Bryan Rooney, Mick Mulvey accompanied by Pete Flynn

Our opening concert this year has a distinct Leitrim flavour.

The great Leitrim fiddle player, Bryan Rooney, was named Musician of the Year in the 2012 TG4 Gradam Ceoil awards.

He has lived in London since the late 1960s and is recognised as one of the master fiddlers of his generation. His now classic album, The Godfather, was released in 1999 and was followed in 2002 by Leitrim to London. After a gap of almost a decade, Bryan’s most recent recording, At Complete Ease, an album of duets with the great John Carty, was released in 2011. The album, which has become a classic, features John’s son, James and Bryan’s brother Mickey, together with Alec Finn, Brian McGrath and Arty McGlynn.

Flute player Mick Mulvey was raised in London, but his roots are unmistakably in Connacht. His main musical influences are from Leitrim, where his father was born and he has studied and absorbed the playing of many great masters of the flute, including Seamus Tansey, Matt Molloy, John Daly, John McKenna and his tutor, the late Roger Sherlock. Mick is particularly admired for his playing of reels and for the rich tone he coaxes from his instrument. He has released two solo albums to date - Within a Mile O' Jamestown and Bridging the Gap and was a member of the Moylurg Céilí Band, which won the All Ireland title in 2013.

Bryan and Mick will be accompanied tonight by Pete Quinn on piano. From Liverpool, Pete's performing experience extends from John Cage at the Barbican through jazz fusion at Ronnie Scott’s to traditional Irish music at the BBC Proms. Formerly with The London Lasses, he has recorded and played with some of the greats of traditional Irish music and has recently recorded a debut album with his new four piece band, Artisan Row.