Music to our ears

A multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and visual artist whose creative work expresses the very heart of Irish life can now another string to his bow.

The Arts Council, in association with the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences and the School of Film, Music, and Theatre at UCC, have announced the appointment of the renowned Barry Kerr, as the Traditional Artist in Residence at UCC for 2023.

Barry will deliver a series of concerts, workshops, and classes over the course of his 1 year residency, beginning in January 2023.

He will be hosted by the Department of Music at UCC where the study of Irish traditional music and dance has been pioneered for a century.

Barry has enjoyed a long and successful career as a touring artist and has shared a stage with some of the greatest performers in Irish music. An acclaimed composer, his tunes and songs have been recorded by Karan Casey, Flook, Beoga and Brian Finnegan, to name but a few.

He was awarded the Liam O’Flynn award from the National Concert Hall and the Arts Council in 2020 and he subsequently released ‘Cairn’, an album of original compositions.

His recent work explores the concept of relating visual art with musical performance and composition, as seen in his film ‘Fuascail’, a unique creative contemplation on the decade of centenaries in sound and colour released on TG4 in December 2022.

Barry will be welcomed by a team of internationally recognised traditional artists, at UCC’s Music Department, including Máire Ní Chéileachair, Bobby Gardiner, Connie O’Connell, Conal Ó Gráda, Colm Murphy, Niall Vallely, Karan Casey, Mary Mitchell-Ingoldsby and Jack Talty.