Irish Trad Duo

Classical violinist and Irish fiddler Kate Knudsvig was born in Hof, Germany, and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, where she works as a freelance musician in and around the area. While studying at Eastman with Federico Agostini and later with Juliana Athayde, Kate’s artistic trajectory took an unexpected turn as she found herself drawn to styles of music apart from classical. She fell in love with Irish traditional music while attending the New England Conservatory and obtained a Master’s degree in Contemporary Musical Arts under the guidance of renowned Irish fiddler and educator, Liz Knowles. A touring musician, Kate is the fiddle player in the PBS supergroup Celtic Thunder and also regularly performs with one of their lead singers, world-renowned Irish tenor Emmet Cahill, as well as her all-female traditional music and vocal ensemble, Forsyth. 

Richard Hearn is a dynamic accompanist based in Baltimore, Maryland. He got his start with Irish traditional music while living in Europe, and toured internationally with several Irish and Scottish music projects before returning to the US. He regularly tours with his trio, the East Coasters. In addition, he has toured and performed with internationally acclaimed musicians, including Billy McComiskey, Steph Geremia, Sarah Collins, and duo Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen Gira. Richard is the director of the Baltimore Irish Tenor Banjo Summit and the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest, Executive Director of the Baltimore Irish Music School, where he teaches tenor banjo and accompaniment, and has played at and been on the instructional staff at many festivals across the US and Germany.