Minogue and Friesen
At Chandler

A graduate of the Yale School of Music, cellist Eugene Friesen has been a featured performer all over the world.

Join Áine Minogue (harp/vocals), cello virtuoso Eugene Friesen and DruidStone as they celebrate the symbolism of winter in the various Celtic regions of the world Sunday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph.

This Pan-Celtic odyssey will take audience members on a journey to the British Isles, Galatia, Brittany and Eastern Canada as they are treated to an evening of music, storytelling and tradition, appropriate for all ages and guaranteed "To Warm a Winter’s Night." In this holiday performance, Minogue, an expert in the area of seasonal Celtic traditions, and guests explore the more contemplative side of the season.

Born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Minogue is an artist who has long explored the themes and traditions of Celtic music. Her voice mixes with a diverse group of instruments that add to the traditional flavor of her work.

As a young girl, Minogue’s large musical family encouraged her to pursue a number of different instruments during her youth. They played together as a family and attended fleadhs, traditional music festivals. It was at the age of 12, while at boarding school in County Galway, that Minogue discovered her true love—the harp—which she decided to pursue in lieu of all others. After completing school, she spent three years developing her talent as a harpist at Bunratty Castle, County Clare, the perfect setting to emphasize the harp’s lyrical connection to Irish history.

Like so many Irish before her, Minogue moved to the United States and settled in New England. She continues to concentrate on the traditional music of her homeland, both as a soloist and collaborator. She has entertained former Irish presidents and prime ministers, and is a regular performer at folk festivals and concerts throughout the country.

Minogue has recorded for BMG, SoundsTrue, North Star, and has been featured on numerous Celtic compilations. Her own "To Warm a Winter’s Night," the impetus to begin the live version of the same name, was named one of the top 10 albums of the year by the Boston Globe. The songs are sung in their original language—Gaelic, Breton French, or Welsh.

Cellist Eugene Friesen is at the forefront of a new generation of musicians versed in classical, popular and world music. A graduate of the Yale School of Music, he is active as a performer, composer, teacher and recording artist.

Friesen's gift for the responsive flow of improvisatory music has been featured in concerts all over the world with the Paul Winter Consort, Trio Globo, and with poets Yevgeny Yevtushenko and Coleman Barks. He has performed as a soloist at the International Cello Festival in Manchester, England; Rencontres d’Ensembles de Violoncelles in Beauvais, France; and at the World Cello Congress in Baltimore, Md.

This performance at Chandler is presented by special arrangement with Randy Labbe of Deluge Entertainment. General admission tickets are available by calling the Chandler Box Office at 728-6464 from 3-6 p.m., Monday through Friday, or at www.chandler-arts.org. Chandler Music Hall is wheelchair accessible.

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