Traditional singer Catherine O'Kelly singing a sean nós song during her interview for the City that Reeds: Irish Traditional Music in Baltimore, 1976-2026. Recorded in conjunction with Smithsonian Folklife. Recording and mixing by Brennish Thomson.
Catherine O’Kelly is an award-winning Irish traditional singer and fiddle player from Tappan, NY, currently based in Baltimore, MD, where she is completing her master’s degree in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at Loyola University Maryland. Influenced by her grandparents from County Roscommon, she was immersed in New York’s traditional music scene from a young age and often sings unaccompanied in the sean nós style, using ornamentation and emotion to tell centuries-old stories. In 2019, she placed 3rd at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Under 18 Ladies English Singing.
Catherine has performed, taught, and competed up and down the East Coast, appearing at events such as the Blarney Star Music Series at the New York Irish Center, the Baltimore Irish Festival, and Celtic Fest Mississippi. In October 2024, she was featured on the East Coasters’ self-titled debut album and performed and taught workshops with the band; she has also appeared on Joanna Clare’s To Keep the Candle Burning. In addition to performing, Catherine teaches privately and has served on staff at the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest. She is passionate about passing down the haunting and spiritual songs of the Irish tradition to future generations and helping others connect with the music of their ancestors.
Master pianist Donna Long playing a piece by Turlough O'Carolan during her interview for the City that Reeds: Irish Traditional Music in Baltimore, 1976-2026. Recorded in conjunction with Smithsonian Folklife. Recording and mixing by Brennish Thomson.
Donna Long is regarded as one of the leading pianists in Irish traditional music. Her distinct accompaniment style and solo interpretations of O’Carolan’s music have shaped Irish piano for over four decades. At age four she began lessons with her father, jazz and classical pianist Byron Long. She was first exposed to Irish traditional music after moving from Los Angeles to Baltimore, Maryland in 1980. Inspired by Baltimore's vibrant community, she began learning traditional music from fiddler Brendan Mulvihill. The duo recorded two acclaimed albums, The Steeplechase and The Morning Dew.
In 1996, she joined Cherish the Ladies, touring internationally for ten years. Her solo CD Handprints (2003) earned her critical acclaim and featured her composition Luna. In 2000, the Smithsonian invited her to represent Irish music in its Piano Traditions series, and the Library of Congress commissioned an original composition in 2001. She has played many tours with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, accompanying artists such as James Kelly, Brendan Mulvihill, Jerry Holland, and Liz Carroll. A dedicated teacher of piano and fiddle, Donna passed music on to her son, Jesse Smith, and In 2008, Donna was awarded the MD Arts Council Teacher/Apprentice Grant, which honored her piano student Matt Mulqueen; and again in 2019, which honored her fiddle student Mikela Murphy. Donna continues to perform, compose, and pass her artistry to new generations.
Flutist Laura Byrne playing a slow air during her interview for the City that Reeds: Irish Traditional Music in Baltimore, 1976-2026. Recorded in conjunction with Smithsonian Folklife. Recording and mixing by Brennish Thomson.
Laura Byrne moved to Baltimore from Vermont in 1989 to attend the Peabody Conservatory of Music. After earning degrees in flute performance and music education, she devoted her career to Irish traditional music. Her playing is rooted in the older generations of musicians, shaped by time in Ireland and learning from musicians in the U.S. Her mentors and influences include Billy McComiskey, Catherine McEvoy, Matt Molloy, and Mike Rafferty.
Laura has performed and taught at festivals and major venues throughout North America and Ireland, including The Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, National Cathedral, Birchmere, Catskills Irish Arts Week, MAD Week, and Goucher College. A central figure in Maryland’s Irish music community, she is a multiple MSAC award recipient and Founder and Artistic Director of the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest.
Her recordings include solo albums Tune for the Road (2005) and Lucky Day (2010); Crabs in the Skillet with The Old Bay Ceili Band (2011); and Forget Me Not (2014), a much-loved duo album with NY Sligo-style fiddler Rose Flanagan. Her newest project is a landmark recording with Tidewater, with Billy McComiskey, Donna Long, Joanna Clare, Eileen Estes, David McKindley-Ward, among others, documenting Irish traditional music in the Mid-Atlantic
Below are behind the scenes images from our week of recording around Baltimore.
