Tony DeMarco

Born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 20, 1955, to a very musical family, Tony DeMarco is a well-known and well-respected figure on the Irish fiddle circuit. His abilities in his particular style, that of Sligo fiddling, have earned DeMarco a successful career spanning more than three decades, including collaborations with such artists as Celtic Thunder, Black 47, and fellow fiddler Brian Conway. His first foray into the traditional fiddle arts came in the early '70s, when DeMarco was a student of American folk music. Eventually, he began to delve deeper into the roots of said music, and found himself quickly falling for the Sligo style, named after the county in Ireland. By the midpoint in that decade DeMarco was there, in County Sligo, studying the style, which would lead to work with the aforementioned Conway. The fruits of their labor would be released as the Apple in Winter album in 1981. Over the years, DeMarco has become a leading voice for Irish fiddle music stateside, appearing at numerous festivals both at home and abroad as well as performing at the Smithsonian Institution. In 2008, he released the album The Sligo Indians.