Irish Arts Center Presents Martin Hayes: In Residence, 4/25-29

Irish Arts Center (IAC), the arts and cultural center dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, is proud to welcome back fiddle player Martin Hayes, "one of Ireland's great musical exports" (WNYC), for a week-long residency, April 25-29, to take place in and out of their current home on 51st Street. Each of these five evenings, many of which are curated by Hayes himself, will feature special guests from within and beyond the world of Irish traditional music, breaking barriers and taking audiences on an unforgettable artistic journey.

When Martin was last in residence at IAC in the fall of 2016, alongside his longtime collaborator, guitarist Dennis Cahill, it prompted the Village Voice to write, "It's a big deal when the violinist and guitarist make their semi-annual New York stops." Wednesday, April 25 should prove to be no exception, when Martin is joined Cahill as part of IAC's extraordinary triple-bill Gala Concert Event at Symphony Space. Jon Pareles of The New York Times has said of the legendary pair, "In their long collaboration, [Martin and Dennis] have found intriguing possibilities within the traditional Irish repertory - glimmers of jazz, Minimalism and chamber music - without diluting the traditional spirit." The evening also features Camille O'Sullivan and Declan O'Rourke, with special guests including Gabriel Byrne and Paul Muldoon.

On Thursday, April 26 at Irish Arts Center, audiences can hear Martin and former Bloomberg Deputy Mayor and renowned national political strategist Howard Wolfson speak about their passions in a live taping of humorist and four-time Emmy Award-winner Randy Cohen's podcast "Person Place Thing." The beloved podcast is based on the idea that people are particularly engaging when they speak not directly about themselves, but about something they care about. For each episode, guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing that are important to them. Past guests have included Paul Shaffer, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Maya Lin, Laurie Anderson, Andy Borowitz, A.O. Scott, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Julianne Moore.

The residency continues with three evening concerts featuring Martin performing alongside special guests, each brilliantly curated by the artist in residence himself. Friday, April 27 sees Martin joined by Tríona Marshall, former principal harpist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra; as well as Nic Gareiss, percussive dancer and current member of This is How we Fly. On Saturday, April 28 Martin is joined by Marla Fibish, mandolin player and member of the duo Noctambule. And to close out the residency on Sunday, April 29, Martin is joined by Kevin Crawford, flute player and former front man of Lúnasa, who has toured with Martin and John Doyle as The Teetotalers.

Martin Hayes: In Residence is made possible in part through the generosity of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Howard Wolfson and Terri McCullough.

Martin Hayes: In Residence

Gala Concert: Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, Camille O'Sullivan, and Declan O'Rourke
Wednesday, April 25 at 7:45pm
Symphony Space
Tickets: $75+

Martin Hayes is joined by his longtime collaborator Dennis Cahill as part of an extraordinary triple-bill Gala Concert Event also featuring Camille O'Sullivan and Declan O'Rourke, with special guests including Gabriel Byrne and Paul Muldoon.

Person Place Thing
Thursday, April 26 at 7:30pm
Irish Arts Center
Tickets: Free

Martin Hayes joins four-time Emmy award-winner Randy Cohen and former Bloomberg Deputy Mayor and renowned national political strategist Howard Wolfson for a live taping of Cohen's podcast "Person Place Thing."

Martin Hayes with Tríona Marshall and Nic Gareiss
Friday, April 27 at 8pm
Irish Arts Center
Tickets: $52

Martin Hayes in concert with Tríona Marshall, former principal harpist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and previous member of the Chieftains; as well as Nic Gareiss, percussive dancer and current member of This is How We Fly.

Martin Hayes with Marla Fibish
Saturday, April 28 at 8pm
Irish Arts Center
Tickets: $52

Martin Hayes in concert with Marla Fibish, mandolin player and member of the duo Noctambule.

Martin Hayes with Kevin Crawford
Sunday, April 29 at 8pm
Irish Arts Center
Tickets: $52

Martin Hayes in concert with flute player Kevin Crawford, former frontman of Lúnasa, and former touring partner of Hayes and John Doyle as The Teetotalers.

About Irish Arts Center

Irish Arts Center, founded in 1972 and based in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, is a national and international home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds who share a passion for the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America. We present, develop, promote, tour, and distribute work from established and emerging artists and cultural practitioners, providing audiences with emotionally and intellectually transporting experiences-the results of innovation, collaboration, and the authentic celebration of our common humanity.

Steeped in grassroots traditions, with a commitment to inclusion that dates back to our founding, we provide education programs and access to the arts for people of all ages and ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and an international home for the Irish community to come together and engage with a dynamic global diaspora.

This year, we will break ground on a landmark new permanent home, including a state of the art contemporary, flexible performance and arts space for the presentation and development of work across a range of disciplines; a second, intimate performance space-the renovated historic Irish Arts Center theatre-optimized for the most intimate live music and conversation, recordings, master classes and special events; classrooms and studio spaces for community education programs in Irish music, dance, language, history, and the humanities; technology to stream and distribute the Irish Arts Center experience on the digital platform; a spacious and vibrant avenue-facing café lobby that will be a hospitable hub for conversation and interaction between artists and audiences; and a beautiful new courtyard entrance on 51st Street where the historic Irish Arts Center building and the new facility meet.