The Chieftains and Friends Bringing Irish Music, Dance to Eisenhower

The Chieftains, the world’s preeminent traditional Celtic band, returns to Eisenhower Auditorium as part of its annual North American tour leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.

Audiences adore the group, which last appeared at Eisenhower in 2007, for its exhilarating musicianship and collaborations with varied artists.

The band has recorded more than 40 albums and performed with a “who’s who” of musicians, including Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Mick Jagger, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Sting, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, James Galway, Diana Krall and Los Lobos.

“The Chieftains have always aimed high,” wrote a Boston Globe critic. “From the start, they sought to bring traditional Irish music out of the pubs and into theaters and opera houses around the world. They’ve done that with style.”

John Pilatzke (harp, dance), Triona Marshall (harp, keyboard), Cara Butler (dance), Tim Edey (guitar), Alyth McCormack (vocals, dance), Martin Murray (banjo, mandolin) and Tara Breen (fiddle, saxophone) accompany The Chieftains in concert.

The Nittany Valley Children’s Choir, directed by Lou Ann Shafer, also joins the band to perform “Shenandoah” and “Long Journey Home (Anthem),” two songs from The Chieftains’ 1998 Grammy Award-winning album “Long Journey Home.”

Paddy Moloney, the uillean pipes player who started the Dublin band in 1962 and serves as its music director, embodies The Chieftains’ inclusive creative spirit. Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals) and Matt Molloy (flute) complete the band.

The band’s newest album, “Voice of Ages,” features collaborations with a new generation of kindred spirits. The recording, produced by Moloney and T Bone Burnett, includes songs with Bon Iver, The Decemberists, The Civil Wars, Pistol Annies, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Punch Brothers.

The performance will be held at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3,

Buy tickets online at www.cpa.psu.edu or by phone at (814) 863-0255 or (800) ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Penn State Downtown Theatre Center (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), HUB-Robeson Center Information Desk (weekdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Bryce Jordan Center (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

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