Carl Hession

Carl Hession is today regarded as one of traditional Irish music's finest accompanist, composers and arrangers.

Born in Galway, he grew up in a very musical family. The Hession family home in Salthill was a well known session venue and musicians were welcomed and encouraged to drop in regularly  
 for a tune. This young Carl Hession was highly influenced by all this musical activity and before long began accompanying these sessions on piano.

Over the years he participated in competitions at various Fleadhanne Ceili throughout the country and has All Ireland titles to his credit both as a soloist and as a member of duets and trios with flute player Matt Molloy and accordion player Joe Burke.  
Carl's interest in classical piano playing developed alongside his attraction to traditional music and he later studied at University College Cork, where he was awarded a B.Mus. Degree. He continued his involvement with traditional music working with well known ceili band "The Shaskeen" and with Galway flute player Frankie Gavin.

A member of the group "Moving Cloud" Carl's driving yet highly sympathetic piano work with this ever popular band has become recognised world-wide.

In recent years Carl has received widespread acclaim for his woeful accompaniment to the music of great Boston accordion virtuoso, Joe Derrane, both in concert and on Joe's most recent solo album, "Return to Aran". In 1984 Carl released his first album, "The Galway Suite", to great critical acclaim.

This was followed in 1987 with the very successful "Echoes of Ireland" which reinforced Carl's reputation as one of Ireland's finest composers and arrangers.

His third album "Ceol Inné Ceol Inniu" was released in 1995 and featured a dazzling array of his talents with tracks of traditional tunes and songs mixed with newly composed pieces all arranged with intuitive understanding of the complexities involved in both traditional and classical styles of playing.