Two generations of accordion players are represented in the list of 6 recipients of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2015 (Traditional Music Awards), announced at a media reception in Cork City Hall this evening. The main award, Gradam Ceoil TG4 goes to Galway virtuoso Máirtín O’Connor whose accordion-playing wizardry and range of compositions have been dazzling audiences for over thirty years. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to legendary box player Bobby Gardiner, a Clare native now exiled in Tipperary but well-known throughout the land for well over a half-century for his warm and gentle style of playing and teaching.
This year’s other Gradam recipients range over a wide spectrum of talents. They include a young Dublin piper from one of the country’s leading musical families; a singer from Co. Down whose repertoire spans the full richness of the Ulster tradition; an innovative young musical ensemble that combines Clare roots with modern and jazz influences; and the national Traditional Music Archive whose treasure trove of stored music has achieved world-wide recognition and that serves thousands of users every year.
The full list of TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2015 recipients is: