Blending deep roots in Irish traditional music with classical, jazz, and contemporary influences, Ní Bhriain and McCarthy chart a compelling sonic path through a shared musical heritage, transformed through their own creative lens.

The album title, Cosán Casta, derives from the Irish words for “twisted path”, reflecting a journey both intricate and organic, rooted and exploratory.

Cosán Casta is a deeply considered and intimate work that reimagines Irish traditional music through original compositions, reinterpretations of archival tunes, and a fusion of classical and jazz idioms. The record pays homage to the music Aoife and Cormac grew up with, the musical language they heard and spoke in their family homes.

For both Aoife & Cormac, music is deeply tied to confidence, a sense of place, and a feeling of authority. To play their own music, to have trust not only in the notes but the nuances, the quirks of stylistic ornamentation, and the interpretation of the manuscripts collected before their time, has brought them on a path of discovery, helping them find their voice and bring to life their own interpretation of tradition to life.

Having both left Ireland to further study music, to discover, develop and explore their practice within the worlds of jazz and classical genres, “it became apparent very quickly that the musical accent of our own traditional music was one that cannot be disguised or gotten rid of easily,” says the pair. “This accent defines how we approach music of all genres but also how we express the truest version of ourselves.”

A mix of the old and new, the album tells “the stories of who we are and where we come from but also the story of the journey our music has taken us on throughout our careers. The paths we have taken have been no means straightforward and the twists and turns on our musical journeys have always directed us back home - to where the music started. ‘Is fada an bóthar nach bhfuil casadh ann.’ It's a long road that has no bends.”

Aoife Ní Bhriain

Born in Dublin, to a family of musicians, Aoife Ní Bhriain has established herself as one of the most versatile musicians of her generation. Thanks to her musical heritage combined with her classical studies she has collaborated and performed with musicians such as pianist Eliso Virsaladze, fiddle player Martin Hayes, violinist Mariana Sirbu, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, jazz guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel and Oscar winning actor Tim Robbins. She has been guest co-leader of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Guest Leader of Crash Ensemble, Stargaze Ensemble, Concorde Ensemble and has also co-led the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

She is a member of the avant garde string quintet Wooden Elephant as well as the Goodman Trio with whom she has explored the manuscripts of the music collected around Ireland in the1800’s by Canon James Goodman. Since 2021 Aoife has joined forces with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and in October 2023 they released their debut album “Double You” to critical acclaim. Future projects include a debut album release “Cosán Casta” with pianist Cormac McCarthy in November 2025 Winner of the RTÉ Best Folk Instrumentalist of the Year, the Camerata Ireland Young Musician Award and the prestigious Bonn Óir Sean Uí Riada in 2010, Aoife has also won seven All Ireland titles as well as prizes in international violin and chamber music competitions. Most recently Aoife has qualified for the semi finals of the International Bach Competition 2022 in Leipzig and was awarded the Next Generation Award from the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2024 Aoife was shortlisted for Best Folk Album for her album with Catrin Finch in the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards. Recent performances include Shostakovich Violin Concerto no.1 with the Sudwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz and the Bach Double Concerto for Violin and Oboe with the Orlando Philharmonic alongside some of her own arrangements and compositions.

In 2025 Aoife is the Kaleidoscope Series Artist in Residence in Dublin as well as the commissioned composer in Stuideo Cuan and recipient of the Charlie Lennon Commision award. Aoife has a particular interest in solo violin works and curated a performance on the solo violin works of J.S. Bach and the improvisations of acclaimed Dublin fiddle player Tommie Potts on whom she has co-written a book to be released by the Irish Traditional Music Archives in 2025.

She graduated with first class honours from the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Leipzig in 2018 and plays on a violin by J.B. Vuillaume on generous loan as well as a Jurgen Manthey violin purchased through the Music Network Music Capital Scheme.