Shared Rhythm & Roots

The evening opens with Ireland's leading flamenco guitarist, John Walsh, an accomplished composer and solo performer since 2006. In 2020, John formed an exciting new trio with uilleann piper David Power and baroque violinist Marja Gaynor, blending original arrangements of traditional Irish tunes with contemporary music and the Baroque and 19th-century repertoire. John is also a passionate advocate for music education and for raising the profile of flamenco in Ireland — a fitting introduction to an evening exploring how traditions cross borders and find common ground.

Shared Celtic Roots brings together three musicians whose traditional backgrounds and international collaborations trace the hidden threads connecting Ireland to wider Europe and beyond. Czech-Spanish singer Katerina García, who has been immersed in Irish traditional music since 1997 and now lectures in Hispanic Studies at Trinity College Dublin, curates a programme that weaves Irish song and instrumental music together with the traditions of Spain and its Hispanic heritage — drawing in echoes of Morocco, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Americas, Asturias and Catalonia. She's joined by a harpist whose lyrical playing moves fluidly between traditional and cross-cultural repertoire, and seven-times All-Ireland champion flautist Dr. Robert Harvey, hailed by Irish Music Magazine as "a master of his instrument," whose acclaimed career spans international touring, film and television, published research, and collaborations with artists across Europe and beyond. Together, these musicians reveal the shared roots and voices that link distinct musical traditions, offering an evening of fusion and collaboration that reflects the spirit of European cultural exchange.