Liz Knowles

Liz Knowles has brought her distinctive sound—the fire and finesse of Irish fiddle music combined with the tonal richness of the classical violin—to concert stages and festivals across the world. Her auspicious beginnings as the fiddler for Riverdance and as soloist on the soundtrack for the film Michael Collins established her as a virtuosic and versatile performer, and she has since performed as soloist with such orchestras as the New York Pops, she was a member of the renowned Cherish the Ladies, played on Broadway with The Pirate Queen, traveled the world for over four years as Music Director and performer with Celtic Legends and, today she performs with another all-star female super-group, the highly acclaimed String Sisters, and the newly formed Martin Hayes Quartet.

Liz first distinguished herself as a violinist in New York City, performing in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Broadway, with such artists such as Marcus Roberts, the Bang-on-a-Can Orchestra, Bobby McFerrin, Paula Cole, Steve Reich, Eliot Goldenthal, Rachel Barton, Don Henley, and Tim O’Brien. It was also in New York that she discovered her true passion for Irish music. Today, she is well respected on both sides of the Atlantic. Liz is also established as a well-known and sought-after teacher of Irish music. She has taught at many tionols and workshops across the US and in Ireland. Her compositions and arrangements of tunes and songs have been recorded and performed by John Whelan, Flook, Chicago’s Metropolis Symphony Orchestra, Liz Carroll, Beolach, Bachue, J.P. Cormier, Michael Black, John Doyle, and Ensemble Galilei. In 2016, Liz co-produced a cd and performance project alongside Liz Carroll with the Art Institute of Chicago as a part of their special exhibit, Ireland:Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840. This project, OTD43, String Sisters, and the Martin Hayes Quartet are indicative of a maturity in her music, a conscious choice to incorporate the entirety of her musical life into the music she plays, writes and performs today.