Part of the great Irish Diaspora, Kevin was born in London
of Irish parents, who had emigrated from their native Sligo, an area renowned for its traditional music, particularly the
fiddle.
As a teenager, Kevin played in clubs throughout England and
Ireland. In 1972, a chance
meeting with Arlo Guthrie led to his first trip to America
to play on Arlo's album "Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys".
Christy Moore then asked Kevin to join his new band and move
back to Ireland, after which he became the fiddle force for the legendary Bothy Band.
He then entered a solo period, received numerous awards and
further solidified his reputation as one of the great Irish fiddlers of the latter half of the 20th Century.
In the late 80's Kevin formed the Traditional Music
all-star group Patrick Street which is still going strong over a decade and six
albums later.
At the same time, Kevin somehow found the time to simultaneously
create the ground-breaking, eclectic group "Open House", as well as continuing to pursue his solo career and other projects.
In spite of this hectic professional career, Kevin is widely
acknowledged as one of the great fiddle teachers as well, and remains dedicated to passing on the tradition. Kevin Burke currently
lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Elfrieda, and young daughter, Emma.
