Dave Milligan: Solo Piano

Dave Milligan is the Scottish pianist whose crossover interest between traditional music and improvisation has helped to forge a new norm where musicians from both genres feel comfortable in each other’s territory. Known to many primarily as a jazz musician, Dave has been a key member of countless Celtic Connections projects and performances for over two decades; as a player, composer, musical director and even conductor. Large-scale groups such as the Unusual Suspects (co-directed with Corrina Hewat) and fiddle supergroup String Sisters have been somewhat familiar settings for his past appearances in the festival, so this intimate solo concert is a rare chance to hear the essence of Milligan’s music. This performance will explore the beauty of simplicity and harmony within the tradition; fiddle and pipe melodies threaded together by improvisation and the unexpected; all through the lens of solo piano.