Nuala Kennedy

Background

She grew up in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland Dundalk where she played piano and flute in a local ceili band Cèilidh and studied classical piano under Professor John O" Connor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Education

In Edinburgh Nuala studied Design at Edinburgh College of Art and played regularly at sessions throughout the city. Nuala holds a post graduate diploma in Education from the University of Edinburgh and a Master of Music from Newcastle University.

Career

Dundalk is an area rich in mythology and musical heritage and has strong historical links to Scotland. This was to influence her later career when she moved at age eighteen to the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. In late 2000 Nuala began playing alongside Kris Drever and Anna-Wendy Stevenson in a weekly session at Sandy Bell"s public in Edinburgh.

The trio became known as Fine Friday and toured in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, releasing two albums before disbanding.

In 2007 Compass Records released Nuala"s first solo recording "The New Shoes" where she was recognized as an exceptional interpreter of the tradition/ She went on to release two further solo albums with Compass Records "Tune In/ (2010) and Noble Stranger (2012). She has collaborated, performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Will Oldham, Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub, Cathal McConnell from Boys of the Lough, Frode Haltli, Vegar Vardal, Oliver Schroer, John Doyle, and American singer-songwriter, AJ Roach

Nuala tours globally as Nuala Kennedy Band headlining at major festivals such as Rudolstadt (GER) Telemark (NOR) Celtic Connections (United Kingdom) Celtic Colours International (CAN) Festival Interceltique de Lorient (FRA) Eurofonik (FRA) and Milwaukee Irish Festival (United States of America).

Nuala also plays in the Irish traditional music power trio, The Alternate with John Doyle and Eamon O"Leary, and in 2014 she released their eponymous record on her independent label "Under the Architecture Records". Her most recent release is entitled "Behave the Bravest" (2016).

Battlefield Band "Beg & Borrow" 2015 Kimberley Fraser "Falling On New Ground" 2006 Troy MacGillivray "Eleven" 2005.

Achievements

• Nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year, Canadian Folk, 2012 Nominated for Best Live Acting, Scottish Folk, 2013.

Membership

She is a member of Oirialla playing music from her native Oriel alongside Gerry O"Connor, accordionist Martin Quinn and Breton guitarist Gilles Le Bigot.