Irish master traditional Irish fiddler Gerry O’Connor in concert for SFS

• Gerry O'Connor, fiddle
• Richard Mandel, guitar

The Seattle Folklore Society and Culture Ireland present Master traditional Irish fiddler Gerry O’Connor in concert. Gerry won numerous All Ireland awards in a range of duets, trios, and céilí band titles. A founding member of Lá Lugh, Skylark, and Oirialla, his playing is noted for its vibrancy and pulsating rhythm from early years of step-dancing, and the influence of the legendary musician John Joe Gardiner. He has recorded 14 albums, his first solo album hailed as a landmark album of Irish fiddle, and has performed with all of the leading performers of the Irish music world, including members of the Chieftains, Boys of the Lough, Planxty, De Dannan, and Bothy Band. Gerry won the prestigious Ródaíocht Bardic Award at the 2018 All Ireland Fleadh for his valuable cultural contribution to Irish Music, and it is rightly deserved! San Francisco guitarist Richard Mandel, a first-call accompanist, will be accompanying Gerry in concert.

Attending online: The online concert will be available until Tuesday night May 3rd. Once you begin viewing you will then have 24 hours to complete viewing or rewatch the online concert within this time period.

Attending in person: Please review the Phinney Center's current COVID-19 protocols before attending this event: https://www.phinneycenter.org/covid19/

About Seattle Folklore Society

http://www.seafolklore.org

About Gerry O'Connor, fiddle

Gerry O'Connor is an undeniable fiddle master from Dundalk, Co. Louth, where he grew up in a family of musicians, dancers and singers, all taught at home by his mother, Rose. From an early age Gerry was involved Irish music, winning numerous All Ireland awards in a range of duets, trios, and céilí band titles. Gerry's style is in the form of the fluid, lyrical fiddle-playing of the great Sligo masters, and his love for the music shows in his obvious delight in playing.

Gerry has played and recorded with Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark (Len Graham, Gary O'Briain, and Máirtín O'Connor), recording four CDs on the Claddagh label. He has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary traditional music ensembles, including Planxty, Bothy Band, De Danann, Boys of the Lough, and The Chieftains. Lá Lugh's album Brighid's Kiss was voted Album of the Year in 1996 by readers of Irish Music magazine, and Gerry's solo CD Journeyman was rated in the top five Albums of 2004 by The Irish Times, and was heralded as a milestone in the recorded music of the Oriel region of South Ulster.

Speaking of his home area, Oriel, Gerry is a four times winner of The Fiddler of Oriel competition, and has lately adjudicated both it and the Gael Linn's Siansa and RAAP /RTE sponsored Breakthrough competitions. He is the Traditional Arts coordinator at the Creative-Connexions Irish/ Catalan Arts festival in Sitges, teaches fiddle at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Ireland, and at master-classes throughout Europe, as well as forays to renowned Swannanoa and other US music camps and festivals.

In 2018 Gerry was awarded "Ceannródaí," the prestigious Bardic Award by Comhaltas for his valued contribution to the Traditional Arts. In the same year he launched his second solo album Last Nights Joy and published The Rose in the Gap Dance Music for Oriel, from the Donnellan Collection. The music had not been heard or performed for a hundred years, and he is obviously proud to be performing pieces from his own home area.