AISTEAR: Michelle Mulcahy in Concert

Tickets: €10/€5 from 061 331549 

All proceeds to the Mae La Refugee Camp on the Thai/Burma Border.

Aistear – meaning ‘journey’ is a solo harp compositional work comprising a highly eclectic mix of music from the Irish and South East Asian ethnic harping traditions. Michelle Mulcahy will present a diverse and fascinating trip through the world of harp music, using images, text, film and sound design, offering a contemporary perspective into two of the oldest world harping traditions: Irish and Burmese. Having researched the T’Na harping tradition in the Mae La refugee camp on the Thai Burma border, Aistear is inspired by the musical journey experienced not only through the medium of the harp, an instrument revered through many cultures worldwide, but through he landscape and soundworld of people, place community and culture. This performance is part of Michelle’s PhD Arts Practice at the Irish World Academy and will incorporate Irish, Burmese and Karen music. Karen are an ethnic minority in Burma who Michelle has visited at the Mae La camp on several occasions, as part of her PhD thesis research. 

 

Michelle Mulcahy is one of Ireland’s most talented and gifted multi-instrumentalists in Irish traditional music today. Her array of instrumental mastery spans the harp, concertina, piano, fiddle and accordion. Michelle is considered to be one of Ireland’s most adroit and creative harpers. “Her revolutionary style on the harp is scintillating-played with power and panache, no concession to the complexity of the instrument, confirming her as one of the most significant musicians redefining harp at present’- The Living Tradition. She is a regular performer and tutor worldwide and has toured extensively in Europe, United States, Canada, China, Australia and Vietnam. Michelle has three highly acclaimed albums recorded by American record label Shanachie and Irish record label Chlo- Iar Chonnachta. Michelle was awarded the prestigious TG4 Young Musician of the Year in 2006 and was also awarded Female Musician of the Year in 2005 at the Live-Ireland awards in the United States. She has recently recorded with Bill Whelan and the Irish Chamber Orchestra on his highly acclaimed Connemara suite album which has recently being released. She her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Irish in UCC and progressed to postgraduate study at the University of Limerick where she graduated with a first class degree in Ethnomusicology and in the following year a first class degree in Music Education. She is currently pursuing her PhD studies in Arts Practice at the University of Limerick. Her 2012 solo harp album Suaimhneas was named one of the traditional albums of the year by the Irish Times. 

 

“There are only a few harp players in the world who have a truly distinctive style and Michelle Mulcahy is one of them. If you think you know what the Celtic harp can sound like, get hold of this gem. You’ll begin to understand that all instruments have far deeper possibilities in the hands of a master than we can calculate”

 

- Bill Margeson October 2012