Singer-Songwriters Cat Dowling and Hannah McPhillimy to Play Irish Arts Center

Two of Ireland's most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Cat Dowling and Hannah McPhillimy will perform as part of Irish Arts Center's SongLives series, curated by Grammy Award-winner Susan McKeown, on March 9.

Cat Dowling writes beautifully dark pop songs, offering low-key beats colored with layers of sonic delights and a voice both hushed and passionate that has drawn comparisons with Portishead. Her voice has been lauded as one of the most wonderful and evocative in Irish contemporary music.

Belfast-based songwriter Hannah McPhillimy's thoughtful music brings jazz-inflected indie warmth against a windswept backdrop. Her beguiling voice and ear for melody has prompted comparisons to the likes of Feist, Regina Spektor and Daughter, while her fiercely personal lyrics and "quietly captivating" (Culture NI) live performances have seen her dedicated fan-base grow steadily across her native Ireland and beyond. Her latest record is a bold and sophisticated offering that benefits from a completely analogue recording process and co-production with the legendary Julie McClarnon (Neutral Milk Hotel, King Creosote).

Tickets for the performances start at $14 and are available by visiting www.IrishArtsCenter.org or by calling 866-811-4111. Irish Arts Center is located at 553 West 51st Street. For more information on Cat Dowling, visit her Bandcamp page. For more information on Hannah McPhillimy, visit her official site.

Founded in 1972, Irish Arts Center is a New York-based arts and cultural center dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, building community with artists and audiences of all backgrounds, forging and strengthening cross-cultural partnerships, and preserving the evolving stories and traditions of Irish culture for generations to come. Our multi-disciplinary programming is centered around three core areas: Performance - including live music, dance, theatre, film, literature, and the humanities; Exhibition - including visual arts presentations and cultural exhibitions that tell the evolving Irish story; and Education - with dozens of classes per week in Irish language, history, music, and dance.

Located in New York City, a global capital of arts and culture, Irish Arts Center serves as a dynamic platform for top emerging and established artists. Irish Arts Center is currently developing plans to construct a new facility to serve our multi-disciplinary program and will be the strongest possible gateway for artists to reach into our cultural community and nourish their work, to connect with our partner institutions who help them innovate, and to become visible in the New York City media market which enhances their ability to achieve U.S and further international success.

The New Irish Arts Center will contain a purpose-built, state-of-the-art contemporary performance space for music, dance and theatre seating up to 160; industry-standard back of house and support facilities to allow artists to achieve their vision; a second, intimate performance space - the renovated historic Irish Arts Center theatre - optimized for live music, literature, film, talks, large classes and special events; classrooms and studio space for community education programs in Irish music, dance, language, history, and the humanities, and for master classes and workshops by visiting and resident artists; technology capability to project the Irish Arts Center experience on the digital platform; an avenue-facing café lobby to engage with the neighborhood and provide a social setting for conversation and interaction between artists and audiences; a beautiful new courtyard entrance on 51st Street where the historic Irish Arts Center building and the new facility meet.