Harris Center Presents ALTAN

One of the most important groups playing traditional Irish music in Ireland and on the world stage for three decades comes to Harris Center for the Arts for just one performance. Altan's commitment to good-natured fun is second only to their commitment to excellence in all things musical, and this concert is no exception.

In the last dozen years, no traditional Irish band has had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers throughout the world than Altan. They have moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle with their heartwarming, dynamic, live performances and with their exquisitely produced, award-winning recordings that range from the most touching old Irish songs to hard-hitting reels and jigs. Throughout their career, Altan has shown unwavering commitment to bringing the beauty of traditional music to contemporary audiences, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers. On their recently released album, The Widening Gyre, Altan explores and celebrates the musical connection between the traditional music of Ireland and the roots and bluegrass music from their across-the-pond cousin. The chance to experience this thirty year-active band is to experience the living legacy of Irish music. Special guest fiddler Liz Carroll will join the group for the Folsom show.

Altan performs a mix of music from their new album, The Widening Gyre, as well as songs spanning the band's career on Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 7 pm. Tickets are priced at $19-$29; Premium $39; Students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

The seeds of Altan lie in the music and spontaneity of sessions in kitchens and pubs in their hometown of Donegal, where their music was heard in an atmosphere of respect and intimacy. It is here that the band's heart still lies, whether they are performing on TV in Australia or jamming with Ricky Skaggs on the west coast of the United States. The Los Angeles Times praises the group when remarking, "Altan continues to be one of the Celtic world's great treasures, gifted with a front line that is a sheer powerhouse."

Born of those seeds was the music and personality of band founders, Belfast flute-player, Frankie Kennedy, and Gweedore singer and fiddler, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh. Whoever heard their unique music in the early eighties, whether at festivals or in the small clubs of Dublin and Belfast, was immediately aware of a rare power at work. They seemed to be playing their own repertoire which was, in fact, a combination of old Donegal fiddle music (then little known outside Donegal) and of unusual Northern flute tunes. Frankie and Mairead played with a force and fullness that made it hard to believe that only two people were playing. Their performances, combined with Frankie's immense wit and Mairead's down-to-earth charm, made an irresistible package. It quickly became clear to them and others that they could go places.

The duo organically grew into a band in the mid-eighties, forged in the bustle and crack of a thousand late-night sessions and festivals throughout Ireland. Their repertoire grew to include music inspired by Irish bands such as the Bothy Band, Planxy and De Danann, and they began to play as "Altan," a name taken from a deep and mysterious lake behind Errigal Mountain in Donegal.

Altan's commitment to good-natured fun was second only to their commitment to excellence in all things musical. Thus the band members gathered were inevitably top-notch. Altan has always been a band of virtuosos. Throughout the years, Altan's audiences are continually struck by the genuine camaraderie and mutual respect among the members of the group, and this has been vitally important to the band themselves as well as producing a marked effect on live performances. Band members for this performance are Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh - Lead Vocals and Fiddle; Ciarán Curran - Bouzouki; Ciaran Tourish - Fiddle, Tin Whistle and Backing Vocals; Dáithí Sproule - Guitar and Vocals; as well as Martin Tourish - Accordion.

Altan's international status and success found a very practical recognition when they were signed in 1996 to Virgin Records, the first Irish band of their kind to be signed by a major label. The band gained gold and platinum albums in Ireland and toured larger venues, literally throughout the world, with tours in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe as well as regular successful U.S. tours. In spite of a hectic touring and recording schedule, Altan continue fresh in their vision of bringing the beauty and joy of traditional music to audiences everywhere, and have always promised themselves to continue as long as it's fun ? fortunately, it still is!

Special Guest Liz Carroll was born in Chicago to Irish parents. She's a junior and senior All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, and has toured as a solo artist and with the Greenfields of America, Trian, String Sisters, and as part of the duo Liz Carroll & John Doyle. She's featured on ten albums and has appeared on many more. Liz is a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship Award (1994). In 2010 she became the first Irish-American musician nominated for a Grammy. In 2011, she became the first American-born composer honored with the Cumadóir TG4, Ireland's most significant traditional music prize.

The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million facility built with a combination of state, regional, local and private funds. Harris Center has three intimate theaters, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a state-of-the-art performing arts venue. The Harris Center presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

The Harris Center for the Arts (formerly Three Stages) is named to honor Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the capital region, including the vision and leadership he provided in opening this regional arts center.

Tickets are available online at www.HarrisCenter.net or from Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time.