“Three of the brightest lights in Irish traditional music have combined forces to form ‘Dalliance’, a dynamic new trio. Fiddler Haley Richardson, accordionist Sean McComiskey, and multi-instrumentalist Alan Murray may rightly take pride in their many topnotch recordings, glowing reviews, and accomplishments up till now, so the music they are newly creating with their shared talents can only be of the highest order. Whether it's fresh interpretations of classic tunes, or explorations of previously uncharted musical ground, Haley, Sean, and Alan raise the already-lofty standard of the genre to yet a much higher level. Their music is truly a feast for the ears.” - Myron Bretholz

INDIVIDUAL BIOS

Haley Richardson is a virtuosic fiddler, whose talents extend to the fields of both classical and Irish traditional music. With her highly ornamented Sligo style perfected under the tutelage of fiddler Brian Conway, Haley has garnered a number of prestigious awards and honors, including multiple championships at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (All Ireland Championships) in Ireland, numerous MidAtlantic Championships, and the coveted Junior (2015) and Senior (2018) Fiddler of Dooney awards. She has been a member of Mick Moloney’s Green Fields of America, the John Whelan Band, and Shared Madness. Her most recent album, When the Wind Blows High and Clear, with multi-instrumentalist, Quinn Bachand, was nominated for 2020 Ensemble of the Year by the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Whether performing in a solo capacity or in an ensemble, Haley brings a rare dynamism and energy to her music informed by her thorough knowledge of the form, her mastery of her instrument, and the absolutely trailblazing and show-stopping technique and emotion evident in every note she plays. Haley is currently the fiddler for the 25th Anniversary tour of the Grammy Award winning production Riverdance.

Sean McComiskey is among the most innovative young performers on the button accordion, with a unique harmonic style that has earned him a spot in the pantheon of Irish accordionists far beyond his native Baltimore. As the son of legendary button accordion player and National Heritage Fellow, Billy McComiskey, Sean has been surrounded by Irish Traditional music his entire life and has developed a deep appreciation for the tradition of which he is a part. This has helped Sean establish a reputation as a highly regarded teacher and promulgator of Irish music and earned him teaching positions with the Catskills Irish Arts Week, the Augusta Heritage Center’s Irish Arts Week, the Chris Langan Traditional Irish Music Weekend in Toronto, the CCE Musical Arts and Dance (MAD) Week in Washington, DC, the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest, and the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival. Sean has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He was recently honored as a silver medalist in the Senior All-Ireland Melodeon competition. He's recorded albums and toured with groups including NicGaviskey and the Old Bay Ceili Band. In 2014, Sean formed the Baltimore-based acoustic roots group, Charm City Junction, with Patrick McAvinue on bluegrass fiddle, Brad Kolodner on Appalachian old-time clawhammer banjo, and Alex Lacquement on upright bass. In 2015, they released their self-titled debut album and in 2016 were nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association's Band Momentum Award. This collaboration has enabled Sean to bring his unique style of Irish button accordion to the old-time and bluegrass music communities as a featured performer at venues including the Grand Ole Opry, the Kennedy Center, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, the National Folk Festival, and numerous other folk and acoustic music festivals, concerts, and performing arts centers around the country. When Sean isn't playing the button accordion, he is the owner and clinic director of a private practice physical therapy office in Baltimore City called Birch Tree Physical Therapy and Wellness. In his work as a PT, one of his areas of special interest is the treatment and rehabilitation of injured musicians and artists suffering from repetitive stress injuries.

Alan Murray, guitarist, bouzouki player and singer, hails from Glasgow, Scotland, where he grew up playing the whistle and later guitar. Eventually moving to United States, he has established himself as an in-demand performer and teacher on the Irish music scene. He has recorded and performed around the world with many of the finest traditional musicians and acts today, including Lunasa, Eileen Ivers, Battlefield Band, and FourWinds.