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The Irish Arts Center in New York has announced what it describes as "a thrilling new multi-year partnership with Carnegie Hall, the iconic concert hall, and Askonas Holt, the eminent international arts management company," to present an annual concert in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, beginning in March 2026.
This exciting collaboration, said an IAC release, will kick off with a performance by Martin Hayes and The Common Ground Ensemble with special guests in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 8 p.m.
Hayes, a renowned Irish fiddle player from County Clare, has risen to become one of the most internationally influential and impactful Irish musicians in modern history, the release stated.
Tickets are already on sale to Carnegie Hall subscribers and become available to Irish Arts Center patrons on March 19.
Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall, said: “We are delighted to be launching this new annual tradition at Carnegie Hall, working together with Irish Arts Center and Askonas Holt to present inspiring concerts celebrating the best in Irish music.
"It is especially exciting for all of us to inaugurate this series by featuring the amazing Martin Hayes, an artist whose music-making connects with people worldwide through his superb performances so deeply rooted in Irish culture.
The concert will mark the return to New York of Hayes’s latest musical collective, The Common Ground Ensemble, including Cormac McCarthy on piano, Kate Ellis on cello, Kyle Sanna on guitar, and Brian Donnellan on bouzouki, harmonium, and concertina.
Joining the ensemble will be special guests Síle Denvir, an Irish harpist and sean-nós singer; Sam Amidon, the acclaimed contemporary folk singer and multi-instrumentalist; traditional Irish dancers Morgan Bullock and Stephanie Keane; and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. The performance is presented in collaboration with the National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Martin Hayes said: “My father, my uncle and the Tulla Céilí Band performed in Carnegie Hall on St. Patrick’s night in 1958, alongside the singer Carmel Quinn and a big star of the time, Pat Boone. Traditional Irish music continues to evolve through its ongoing dialogue with the wider world of music. In this concert we are looking forward to taking the audience on a journey from the roots of the tradition all the way to its current improvisational dialogue and interaction with the worlds of contemporary folk, classical and jazz music.”
The release stated that The Carnegie Hall concerts will be presented in partnership with Askonas Holt, the eminent international arts management company representing leading artists including Joyce DiDonato, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Simon Rattle and Yuja Wang. Martin Hayes joined the Askonas Holt roster of artists in 2024.
Donagh Collins, Chief Executive, Askonas Holt, said: “As a proud Irishman, I’m so excited to be announcing this St Patrick’s Day concert - celebrating Ireland’s traditions, culture and talent. We are thrilled to be promoting this concert with Carnegie Hall, building on our close relationship with this amazing venue. At Askonas Holt we are honored to represent Martin Hayes, who has been the inspiration behind this beautiful program of music, dance and literature.”
Aidan Connolly, Executive Director of Irish Arts Center, said: “These milestone concerts will bring the soul of traditional Irish music to Carnegie Hall, paying homage to Ireland’s musical roots while celebrating its evolving global influence and the cultural bridge between Ireland and the United States. There is no more profound manifestation of that cultural bridge than the music of Martin Hayes, and we are thrilled to bring Irish Arts Center and Carnegie Hall audiences together to experience it.”
The concert will be presented with support from Culture Ireland, the agency of the Irish government promoting Irish artists abroad.
Sharon Barry, Director of Culture Ireland, said: “It is, indeed, a privilege for Culture Ireland to be able to support the Irish Arts Center, home from home for Irish artists for many years, as it partners with one of the most prestigious music venues in the world. To see a lineup of artists of this caliber led by the indefatigable Martin Hayes on the stage at Carnegie Hall will undoubtedly be a highlight for us in 2026.”
Tickets for the performance start at $51. They are available now to Carnegie Hall subscribers, and will become available to Irish Arts Center patrons on March 19, 2025. Single tickets to all 2025-2026 Carnegie Hall concerts go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 11. For more information, visit carnegiehall.org, call CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or visit the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue.
