“Saltaire has a unique fusion of a medieval/Celtic sound mixed with country music. The results are really mesmerising and at times haunting. There is a lot of storytelling in their songwriting and this adds a wonderful history and rich tapestry to their connection to the audience.”
-World Unplugged
Saltaire (contemporary alt-folk trio)
consists of vocalist/cellist Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz, guitarist Ian Kinsella, and bodhrán/bouzouki player Conor Lyons. Together they create a rich tapestry of sound and storytelling, through a fusion of trad/folk as well as contemporary classical styles.
They have garnered airplay across regional and national radio stations in Ireland, the UK, and the US, and have played to packed audiences in venues such as Whelan’s, The Duncairn, The Cobblestone Backroom, the Button Factory, to name a few. Saltaire have played the main stages of festivals such as Vantastival, Wild Roots, Feile Binn Eidair, Saoirse Fest, and the St. Patrick’s Day Festival Quarter at Colins Barracks; they are also regularly invited to perform at Hooks&Reels events and World Unplugged concerts (Ibiza, Ireland), including a support slot for David Kitt in March 2023. 2024 will see them showcase at the Your Roots are Showing folk music conference in Dundalk, and record their debut EP with producer/engineer Alex Borwick at the helm, supported by the Fingal County Arts Council.
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Meet the band
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Conor Lyons
Bodhrán player Conor Lyons began playing traditional Irish music from an early age, learning his craft from his family and neighbours. Throughout his career, he has featured on many different stages and shows and is a member of the critically acclaimed Irish traditional group ’The Bonny Men’.
His talents have brought him across the globe to perform his music, most notably at the prestigious venue of Carnegie Hall in New York. He has also toured extensively throughout Europe with various other high ranking musicians and is a regular performer at venues and theatres across Ireland. From a young age, competitions and performances were commonplace for Conor, and he is the only bodhrán player to claim the title of 'World Champion' twice.
He also plays the Bouzouki, a Greek instrument that has come to the fore in Traditional Music for which he is a great exponent of it. Featuring on many group and solo recordings of Irish musicians, Conor’s skills on both the Bodhrán and Bouzouki have come to be well regarded among Irish musicians and he is a highly sought after recording musician.
Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz
Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz is a folk singer and cross-genre cellist from New York, now based in Dublin. While her partnership with Ian and Conor to form Saltaire has been the anchoring force of her progression as a creator, she has also had the privilege of collaborating with a number of mighty musicians across genres.
While her background is rooted in classical training with Vladimir Panteleyev at the Kaufman Center in New York City, since moving to Ireland she has delved into a collection of other styles, recording and performing with the likes of Natalie Ní Chasaide & Iarfhlaith Ó Domhnaill, David Howley, Laura Jo Callaghan, Brí, Reylta, and Aoife Wolf to name a few. She frequently plays and sings alongside RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Award winner Eoghan O’Ceannabháin, recorded on his forthcoming album, and recently joined him at the Tradition Now concert series at the National Concert Hall, The Tommy Tiernan Show and the RTÉ Folk Awards in Vicar Street. In April 2023 She accompanied Síle Denvir for her Gradam Ceoil Singer of the Year performance live on TG4.
Her versatility as a musician has brought her to different corners of the world, and in November 2021, Kaitlin and Ian joined a powerhouse roster of musicians to represent Ireland at the World Expo in Dubai. In 2022 she joined a fresh lineup with Frankie Gavin & De Dannan, and has since performed at the Théâtre Municipal le Colisée in Lens, France, Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte Carlo in Monaco, the Late Late Show, the main stages of Wickham Folk Festival, Ballyshannon Folk Festival, Tønder Festival in Denmark, and Belfast TradFest in Ulster Hall as the cellist and featured singer. Upcoming gigs across Ireland and Europe will see Kaitlin join the stage with De Dannan in the near future.
Ian Kinsella
Ian began playing music at age 11, initially learning from his banjo-player father Jackie, who performed with Dolly Parton during his musical journey. Ian spent his teenage years forming bands with musicians who would later build their own careers such as Cormac Cannon and Zena Pritchard.
Having worked as a primary school teacher, Ian decided to pursue music fulltime, initially playing as part of duo with Jiggy’s fiddle player Aoife Kelly. He then went on to play and record with 9 times all Ireland champion fiddle player Padraig O’Neill. Subsequently Ian formed a trio with Cillian Doheny of Moxie and Michelle O’Brien of Providence and the following years saw several tours, recordings and festivals with numerous musicians and outfits including separate tours of America with the Young Irelanders and Colin Farrell, Spain with Irish Celtic and several intercontinental events with artists and bands consisting of players such as Eamonn de Barra, Maitiú Ó’Casaide, Sean Garvey, Dessie Kelliher and John Francis Flynn.
In 2021 Ian was brought to the world expo in Dubai in conjunction with the National Concert Hall to represent Ireland’s finest musicians which included Caoimhin Ó’Fearghail, Conor Connolly, Eimear McGeown, James Carty, Marty Barry, Kaitlin Cullen Verhauz, Ryan McCauley, Cathal Ó Curráin, Darragh Brannigan, Iarlaith MacGabhann and Paddy Tutty. One of Ian’s largest performances was with internationally renowned Gavin James on the main stage at Electric Picnic, performing to over 50,000 people.
Ian is the guitarist with two times RTE 1 folk award winner Eoghan Ó’Ceannabháin who is currently enjoying success having played the National Concert Hall upon release of a critically acclaimed album.
Ian has recently joined a band with decades’ long lifespan and unmatched legacy - Frankie Gavin and De Dannan. Catherine McHugh, Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz and Diarmuid O’Meachair complete the line-up. 2023 saw performances on the Late Late Show, gigs at Wickham Folk Festival, Ballyshannon Folk Festival, the All Ireland Fleadh and Tønder Festival in Denmark.