Kevin Burke

Kevin Burke

Kevin Burke has walked and played among music giants for almost his entire life. His early work in the 70’s and 80’s helped to shape and define Irish music for the next 50 years. 

We feel so fortunate to have him joining us again. 

Kevin will be in Yachats this year with many of his old friends from the Celtic music world. Don’t be surprised if you find him appearing onstage with some of our other festival musicians during the weekend. 

“From his early days with The Bothy Band to his celebrated solo performances, Kevin Burke is considered one of Irish music’s luminaries. The recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA in the US, and in Ireland the prestigious Gradam Ceoil award, he is acknowledged as a master of the tradition. Although Kevin has spent much of his life playing in a group context, he has never lost his love for solo fiddle music – the “naked fiddle” as he sometimes puts it.

A native of London, Kevin inherited his love of Irish music from his parents who emigrated from County Sligo, Ireland. Burke’s music career began in 1974 with a move to Ireland and joining the seminal Irish group The Bothy Band. Since then, he has formed the renowned bands Celtic Fiddle Festival, Patrick Street, and Open House, and worked with many great artists including Arlo Guthrie, Kate Bush, Tim O’Brien, Christy Moore, Dervish, and Lunasa. His highly ornamented Sligo fiddling style is beloved in all corners of the globe.”