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Pushing the Boundaries

In conversation with Olivia O'Leary, Irish fiddle-player Martin Hayes talks about his collaborations with musicians from other genres, including jazz and classical.

Martin Hayes is an internationally renowned, virtuosic, traditional Irish fiddle-player. The Irish Times newspaper said of him that, 'In the decades to come, we鈥檒l surely talk of having seen this man in the way others talk of Miles Davis or Jimi Hendrix or John Coltrane.' In this series of The Essay, in conversation with Olivia O'Leary, one of Ireland's most respected journalists and presenters, he brings us on a deep dive into the world of the traditional Irish fiddle.

In the final episode in this series, we hear about some of the exciting collaborations that combine his own traditional Irish fiddle-playing with music from other genres, including jazz and classical. With groups like The Gloaming and The Common Ground Ensemble, he has pushed the boundaries of the music while maintaining a great reverence for the tradition.

Music:

Toss the Feathers, from the album Peggy's Dream, performed by Martin Hayes and the Common Ground Ensemble
Samhradh, Samhradh, from the album The Gloaming, performed by The Gloaming
O'Carolan's Farewell to Music, performed by Martin Hayes

Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins
Sound Supervisor: Sean Byrne (Tinpot Productions)

Martin Hayes Turns The Tune is a Rockfinch production for 麻豆社 Radio 3.

Release date:

14 minutes

On radio

Fri 17 Apr 2026 21:45

Broadcast

  • Fri 17 Apr 2026 21:45

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