"Fiddlers She" ft. Caitlin Warbelow, Aarun Carter, Brongaene Griffin, Gerry O'Beirne & Kevin Burk

Caitlin Warbelow
Hailing from a family of bush pilots in Fairbanks, Alaska, Caitlin Warbelow is a fiddler/violinist and entrepreneur currently residing in Brooklyn. Caitlin began her studies at age three in the Boston Suzuki program, and went on to win honors from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts and the National Suzuki Conference, as well as scholarships at the Meadowmount School (where she studied with Sally Thomas of Juilliard), Boston University, and Columbia University. In the folk and traditional realms, she holds championship titles at the New England Fiddle Championship and the Fleadh Cheoil (All-Ireland Competition).
In 2014, Caitlin became the violinist/fiddler for Riverdance's new production, "Heartbeat of Home", as well as a substitute violinist for Sting's new musical on Broadway, "The Last Ship". Caitlin has toured and performed with Cherish the Ladies, Mick Moloney and the Green Fields of America, The Brock McGuire Band, Michael Londra and Celtic Fire, The Prodigals, and The Mickey Finns, among many others. Known as something of a musical chameleon, Caitlin performs, records, and teaches extensively in NYC and around the country in a variety of genres including Irish traditional and rock, country and bluegrass, Texas swing and contest fiddling, and on occasion returns to her roots as a classical violinist.
Aarun Carter
Maybe she fell in love with fiddling before she was born, the day her mother, eight months pregnant with her, competed in a fiddling contest. Aarun was taught suzuki violin at the age of 2, and never stopped learning! At 4 years old, Aarun won the Colorado State Small Fry Division. Soon after, she won an award for the “youngest fiddler” at the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest. Aarun attended Denver School of the Arts High School in Denver, CO and majored in Orchestra. She got to experience many amazing things while being a part of the DSA family. In addition to being one of the top rated Orchestras in the state, they got to perform with Garrison Keillor at Boettcher Concert Hall for "A Prarie Home Companion."
Aarun has studied under many award winning fiddlers including Wes Wesmoreland (Mel Tillis), Christian Howes (Les Paul), Randy Elmore (Willie Nelson), Katie Glassman (Western Flyers), Lisa Barrett, Joey McKenzie (Quebe Sisters) andJimmie Don Bates, as well as studying commercial music at South Plains College under the tutelage of Joe Carr (of the Country Gazette) and Cary Banks (of the Maines Brothers Band).
Aarun has also shared the stage with many note-worthy performers such as Floyd Domino (Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Strait, The Texas Playboys, Waylon Jennings), Lonestar, and many others!
Brongaene Griffin
Bronnie Griffin is a contemporary fiddler steeped in the rich Irish tradition. A prize winning student of the legendary Kevin Burke, Bronnie learned her Irish from the best. With a classical training tempered by a sojourn in Bluegrass and Old Time playing she broadened her already considerable abilities after she went to the well of the tradition, and spent over ten years in Ireland busking and listening to the great tune keepers and lore masters. She returned and played around the U.S., sharing the stage with Gerry O’Beirne, Johnny B. Connolly, Nancy Conescu, John Williams and Kevin Burke, among others. Today she lives in the musically rich and diverse city of Portland, Oregon, where Celtic music flourishes, enriched by the vibrant and eclectic world scene, all of which is reflected in Bronnie’s lively playing. With one stellar album under her belt, and another forthcoming, Bronnie Griffin brings a strong bow, melodic lift, and sheer joy to the world of traditional music.
Gerry O'Beirne
Born in Ennis, County Clare, along Ireland’s music-rich west coast, Gerry O’Beirne is a renowned singer, songwriter, record producer and guitarist (6 and 12 string guitar, tiple, and ukulele, slide guitar among others). He grew up in Ireland and in Ghana in West Africa, and has since lived in England, California, and Mexico. He lives now near Dingle in Co Kerry. His own compositions blend the passion found in traditional music with the freshness of contemporary song.
Gerry’s much loved first solo album Half Moon Bay features The Holy Ground, Half Moon Bay, Western Highway and The Shades Of Gloria which have been sung by Maura O’Connell, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Mary Black and many other great singers. His second album The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar was named CD of the Month on the American radio show Echoes, and one of its essential albums of the year. “Yesterday I Saw The Earth Beautiful”, a duet album with fiddler Rosie Shipley featured his own songs, settings of poems by Paddy Kavanagh and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill along with traditional tunes from Ireland and Cape Breton.
Kevin Burke
Kevin Burke has been playing the fiddle since he was a small boy living in S.E. London. He spent much of his youth honing his fiddling style in the Irish pubs and dance halls in and around his hometown. A chance meeting with Arlo Guthrie in a pub in Co. Clare would eventually lead to an invitation for Burke to come to the US to collaborate on a recording with Guthrie. This formative experience launched Burke's touring career. He spent several years touring Europe playing music before eventually settling in Oregon at the urging of songwriter Hoyt Axton. Burke has spent the last twenty years living in Oregon recording and playing the music he loves.
Cary Novotny
Cary Novotny is a guitarist based in Portland who performs as a solo artist and with Irish music group Cul an Ti, Cary Novotny Band and others.