“One of Irish music’s recognized master musicians.” –Irish Music Magazine
Laurence carries on a great tradition of virtuoso playing on both sides of the Atlantic. As a well-established performer and recording artist, he has performed with scores of top musicians including The Chieftains, Van Morrison, Martin Hayes, Arty McGlinn, Paddy Keenan. Laurence has toured extensively throughout Ireland, the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. He has been a featured performer at most major Irish music festivals including: Milwaukee Irish Fest, San Francisco Irish Fest, the Glen Echo Festival in Washington DC, the Willie Clancy Summer School in Ireland, and the International Flute Festival De Cornouaille Quimper in France, etc. His playing has been heard extensively on the radio both the US and Ireland including: National Public Radio, A Prairie Home Companion, The Studs Terkel Show, and Ireland’s national radio network RTÉ.
The new CD “White Island” is a culmination of recording sessions over the last seven years. The musicians performing with Laurence on “White Island” include: Michael McGoldrick flute, Liz Carroll fiddle, Steve Cooney guitar, Pat McManus guitar and fiddle, Fintan McManus bouzouki, Larry Gray cello and bass, David Curley guitar, Cary Novotny guitar, Matheu Watson guitar, Isaac Alderson flute, Sean Gavin pipes and flute, Jackie Moran percussion, Kyle Turner synthesizer and voice. This new CD joins Laurence’s past catalog of work, the critically acclaimed CDs he recorded for the Shanachie record label “Laurence Nugent, Two For Two, and The Windy Gap”, where he was joined by Irish music legends like Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, Liz Carroll, and Arty McGlynn.
Laurence Nugent comes from the village of Lack in County Fermanagh, an area of Northern Ireland that is steeped in the traditional arts of music, singing and storytelling. Nugent is a name long associated with fine traditional music in Fermanagh. Laurence’s father, the late Sean Nugent, a teacher and composer was at the helm of the All-Ireland winning “The Pride of Erin Ceili Band”. He taught Laurence, his siblings, and also hundreds of other musicians performing today. Like many young musicians of his generation, Laurence entered regional and national competitions held under the auspices Comhaltas. He took first prize in junior competitions three times in the late 80s, before going on to win the senior All-Ireland Championships in 1994 and 1995 at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
