Legendary Irish Fiddler Kevin Burke to Perform in Kennebunk

Kevin Burke, one of the most popular and influential Irish fiddlers of our time, will make a solo appearance at the Brick Store Museum in downtown Kennebunk, Saturday, September 13, 2025. Burke’s show is part of the popular “Concerts in West K!” series of acoustic music concerts.

Born in London in 1950, to parents from County Sligo, Ireland, Burke began playing the fiddle when he was seven or eight years old. London at the time was home to a large community of Irish emigrants, and Irish music thrived in the city. Immersion in this scene, combined with formal violin lessons, provided Burke with an exceptional education in Irish music.

Burke has enjoyed a wide-ranging professional career. He has been a member of some of the most popular and influential Irish groups of the past 40 years, including the Bothy Band, Patrick Street, Open House, and the Celtic Fiddle Festival. He has also worked with a number of duo partners, such as Jackie Daly, Micheal O Domhnaill, Ged Foley, and Cal Scott. Burke has nonetheless retained his love for solo fiddle music – the “naked fiddle” as he himself sometimes puts it.

He has garnered prestigious awards in both Ireland and the U.S. In 2002 he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, , the USA's highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts. In 2016 he was named Irish Traditional Musician of the year by the Irish language TV channel TG4. Kevin has also been honored by his adopted home state with his induction to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Burke’s Kennebunk concert will feature a special guest appearance by stepdancer Kieran Jordan from Boston. She brings a lyrical and expressive style to the rhythm and percussion of traditional Irish dance. She has been dancing since the age of five, and has performed and taught locally and internationally for more than 30 years. She is the Dance Director for the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance, held annually in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Burke’s concert will take place Saturday, September 13 at 7:30 pm in the Dane Street Program Center of the Brick Store Museum. The museum is at 117 Main Street, adjacent to the town hall in downtown Kennebunk. Admission to the concert is $25.00 per person. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.brickstoremuseum.org/calendar/
Unpaid reservations may be made by e-mail to:
paul.wells@mousamrivermusic.net
Tickets may also be purchased at the door.