Photo by Anna Colliton
Joanna Clare hails from Upstate New York and is an acclaimed Irish fiddler and violinist. She started Suzuki violin at The Hochstein School when she was three. She later studied with Harumi Rhodes of the Takacs Quartet, Peter Rovit, Concertmaster of Syracuse, NY’s Symphoria, and Sligo fiddle master Brian Conway. Joanna currently lives in Baltimore, and there she is a member of the bands Celtic Corridor, The Mount Clare Connection, and The Good Folk. Joanna also teaches private fiddle and classical violin lessons as well as group music classes to adults and children online and in person through her own studio and the Baltimore Irish Music School. Joanna has won numerous awards for her talents as a fiddler and as a composer. In 2021 she was awarded Runner Up at the All-Ireland Fleadh Fest in Sligo, Ireland for the senior fiddle slow airs competition. Since then, she released her debut album, To Keep the Candle Burning, in 2022. The album is dedicated to the many traditional Irish musicians who inspired her throughout her childhood and is comprised of traditional tunes she learned either directly from these musicians or from their recordings, as well as some newly composed tunes. Joanna is currently working on albums with The Mount Clare Connection. If you'd like to stay updated about her projects, feel free to sign up for her newsletter.
Meet Joanna
The Word Around Town
"The music here is just outstanding overall. But what I find equally engaging is the care with which [Joanna has] paid tribute to those who influenced her…Check this one out if you want to hear some first-rate fiddle music – this is a great album."
"This is a collection which feels fresh yet mature, and never has us think on it as a debut. Joanna has captured the essence of Irish music and made it her own."
"I just received an album from Joanna Clare. She's a beautiful fiddler...It's absolutely delightful."
"Joanna is not only a brilliant fiddler, but also a composer as her tunes are quite original. Their structure and melodic writing are so impressive.”
“It has been a joy to watch Joanna grow as a musician and a person, and I’m so proud of what she has accomplished. Congratulations to Joanna on a beautiful recording!”
"[Joanna Clare] replaced Martin Hayes in my car CD player...it's so joyous."
Heather Martley / Fiddler and Irish music lover
"The grace of Planxty Hugh O’Donnell, the emotion of An Buachaill Caol Dubh, the punch of The Brown Coffin, all are superbly handled with crisp technique and clear tone."
"Joanna and her fellow-musicians possess such an acute feel for texture and dynamics that there’s never a dull moment; variety is the key, with no two tracks sporting an identical arrangement."
"Joanna's playing is vibrant, sparkling, and stellar ... she has the whole, authentic celtic sound down to a tee ! You'll not hear better this side of the Atlantic!"
