About Ishna:
Fronted by husband-wife duo Ciaran Nagle and Tara Novak (both of Riverdance and The Three Irish Tenors), ISHNA is a Contemporary Irish Folk Band. The band members come from all over the world, hailing from different musical backgrounds. Together they enjoy exploring the rhythms and pathos of the music of Ireland. Known for their exuberant instrumental jigs and reels as well as their soaring vocal numbers, featuring Ciaran’s powerful tenor voice as well as intimate vocal harmonies, Ishna captures the nostalgia of the old sod while having its feet firmly planted in the Ireland of today.
About Tara Novak:
Songwriter and composer Tara Novak performs with her husband Ciaran Nagle in their contemporary Irish folk band Ishna and is known internationally for her captivating violin and fiddle playing.
She has spent many years touring with large shows (Aladdin, Riverdance, the Three Irish Tenors), but can mostly be found now onstage sharing her own or other musician’s original music in intimate settings.
As an arranger and recording artist, she has collaborated across many genres. Her work carries both herself and her listener on an inward journey, searching for authenticity and kindness.
About Dan Meyers:
A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Dan Meyers is a flexible performer of both classical and folk music; his credits range from premieres of contemporary chamber music, to headlining a concert series in honor of Pete Seeger at the Newport Folk Festival, to playing Renaissance instruments on Broadway for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Company. He lived for two years in Ireland, studying uilleann pipes and tin whistle with Eamonn Brophy, Tommy Keane, Mick O'Brien, and Mary Bergin, among others; he now teaches the pipes himself in his Boston studio, and performs traditional Irish music with the bands Ulster Landing and Ishna. He also performs music from southern Italy and around the Mediterranean with the group Zafarán, and is in demand throughout the US as a performer of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music.
About Björn Wennas:
Swedish born Björn Wennås’ roles as a musician ranges from performer, composer and arranger to educator, author and music director. He is equally at home in a rock club as he is performing Mediterranean or Irish music in a performing arts center or performing Shubert in a chamber music setting.
Björn was until recently the guitarist, composer and arranger for Newpoli, an Italian world/folk ensemble. He now co-leads Carmen Marsico & Zafarán as well as plays guitar in the Irish group ISHNA. He is one of only a handful of people outside of Italy that plays the 10 stringed Chitarra Battente.