From driving reels to lilting jigs to melancholy Gaelic airs, Laura Risk's fiddling takes you on a rich journey through the diverse repertoires of Scotland, Quebec, and Ireland. Her expressive, versatile playing is described by filmmaker Ken Burns as "a revelation and achingly beautiful."
Laura has toured extensively as a soloist and as a member of numerous bands (Greenfire, Ensemble Galilei, The John Whelan Band, Cordelia's Dad), performing at venues such as the Newport, Philadelphia, and Winnipeg Folk Festivals; Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland; Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, NS; The Bottom Line in NYC; City Stages in Birmingham, AL; the Summer Solstice Festival in Los Angeles; and the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA. Her first solo CD was named one of The Boston Globe's 'Top 10 CDs of the Year', and her first album with the group Greenfire was an Allegro Corporation's #1 World Music title and a BMG Record Club Top 15 Bestseller for the year.
On her new solo recording, 2000 Miles, Laura joins forces with some of Quebec's hottest traditional and jazz musicians to create a richly-textured and exciting new sound. Says Living Tradition, "Laura plays in a powerful, percussive style, with tight control and beautiful tone but bursting with energy and passion, turning reels into romps and slow airs into soul-searches." Laura recently completed a five-year tenure as an Instructor of Fiddling at Wellesley College, where she founded the college's first Celtic music ensemble. For more information, visit www.laurarisk.com.