The musical showcase will come to the Jorgensen stage on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m.
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy will perform at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on March 6 (contributed photo).
Canada's Celtic fiddle superstars Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy return to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at UConn with a group of Celtic all-stars on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m.
The showcase of world-class musicians from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and beyond will explore the deep connections between Celtic traditions across nations, tracing the music's ancient roots to its vibrant modern evolution. MacMaster and Donnell last performed in Storrs in 2023 with their children in "The Celtic Family Christmas" show.
Joining them is a lineup of special guests including vocalist Karen Matheson of Capercaillie; four-time All-Ireland Champion banjo player Enda Scahill (who performed at Jorgensen in 2019 with We Banjo 3); critically acclaimed Scottish piper Ross Ainslie; and Natalie and Donnell's multi-talented daughter, Mary Frances.
"Being so anchored in Celtic music, we had a passion in highlighting it and putting it on a wider stage to a wider audience," MacMaster says about the idea for the All-Star tour. "We thought, let's gather some great musicians, play with them and get on a bigger stage, and elevate that music and the culture of it."
Before the concert on Friday, the Jorgensen Gallery is also hosting the opening reception for "Preston Trombly: Music for Your Eyes," an exhibition of assemblages and other works on paper and canvas by Trombly '68 (SFA), an artist, composer, musician, and host of "Symphony Hall" on Sirius/XM.
MacMaster and Leahy have each won multiple JUNO Awards and sold out more than 1,000 shows in North America. Their combined careers have seen them record with a star-studded list of collaborators including Yo-Yo Ma, Michael McDonald, Allison Krauss, Thomas Dolby, The Rankin Family, Rhiannon Giddens, Johnny Reid, and Nickelback, among others. Each has found time to tour and perform with some of the biggest names in music, including The Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, Don Henley, and Béla Fleck.
In addition to her work with Capercaillie, Matheson has released four acclaimed solo albums and has been involved in various profile projects of collaboration worldwide, including the award-winning BBC series Transatlantic Sessions, on which she performed and filmed tracks with James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, The McGarrigle Sisters, Nanci Griffith, and a host of respected Scottish musicians.
Scahill is a four-time All-Ireland Champion, and is the founder of the band We Banjo 3. He has been a member of The Brock McGuire Band and performed with The Fureys, Frankie Gavin, and The Chieftains. In 2024, he performed across several major Irish festivals in the United States with the Italian American band Gadan.
Ainslie is one of Scotland's finest traditional musicians and composers, playing pipes, whistles and cittern. He is renowned for his highly acclaimed solo material, and as a skilled performer and prolific collaborator who performs regularly with Scotland's most respected musicians and bands.
Mary Frances Leahy has showcased her genre-defying fiddling (and piano) with her parents in more than 600 shows. In 2023 ,she recorded her debut solo album "First Light," an innovative, eclectic nine-track collection of originals that is a blending of Celtic, Latin, and jazz influences.
Natalie MacMaster spoke with WHUS on the Good Music show (Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) hosted by Ken Best:
