About

Katie Linnane - Irish Musician & Teacher

Fiddle

Katie Linnane is a fiddle player and former step dancer, born and raised in New York -- a hotbed for traditional Irish music. Katie's music reflects a deep-rooted connection to the tradition, shaped by her early studies learning from the legendary Willie Kelly and a childhood steeped in Irish music at home. Through Willie, Katie developed an affinity for Clare music and a keen ear for exceptional repertoire. A sought-after fiddle teacher and performer, Katie is active across the Northeast and Europe. Katie’s current musical focus is a duo with husband, Ivan Goff (Danú) who plays uilleann pipes and flute. Katie performs at festivals across the country and in Ireland such as St. Louis Tionól, Dungarvan Tradfest, and Catskills Irish Arts Week. Katie founded her first Irish Traditional music school in East Haven, CT while simultaneously completing her university studies. After earning her Masters in Occupational Therapy, she relocated the school to Pearl River, NY where she continues to teach privately.

She has toured the US as lead fiddle player and dancer with productions like Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas, and regularly performs solo and duet concerts across the Northeast, at venues such as NYU Glucksman Ireland house and Princeton Folk Music society. Deeply embedded in New York City’s thriving Irish music scene, she is a regularly featured guest at iconic traditional Irish music sessions such as the Dead Rabbit & 11th Street Bar, performing alongside musicians like Cillian Vallely (Lúnasa), Eamon O’Leary and Jefferson Hamer (The MurphyBeds), Tony DeMarco, Liz Hanley, Alan Murray, and John Morrow.

Private Teaching

I offer private lessons in Irish traditional music, focusing on repertoire, style, and technique with special attention to bowing. While my primary instrument is the fiddle, I welcome students of all instruments who want to deepen their understanding and appreciation for irish traditional music. Lessons are available both virtually and in person, tailored to each student’s level and goals.

Shows

Previous events

IAC Drawing from the Well Concert Series

Wednesday, October 14 @ 7:30PMWed, Oct 14 @ 7:30PM

Irish Arts Center , 726 11th Avenue, New York, NY

Ivan Goff and Katie Linnane

The overall Drawing from the Well concept will draw inspiration from ITMA's Across the States: An Irish Cultural Atlas of America, documenting 250 years of Irish music, song and dance across all fifty states. While the wider project has a national scope, these performances will focus primarily on New York—its extraordinary musical heritage, its communities, its archival legacy, and the continuing dialogue between Ireland and Irish America.

The evenings will combine world-class live performance with stories, photographs, recordings and films drawn from the archive, demonstrating how historical collections continue to inspire today's musicians and communities on both sides of the Atlantic. Featuring New York artists alongside the visiting Irish ensemble feels particularly important, recognising both the city's living traditions and the remarkable collections that have found their way into ITMA over many decades.