John McSherry

John Mc Sherry is hailed as one of the finest exponents of the art of Uilleann piping in the world today - "a true master" - Irish Music Magazine. Coming from a Belfast family steeped in traditional music, John focused his energies on the pipes from an early age. By the time he reached fifteen he had two All Ireland Championship titles under his belt and at the age of eighteen he was the youngest ever winner of the senior 'Oireachtas' piping competition. Combining with his musical siblings, John formed the band 'Tamalin', bringing their unique blend of Irish, Breton, rock and eastern music to enthusiastic audiences around the world. By the age of 25, he had gained a reputation as a world class studio session musician, recording with the likes of Clannad, Nancy Griffiths, Shaun Davey, Dónal Lunny and Dan ar Braz to name but a few. Described as being "at the forefront of modern innovation" - Green Man Review, John has taken piping to new heights with his unique style. His sense for improvisation has even been compared to that of the great jazz legend John Coltrane. Always in constant demand, John has performed with nearly every artist you could think of, from Sinead O'Connor and Riverdance to Ornette Coleman and Secret Garden. He was a founding member of top trad band 'Lúnasa' as well as a lead instrumentalist with Dónal Lunny's ground-breaking super group 'Coolfin', which included Sharon Shannon and Nollaig Casey. John's last recording venture, teaming up with life long musical comrade Michael Mc Goldrick to release 'At First Light', received the award for Best traditional Album of the Year 2001 - Irish American News.