Trian

Celtic music luminaries Billy McComiskey, Liz Carroll, and Daithi Sproule united to establish the supergroup Trian in the Scottish folk tradition. Although grounded in longstanding customs, the ensemble elevated those roots through exceptional instrumental skill and interpretive depth. Trian’s sonic core derives from Carroll’s virtuosic fiddling paired with Sproule’s guitar and vocal work. Carroll, honored with the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, had already earned widespread recognition through her meticulously composed solo albums. Born in Derry and long resident in Minnesota, Sproule ranks among Celtic music’s foremost instrumentalists. While serving in Altan, he has backed distinguished artists including James Kelly, Tommy Peoples, Seamus and Manus McGuire, Kevin Burke, and Matt Molloy. Together with Micheál Ó Domhnaill, Tríona Ní Domhnaill, and Maighread Ní Domhnaill, he co-founded the early-’70s Irish ensemble Skara Brae, a project widely credited with shaping contemporary Celtic music. Sproule first traveled to the United States in 1978 specifically to record alongside James Kelly and Paddy O’Brien.