“Simply one of the best folk duos on the planet” (BBC)
"Folk Instrumentalist of the Year 2020" RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards (Zoë)
"Featured Composer 2021" ITMA Irish Traditional Music Archive (Zoë)
With an exciting blend of eclectic fiddle and guitar music, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre bring to the stage sympathetic arrangements of traditional Irish music, compositions and songs, old and new. The husband and wife folk duo possess a rare facility to draw pieces into their repertoire from other genres such as classical, jazz and world music and express this material in way which not only displays the sheer range and knowledge of both instrumentalists but also exhibits the wonderful versatility of their instruments.
About the musicians
Their debut duo album, entitled Go Mairir I Bhfad (Long Life To You), received a glorious 5 stars from national paper, The Irish Times. For this unique album, they commissioned twelve leading Irish composers to each compose a piece specifically for Zoë and John, for fiddle and guitar, with the aim of collectively presenting a snapshot of traditional Irish music alive today. The renowned composers who took part in the project were Liz Carroll, Steve Cooney, Frankie Gavin, Andy Irvine, Charlie Lennon, Donal Lunny, Máirtín O’Connor, Peadar Ó Riada, Mícheál Ó Súilleabhán, Tommy Peoples, Niall Vallely and Bill Whelan.
The release of these albums has brought international attention to the duo, and so they are increasingly in demand in Ireland and abroad for performances, talks and workshops.
They have released two recordings to date - one is a superb collection of live European performances, Live in Concert, released in spring 2017. The album showcases their mesmerising musical interaction on-stage, and also reveals some of their more virtuosic repertoire outside of the Irish traditional genre. Relaxed and atmospheric, the respect and understanding that they have of traditional Irish music and song also shines through.
Zoë, no stranger to the stage, has performed with an impressive list of international artists including Riverdance, Damien Rice, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Rodrigo y Gabriella to mention but a few. In contrast to this, she has been an important figure within classical music circles in Ireland and abroad, as her crossover discipline has allowed her the pleasure of appearing as soloist with acclaimed orchestras such as The Irish Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and German WDR Symphony Orchestra; pieces recited include her own compositions and works composed for her by world renowned Irish composer, Bill Whelan.
John grew up in the Cooley Mountains of north County Louth where he took up guitar at eight years of age. He began his career as electric guitarist with the successful indie band, The Revs with whom he performed on many famous stages and festivals including Oxygen, and Slane in Ireland, Reading and Leeds in the UK, and toured extensively in USA, Australia and Europe. He has worked alongside many world-renowned producers, and is now also producing and recording in many genres. John studied classical guitar and piano for many years, and from early childhood was immersed in the language, songs and traditional dance music of south west Donegal - his father's homeplace.
The duo has recorded on major film soundtracks including Finding You (Red Sky Studio 2021), Riverdance The Animated Adventure (Universal 2021), and Zoë has recorded on award winning Float Like A Butterfly (Samson Films 2018) and Artemis Fowl (Disney 2020) as soloist with a hand-picked symphony orchestra in George Martin's world-renowned AIR studios in London.
Zoë and John have collaborated over the past five years with award winning Scots Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis and bouzouki player of international renown, Éamon Doorley, both based in Inverness in Scotland. Releasing a groundbreaking recording of newly crafted songs and tunes, 'Allt' is the culmination of a composition project inspired by old and new Gaelic poetry from Scotland and Ireland. Emotive and powerful, their album was awarded five stars from Songlines UK, listed as "one of the albums of the year" from The Irish Times, and described as "a modern classic" by Folk Radio UK. The "awesome foursome" are currently working on a follow up album so watch this space!
Together, Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre have been described as “simply one of the best folk duos on the planet” (BBC), and audiences in Ireland and beyond keep coming back for more. They have performed for rock stars, millionaires and dignitaries around the world, including Irish Presidents Mary Mc Aleese and Michael D. Higgins. They were awarded Best Live Show from popular YouTube channel, Balcony TV, and have received in excess of a combined half a million views online.
"An ceol is binne agus is cruinne dá gcuala mé riamh."
From left to right: Library trustee Mark Armstrong, musicians John McIntyre and Zoë Conway and library trustee and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Monaco, Permanent Delegate to U.N.E.S.C.O. Anne-Marie Boisbouvier
Superb Irish music event
What a wonderful evening with this talented, award-winning duo who performed a mix of traditional and contemporary music and song on fiddle, guitar and vocals. A highlight was the performance of a song in Irish from the personal collection of music scores of Princess Grace, titled 'Cailín deas crúite na mbó' (A pretty girl milking her cow). For their last song Zoë and John's teenage children Eoin and Fiona joined them on stage to perform, for an outstanding grand finale.
Much of Zoë and John's repertoire has been composed by themselves and has links to the landscape of the Cooley mountains in county Louth where they come from, and some pieces are inspired by artists like Nobel-prize-winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney, whom they knew personally.
Their moving performance in Monaco was uplifting and a real showcase of Irish traditional music as living, breathing and full of artistry and beauty. Their emotive songs are mostly in the Irish language and they have taken Irish language poetry and turned them into songs.
Photo copyright Frederic Rey
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