Carl Hession is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, arranger and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

. His background includes many elements of his education in both traditional and modern (including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

) and classical music. Originally from

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, he participated in competitions at various Fleadhs throughout the country. He has All Ireland titles to his credit as a soloist and as a member of duets and trios with flute player

Matt Molloy Matt Molloy (born 12 January 1947) is an Irish musician, from a region known for producing talented flautists. As a child, he began playing the flute and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at nineteen. Considered one of the most brilliant ...

and accordion player Joe Burke. He studied classical piano at University College

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, where he completed a

B. A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in music, specialising in

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

improvisation. He then performed with

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

virtuoso

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the fi ...

. Hession played with the ceili band Shaskeen, with whom he recorded several albums, and with

Paul Brock Paul Brock is an Irish button accordionist born in Athlone now residing in Ennis. In May 1989, Brock co-founded the group Moving Cloud with fiddle player, Manus McGuire. In 2001 he co-founded the new group The Brock McGuire Band also with Manu ...

's band Moving Cloud. He also worked with traditional musician friends Frankie Gavin and Joe Derrane and jazz/blues singer Mary Coughlan. With Gavin he recorded ''The Full Score'' (TARA 4020). Gavin also played on Hession's album ''Ceol Inne Ceol Inniu - Old Time New Time'', along with

Jackie Daly Jackie Daly (born 22 June 1945, Kanturk, North Cork, Ireland) is an Irish button accordion and concertina player. He has been a member of a number of prominent Irish traditional-music bands, including De Dannan, Patrick Street, Arcady, and ...

, Steve Cooney,

Kevin Crawford Kevin Crawford (born in Birmingham, England) is an Irish flute, tin whistle, low whistle and bodhrán player. He was born in England to Irish parents from Milltown Malbay, County Clare. He later moved to West Clare to improve his music and becom ...

and others. He also made recordings with jazz

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

Louis Stewart. For several years he was part of the Rhythm of the Dance team with the National Dance Company of Ireland. Hession has written and arranged compositions for a number of orchestras and ensembles and collaborated with Aidan O'Carroll on the album ''Songs My Mother Taught Me''. Hession was a music teacher at various schools in Galway County, including Coláiste Iognáid, Galway, and most recently at Yeats College Galway, after which he commenced his retirement.

Select discography

;With Shaskeen *''The Shaskeen'', Release Records BRL 4053. *''Green Groves of Erin. Traditional Irish Music and Song'', Release Records XRL5001 *''The Ash Plant'', Release Records XRL5005 *''Traditional Irish Music'', Release Records. Audiocassette, 12 tracks. ;Others * ''Celtic Aura - Irish Traditional Music'' - compilation - 1990 * ''Mo Chairdin'' - with

and

Manus McGuire Manus McGuire is an Irish fiddle player. Early life He was born in Tullamore, and grew up in County Sligo. He resides in County Clare. In 1970, he won Sligo's prestigious Fiddler of Dooney competition, at age 14. Career He is a founding ...

* ''Old Time, New Time'' - 1995 * ''Moving Cloud'' - 1995 * ''Return to Inis Mór'' - 1996 * ''Tra Water's Edge'' - 1997 * ''Fox Glove'' - with Moving Cloud - 1998 * ''Mega Celtique'' * ''Joe Derrane with Carl Hession'' * ''Songs my Mother Taught Me'' - by Aidan O'Carroll * ''Heart of Ireland'' - Collection of Celtic Songs - Compilation - 1998 * ''Shamrocks & Holy - An Irish Christmas Celebration'' - compilation - 2000

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hession, Carl Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Irish composers Irish pianists 21st-century Irish people Irish educators Irish songwriters People from County Galway 21st-century pianists