Kathleen Loughnane
Kathleen Loughnane, a 2010 Meteor Award nominee, is renowned for arranging traditional dance tunes and airs and for researching 17th- and 18th-century Irish harp composers. She co-founded Dordán in 1990, winning the 1993 National Entertainment Award. Her acclaimed CDs with companion books include Affairs of the Harp, Harping On, Harp to Heart and The Harpers Connellan.
Her work reawakens the lost melodies of Ireland’s harping tradition, uniting deep historical research with expressive playing. In this episode, we talk with her about her work on the Patrick O'Neill manuscripts. She reflects on learning the harp and performing with Dordán. She also shares her approach to interpreting tunes and discusses the growing popularity of the harp today.