Legendary Martin Hayes to headline Other Voices opening concert in Derry
The master violinist brings a contemporary take on Irish tradition to the Guildhall stage
Other Voices will open with a special concert by Martin Hayes & Brian Donnellan in the beautiful surroundings of Derry’s historic Guildhall on Thursday, September 24.
Traditional music heroes Martin Hayes & Brian Donnellan will come together for a very special collaborative performance to officially kick off the weekend’s happenings.
Tickets for this special opening concert are available now via Eventbrite at £25 + booking fee.
Praised by the Irish Times as a musician with an “insatiable appetite for adventure,” Martin Hayes is one of Irish traditional music’s most significant talents.
Rooted in his native East Clare, he continues to shape the music’s future through projects including The Gloaming, The Common Ground Ensemble and the Martin Hayes Quartet.
He is artistic director of Cork’s Masters of Tradition festival and co-curator of the Marble Sessions at Kilkenny Arts Festival.
He shares the Guildhall stage with Brian Donnellan, a concertina and bouzouki player from Co. Clare, whose playing creates a deeply nuanced dialogue with Hayes - music shaped by awareness, breath and an oral tradition that is both rooted and contemporary.
No stranger to Other Voices or the city of Derry, Martin and Brian last played to a sold out audience at St Columb’s Hall during Féile 2025 in a night that will live long in the city’s musical memory. We can't wait to welcome them back.
Other Voices Derry Presents: Martin Hayes & Brian Donnellan on Thursday, September 24 from 7:30–10pm, The Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Derry.
Tickets on sale now via Eventbrite here.