Nathan Gourley — Press Kit

Short Bio

Nathan Gourley is a Boston-based fiddler known for expressive, deeply rooted playing in the Irish tradition. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, he began playing fiddle at age five and developed a distinctive style through years of immersion in the music. He has recorded and toured extensively, collaborating with some of the finest musicians in Irish traditional music, and is a sought-after teacher at festivals and workshops across North America and Europe. His most recent release, Copley Street 2 (2025), continues his long-running collaborative project with uilleann piper Joey Abarta and bouzouki player Owen Marshall.

Full Bio

Nathan Gourley is a Boston-based fiddler recognized internationally as one of the finest players in the Irish traditional music tradition. Known for fluid, expressive playing with a deep reverence for the music’s roots, he has spent over three decades developing a distinctive voice on the instrument.

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Nathan began playing fiddle at age five. Growing up in the Midwest, he had the rare opportunity to study and collaborate with master musicians including accordion player Paddy O’Brien and guitarist Dáithí Sproule, formative partnerships that shaped both his technical approach and his understanding of how the music lives between players.

After moving to Boston, Nathan became a fixture in the city’s vibrant Irish music scene and a sought-after presence at sessions, concerts, and festivals worldwide. His playing has brought him to stages from New Zealand to Norway, and to teaching positions at some of the most respected traditional music gatherings in North America, including the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Catskills Irish Arts Week, Cascadia Irish Music Week, and the Gulf Coast Cruinniú.

As a recording artist, Nathan has worked across a wide range of collaborative formats. His twin-fiddle album Brightly or Darkly (2022) with Laura Feddersen drew praise for its interplay and sensitivity. The Copley Street series (Copley Street, 2016, and Copley Street 2, 2025) documents his ongoing trio with uilleann piper Joey Abarta and bouzouki player Owen Marshall, and stands as some of his most celebrated recorded work. The Truckley Howl (2016), a trio recording with concertina player Mairéad Hurley and flutist, pianist, and guitarist John Blake, brought another configuration of the tradition into sharp focus. Earlier work includes Ship in the Clouds (2020), a quartet recording, and A Night at the Fair (2010) with Two Tap Trio.

Devon Léger, writing in Hearth Music, named him “one of the absolute best Irish fiddlers out there” in 2025. Writing for Songlines, Léger also praised his playing as “flowing more fluidly… pulling out restful pauses in tunes and looking for silence between the notes.”

Press

“Nathan Gourley is one of the absolute best Irish fiddlers out there.”

“Gourley flows more fluidly as a fiddler, pulling out restful pauses in tunes and looking for silence between the notes.”

Devon Léger, Hearth Music (2025) & Songlines

“There are fiddle duet albums, and then there are magnum opus-level fiddle duet albums.”

Boston Irish, on Brightly or Darkly

“…driving and accentuating the melody line with a joyous sense of rhythm.”

David Kidman, The Living Tradition, on The Truckley Howl

“All three of these musicians are masters of their respective instruments…”

Richard Gee, FolkWorks, on Copley Street 2

“Copley Street is a great album that represents a promising future for traditional music in America.”

James Motteram, Bright Young Folk, on Copley Street

Discography

2025
Copley Street 2 · Second trio album with Joey Abarta (uilleann pipes) and Owen Marshall (bouzouki)
2022
Brightly or Darkly · Twin-fiddle album with Laura Feddersen
2020
Ship in the Clouds · Quartet with Laura Feddersen, Natasha Sheehy, and Anna Colliton
2016
The Truckley Howl · Trio with Mairéad Hurley (concertina) and John Blake (flute, piano, guitar)
2016
Copley Street · Trio album with Joey Abarta (uilleann pipes) and Owen Marshall (bouzouki)
2014
Bright and Early · With Paddy O’Brien (accordion) and Dáithí Sproule (guitar)
2014
Life Is All Checkered · With Laura Feddersen (fiddle) and Brian Miller (guitar, bouzouki)
2010
A Night at the Fair · Two Tap Trio with Norah Rendell and Brian Miller