The Alt

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John Doyle, Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O’Leary, three of the leading lights of today’s folk and Irish music scene, will perform on Saturday, April 21 at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, at 7:30 p.m.

Each member of the trio is critically acclaimed for their instrumentation and collaborations with many of the greatest names in Irish music. The group’s name comes from a storied glen on the side of Mount Knocknarea in Ireland’s County Sligo where they first gathered to rehearse. The old ballads, tunes and freshly discovered songs they brought to the table allowed them to touch something beautiful, deep and magical that has always run beneath the music.

“Doyle on guitar has risen to a level occupied by him alone,” according to music critic Earle Hitchner. Originally from Dublin and now living in North Carolina, the Grammy-nominated instrumentalist was a member of Solas and has toured with Karan Casey, Liz Carroll and Joan Baez, among others. Shadow and Light, Doyle’s solo recording, showcases his talents as songwriter and singer.

The Irish Times praised Kennedy as “a flute player and composer of remarkable finesse, fearless of the unknown” and “an exceptional interpreter of the tradition.” She is known for her creative reworking of traditional songs of love, loss and immigration rooted in Ireland where she grew up and in Scotland where she now lives. Kennedy earned a master’s degree in composition and performance in 2011.

Originally from Dublin, guitarist and bouzouki player O’Leary has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe with many of Irish music’s well-known players and is one-half of the duo the Murphy Beds with Jefferson Hammer. Known for his singing and songwriting, the Huffington Post described the duo’s self-titled CD as “ten beautiful, crystalline songs.”

“The Alt’s round-robin instrumental interplay is telepathic and miraculous.” - Acoustic Guitar Magazine

This concert is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts and by a grant from the Irish Fest Foundation. The Irish Cultural and Heritage Center supports the Irish community by serving as a venue dedicated to enhancing, promoting and preserving Irish culture and heritage along with serving the community at large. The center, housed in the landmark 1880’s former Grand Avenue Congregational Church, is the site for concerts, art exhibits, Irish dances and genealogical research.