Bríd Harper
Irish Fiddler
Bríd is an Irish traditional fiddle player originally from Castlefinn Co Donegal.
BIO
Bríd Harper is regarded as one of the leading Irish traditional fiddle players of the last forty years.
She grew up close to the east Donegal village of Castlefinn and started playing the fiddle at the age of nine. There is music on both sides of her family. Her grandfather Stephen Harper was a fiddler and came from a musical family. On her mother’s side her uncle Frank Kelly is a well known fiddler.
In the mid 1970’s Bríd began taking music lessons with Pat McCabe at her local branch of Comhaltas. She was also heavily encouraged by her parents who brought her to sessions and fleadhanna. There was a lot of Irish music in the house in the form of LPs and Cassettes.
She won all the underage competitions at the annual All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil both in the Slow Air and Dance Music categories. In 1988 she won three prestigious titles - Senior All Ireland, Fiddler of Dooney and Oireachtas na Gaeilge.
She is an MA graduate of the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance at University of Limerick. She has toured extensively and performed with many great musicians including Dermot Byrne, Steve Cooney, Tony O’Connell, Arty McGlynn, Nollaig Casey, Maeve Donnelly, Harry Bradley, John Doyle, Sylvain Barou Nicolas Quemener and more.
Bríd is highly respected and much sought after as a teacher. She has tutored at Summer Schools and workshops throughout Ireland, The UK, The USA, Canada, many parts of mainland Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
She has appeared on every major broadcast channel on the island of Ireland as well as BBC Alba Scotland. She has featured on local radio stations in France, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Her much anticipated solo recording “Bríd Harper” released in 2015 was described by Tradconnect.com as “solo fiddle of the most exquisite kind” and “ one of this year’s best traditional albums”.
Bríd is also a member of the SíFiddlers formed in 2018 which is made up of 13 female Donegal fiddlers. They released a recording in 2020 showcasing some of the most popular and better known Donegal repertoire.
Bríd who resides near Dungannon Co Tyrone teaches fiddle on a one-on-one basis from her home and in recent times has begun composing tunes in her spare time. She is a visiting tutor and performer at The Irish World Academy in Limerick University.
UPCOMING GIGS
2022
March
2nd - 20th: Celtic Spring Tour with UAINE (Austria)
April
14th: CD launch at Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair at 7pm
14th: Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair with SíFiddlers 8.30pm
29th - 1st May: Cup of Tae Festival Ardara Co Donegal Fiddle Workshop
May
7th: An Droichead Belfast with UAINE
13th: Inishowen Gateway Hotel Buncrana Gavin/Glynn Foundation Charity event
21st: Knocklishen Beg Co Carlow with Tony O’Connell
June
2nd: Craic Theatre Coalisland with Dermot Byrne & Steve Cooney
July
8th - 12th: Norway with Tony O’Connell & Magnus Soltvedt Wiik
16th: Féile Ealaíne an Earagail, An Grianán Theatre Letterkenny with SíFiddlers
18th - 22nd: Meitheal Ennis Co Clare
24th: Earagail Arts Festival. Literary Event at Rathmullan House 3pm
25th - 29th: Belfast Trad Summer School
August
4th: All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil Mullingar with UAINE
September
15th - 19th: Oulu Finland Fiddle Workshops
25th: Johnny Doherty Festival Ardara with Dermot Byrne & Steve Cooney
October
6th - 18th: Celtic Colours Festival Cape Breton
28 - 31st: Return to London Festival
November
3 - 7th: Texel Netherlands
26th: Fiddle Monologues in Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart 7:30pm
December
3rd: Dún Uladh Session 9pm
28th - 31st: Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair fiddle workshops
29th: Máistirí an Traidisiún concert in Teach Jack, An Ghlaisigh 3:30pm
TESTIMONIALS
For many years the wonderful Bríd Harper has been held in very high esteem by many musicians, including myself, as a very powerful and creative world class voice for Irish traditional music and a musician that is outward looking towards other traditions... An exquisite fiddle player in the very top echelon.
Máirtín O'Connor