Album Notes

Kaitlin Hahn began her musical journey at the tender age of six. She started with classical music in the Suzuki program at Stephen Bull Fine Arts Elementary School in Racine, Wisconsin. At the age of ten, she began piano lessons. Then, at eighteen, she began taking Celtic fiddle lessons from Ed Paloucek. To expand her repertoire, she attended the Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp and took classes at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in Cape Breton.

In 2002, Kaitlin became one of the original faculty members of the Irish Fest School of Music, where she still teaches today. Shortly after, she played with a band called Bantry Bay. In 2004, Kaitlin recorded her first album, “Nice to Meet You.” She also was the recipient of the Edward J. Ward music scholarship at Milwaukee Irish Fest, which she used to continue her studies in Cape Breton at the Celtic Colours festival. That same year, she was asked to travel to Japan as part of a cultural delegation for the Wisconsin Arts Board. She was one of four Irish musicians to make this trip.

In 2005, Kaitlin graduated with honors with a bachelors degree in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She also earned a certification in Celtic Studies, specifically in Celtic music and dance traditions.

Kaitlin has been very fortunate to learn from stellar musicians, including Liz Carroll, Stan Chapman, Buddy MacMaster, Glenn Graham, Kimberley Fraser, Melissa Emmons, and many others. Because of all of the different teachers she has had, she has developed a unique blend of Celtic styles. When asked about her personal style, her response is, “When I play here, with Irish musicians, I’m told that my style sounds like Cape Breton music, but when I play in Cape Breton, I’m told that my style sounds Irish. All I can say is that it’s definitely Celtic.”

Today, Kaitlin plays with the highly acclaimed Milwaukee-based Celtic band, Atlantic Wave and is in high demand for performances and workshops. She maintains a busy schedule of teaching private and group lessons in violin, Celtic fiddle, viola, and piano, with fifty students or more each week. In her spare time, she writes reviews for Rambles.net and travels to Cape Breton to add to her collection of tunes.

What others have said:

"Her debut CD, Nice to Meet You, is a testament to Kaitlin's developing skill as a Celtic-Canadian fiddler. Already an excellent performer, she shows promise to become even better." ~ Tom Knapp, Rambles.net

"‘Nice to Meet You’ is an excellent effort and shows great potential as she tackles some difficult and demanding pieces with ease." ~ Dan MacDonald, Cape Breton Post

"Miss Hahn's fiddle playing is rooted in style and perfect performance practices." ~Daniel Craig, assistant Prof Music. USouthern IN