Dynamic Canadian Celtic Group Leahy to Perform

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present Leahy at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. Tickets go on sale June 2 at 10 a.m.

Leahy, the awe-inspiring eight-member brother and sister act from Canada, are a whirlwind triple-threat of fiddle-driven music, dance and vocals augmented by keyboards and percussion, who leave onlookers breathless from the moment they hit the stage. At the center of this exceptional group is the oldest brother, Donnell, who is internationally proclaimed as one of the best fiddle players on the planet. There is a dynamic that takes place that connects eight different musicians and the audience with genuine, spontaneous, spectacular energy and excitement.

"Their live performance makes "Riverdance" look like Lawrence Welk re-runs," says Time Out New York

The raven-haired Leahy Clan grew up in Lakefield, Ontario. Each of the Leahy children learned to play fiddle from their father, while their mother, a champion step-dancer born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, taught them to sing, dance and play piano.

The siblings gained popularity touring as the 'Leahy Family,' traveling across Canada to play at fairs and festivals. Their recognition increased with the release of a student documentary about the family titled "Leahy: Music Most of All." The film won an Academy Award in 1985 for Best Foreign Student Film. In 1996, the group burst onto the Canadian recording scene with the release of their debut self-titled CD. Subsequent touring earned Leahy a total of three Juno Awards -- Best Instrumental Group and Best New Group (1997), and an award for Best Country Group or Duo (1998).

Shania Twain saw Leahy's live performance on the 1998 Juno Awards telecast and invited the group to join her upcoming two-year worldwide tour. The band was instantly catapulted into the international spotlight -- garnering standing ovations at all 175 tour dates with Twain and appearing on her two major U.S. television network specials.

In 2004 Leahy released In All Things, a follow-up to their double platinum album, and have since reached combined album sales of over 400,000 units. In All Things takes the listener on a fascinating journey across genres and musical cultures, emerging as their strongest recording to date.

Tickets for Leahy are $22 and $15 for students. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location. Students (of any school) must present valid student ID at the Center for the Arts Box Office to receive discount.