Name: Ímar
Start: 2026-03-08T15:00:00
Location: Blackstone River Theatre

Get ready to embark on a musical journey celebrating the richness of global folk traditions with a series of captivating performances at the Blackstone River Theatre. This upcoming season, the theatre hosts an array of talented artists who blend traditional sounds with modern influences, offering a diverse lineup that spans Irish, Celtic, Scandinavian, Tuvan, and Québécois music. From the legendary Irish band Lúnasa to the unique throat singing of Alash, these events promise to bring the world to your doorstep through the universal language of music.

Celebrating Global Folk Traditions: A Journey Through Music at Blackstone River Theatre

Ryan Murphy

Tomás Callister

Adam Brown

Adam Rhodes

Blackstone River Theatre

Ímar

We are thrilled to present Ímar who are on the East Coast for the first time in eight years! BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Winners, the Glasgow-based five-piece band Ímar, stands out from the crowd by taking things back to basics. With a line-up featuring members of Talisk, Mànran, Mec Lir, and RURA, and an impressive collection of top awards – including a 2018 BBC Radio 2 Musician Of The Year, 2016 BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year, BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award, Young Folk Award, nine All-Ireland and eight All-Britain titles – the group’s formation embodies a personal reconnection with its members’ formative years, dating back long before their recent camaraderie around Glasgow’s justly celebrated session scene. Mohsen Amini (concertina), Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes), Tomás Callister (fiddle), Adam Brown (bodhrán), and Adam Rhodes (bouzouki), share a strong background in Irish music – although only Murphy actually hails from Ireland; Rhodes and Callister are from the Isle of Man, whilst Amini is a Glasgow native, and Brown originally from Suffolk. But it is these foundations which underpin many of Ímar’s distinctive qualities, in both instrumentation and material. The band’s unmistakable synergy centers on the overlapping cultural heritage between Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. All three places once shared the same Gaelic language and a similar kinship endures between their musical traditions. “It’s definitely more of a pure-drop trad sound than most of the other bands we’re involved in,” adds Cork-born piper, flautist and whistle player Ryan Murphy (Mànran), “but I think that’s partly why it feels so natural. We’re going back to the music we started out playing when we met as teenagers through Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann – which is ultimately the reason why we’re all here as musicians.” “Genuinely jaw-dropping collective virtuosity.” – The Scotsman

Ímar

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