Brendan Mulvihill and Daniel O'Brien

Master fiddler and legendary Irish musician, Brendan Mulvihill learned music from masters of Irish music that he met throughout his life, starting with his own father National Heritage Fellow, Martin Mulvihill of County Limerick. 

Brendan has been teaching Irish music and leading sessions in the Washington DC area for decades. He has been called “a national treasure, “ “a rare genius,” and is often referred to as “the professor” for his knowledge of the name and source of tunes.

In his fiddle playing, Brendan’s strong tone, remarkable bow work and unsurpassed musicianship come from a deep love of the music and from a surprising influence. Though inspired by many traditional Irish musicians, Brendan also developed a passion for classical music.  

Although he has recordings from his early music career, his recent work is intended to share music with those interested in learning more about the music. He published “The Irish Scroll,” a tune book with a CD, in 2013 sharing the first volume of Irish tunes, some rare, some with his own variations, and all worth learning.  The newest release, The Journey, is a solo CD that demonstrates Brendan’s unique artistic appreciation of the music and the tradition.

For today's perfromance he will be joined by his friend and fellow-fiddler Daniel O'Brien