiddlers on the planet." - Bob Boilen, NPR
"Hayes has one of the most ravishing violin styles in all of Celtic music.” -The Los Angeles Times
Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes is one of Ireland’s foremost artists, known worldwide for his innovative and soulful interpretations of traditional music. This intimate performance of tunes and conversation provides an opportunity to spend time with a master of the Irish canon.
Martin Hayes’ fiddle playing is rooted in the accent of East County Clare where he grew up playing with his father, the legendary P.J. Hayes, and the Tulla Ceili Band. “The message always coming to me from my father and lots of the finest musicians of County Clare was their idea of musical feeling," says Hayes. "Music had to have feeling or it was nothing."
Hayes’ 25-year musical partnership with American guitarist Dennis Cahill, renowned for its groundbreaking performances, has included three acclaimed recordings, numerous international tours, and a special performance for President Obama. Hayes is also founder of the Martin Hayes Quartet, the Common Ground Ensemble, and the Meteor Award-winning Irish-American supergroup, The Gloaming. He has collaborated with musicians Bill Frisell, Cassandra Wilson, Ricky Skaggs, Jordi Savall, Paul Simon, Sting, Brooklyn Rider, and Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble on the Grammy-winning album "Sing Me Home,” as well as many of the leading Irish musicians over the past thirty-five years.
Hayes' many awards include Ireland's Musician of the Year (TG4), Folk Instrumentalist of the Year (BBC), and Person of the Year by the Irish Arts Center and the American Irish Historical Society, both based in New York. He was named Best Folk Instrumentalist of 2018 at the inaugural RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards in Ireland and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Galway. He is Artistic Director of the annual Masters of Tradition festival in Bantry, Co. Cork, and a curator for the Kilkenny Arts Festival. His memoir, Shared Notes, was released in 2021.
Video from TG4 (Ireland Public Broadcasting)
Website: martinhayes.com