Cormac Byrne

Cormac Byrne is a bodhrán player and percussionist from Waterford, Ireland and is now based in the UK. He has received many awards for his work including The BBC Young Folk Award and was winner of the BBC Fame Academy Education Bursary in 2006.

Cormac has appeared at numerous festivals around the world and has toured extensively. Primarily playing with Mercury Music Prize Nominee, Seth Lakeman, he was also a founder member of BBC award winning band, Uiscedwr.His versatility has seen him in much demand across many genres, both live and in the studio, from Traditional Irish and Folk, World Music, Classical, Jazz and Pop.

He has worked with the multi award winning Backbeat Percussion Quartet, Les Commandos Percu, Fidget Feet Performance Company, Show of Hands, Michael McGoldrick, Solas, Pól Brennan (Clannad), Soumik Datta (Indian Sarod virtuoso), Ashley MacIsaac, Kefaya, Giuliano Modarelli, Damien O’Kane, Andrew Dinan, Emma Sweeney, Cara, Ducie, Val Doonican, The Priests, Simon Emmerson, Lisbee Stainton, O’Hooley Tidow, Jesse Banister, Declan Bennett, Neil Yates 5 Countries Trio, Craig Owen (Duel), Baltic Crossing and orchestras such as Scottish Chamber, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and RTÉ Concert. He was recently approached to perform with Irish super-group, The Chieftains.

He has appeared on TV and Radio many times including performances on MTV, BBC’s Top of The Pops, BBC Breakfast, GMTV, Sharon Osbourne Show, Sky Arts, BBC Alba, RTE, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4 and RTE Lyric FM. He recently recorded music for BBC Film series ‘Inspector George Gently’ and UK’s Channel 4 series ‘The Mill’. He worked with James Divine (the world’s fastest tap dancer) on the international touring show ‘Tapeire’ and with Damien Barber on the dance show ‘The Lock In’.