Nollaig Casey

One of Ireland's best fiddlers, Nollaig Casey has proven as effective with classical music as she is with traditional Irish folk. A former member of the RTE Symphony Orchestra and Planxty, Casey has recorded and/or toured with Moving Hearts, Liam O'Flynn, Dan Ar Bras, Enya, Van Morrison, U2, Emmylou Harris, Frances Black, Mary Black, the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Nanci Griffith, Tommy Sands, and Elvis Costello. An early '80s duo that Casey shared with Celtic guitarist Arty McGlynn resulted in the 1990 album Lead the Knave, which received the Belfast Telegraph Entertainment Media and Arts Award (EMA) for excellence in folk music. Her fiddling can be heard on the soundtracks for more than two-dozen films, including Ballad of the Sad Café, Hear My Song, Sult: Spirit of the Music, and Waking Ned Devine, and the musical stage show Riverdance. Casey remains a featured artist in Donal Lunny's Coolfin band and has been playing music most of her life. Having learned to play the uillean pipes, tinwhistle, and piano as a youngster, she began playing violin at the age of 11. As a teenager, she won several All-Ireland Awards for her superb fiddling and singing. Graduating with a degree in music from University College Cork at the age of 19, Casey was quickly recruited to play with the RTE Symphony Orchestra and remained with the group for five years. Meeting McGlynn in Dublin in 1979, Casey found a musical collaborator. In addition to performing as a duo, they played together as accompanists for Andy Irvine, Planxty, Makem & Clancy, and Maura O'Connell. Casey made her debut as a vocalist on the 1995 solo album Causeway.