Donnell Leahy - Biography
For well over 100 years, the descendants of a poor Irish immigrant to rural Ontario have been fashioning
fiddlers that are remarkable in both their level of musical skill and their hard-working attitude. Iconic
Canadian fiddler Donnell Leahy is the epitome of this skill and work-ethic.
Honing his remarkable talent since the age of three, Donnell has literally spent his entire life with a
fiddle in his hand. His initial skills were learned at home from his parents – a fiddle-playing father from
Ontario and a step-dancing mother from Cape Breton. With a well-trained ear, he learned tunes from
fiddlers both in person and on recordings and it is no surprise that, as the lead fiddler in Leahy, his own
style emerged; some even say he even created a new genre of music known simply as “Leahy.”
Combined with his mesmerizingly strident, exultant, and high-energy performances, this has become
Donnell Leahy’s musical signature.
No matter if he is performing with Leahy, alongside is wife - Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster, or
solo, audiences lap up every amazing moment of Donnell’s riveting performances, filled with, as Natalie
describes, “intense power, [while] maintaining the sweetness and tone” of the fiddle. “He is absolutely
precise and articulate – a must see to believe.”
“I’m not the greatest with words, but on the fiddle, I can tell the whole story passionately,” says Donnell.
“If you want to play a sad piece, it’s easy to be sad playing it. I’m aggressive, a quick-mover, spirited,
athletic, and that comes out in my playing.”
“I think that I’ve learned that you really have to believe in what you’re playing.” It is this simple fact that
has earned Donnell not only industry awards and accolades, but more importantly for him, has won him
world-wide audiences who appreciate his work and continue to follow him wherever his musical roads
have led.
Having spent his life touring and performing, people who meet Donnell are impressed to find he is
humble and down-to-earth, which can be attributed to his up-bringing in a house of 11 children, not to
mention that he still farms as a way to “relax” outside of his touring life. Over the last 11 years, he and
wife Natalie have not only shared their focus on musical pursuits but have set their sights on raising
their six children and bringing them up in the same musical traditions they received.
Together with Natalie, Donnell instructs his children, exposing them to world-class musicians who visit
their home and tour the world with the couple. There is no doubt that the humble Irish immigrant who
came to Canada all those years ago would be pleased with his legacy.
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Donnell Leahy – Biography 2014
Maureen@DLLmgt.com. Ph: (705) 652-6791