Lúnasa and Tim O’Brien join forces to embark on a transatlantic journey, exploring the interplay and mutual influences at the heart of American and Irish traditional music. Described by the Associated Press as “the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet,” Lúnasa returns to make their third SMF appearance in the past dozen years. The ensemble features all-Ireland champions like fiddler Seán Smyth, flute and whistle master Kevin Crawford, bassist Trevor Hutchinson, Uilleann pipe wizard Cillian Vallely and guitarist Ed Boyd. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien has performed at SMF leading his own quartet, in a duo project with Darrell Scott and with his celebrated bluegrass band Hot Rize, in addition to working with young string players in SMF’s Acoustic Music Seminar in 2014. A West Virginia native, O’Brien became a lifelong devotee of old-time and bluegrass music after seeing Doc Watson on TV as a child. One of the most original voices in American music today, O’Brien’s songs have been recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks, the Dixie Chicks and other Nashville stars. Joining Lúnasa with his songwriting skills, O’Brien can fully display the rich connections between Appalachian music and its updated Irish ancestry