Tara Novak

Violinist // Violist // Irish Traditional Musician // Educator

Tara Novak is a violinist, violist, Irish traditional musician, educator, and arranger whose career has taken her from Broadway tours and international stages to Irish sessions, classrooms, recording studios, and research projects.

Rooted in a deep love of collaboration, Tara's work brings together diverse musical influences while remaining grounded in the traditions and communities that give music meaning. As co-founder of the contemporary Irish folk ensemble Ishna, she performs, arranges, and records music that honors tradition while embracing new ideas and perspectives.

Her performance credits include Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home, The Three Irish Tenors, Disney's Aladdin (First National Tour: Concertmaster), and numerous theatre and orchestral productions throughout North America and Ireland. She holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick, where her graduate research explored belonging, identity, and creativity within Irish traditional music.

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The Making of "Slí Amach: Way Out"

In 2025, Tara's contemporary Irish ensemble, Ishna, transformed a historic New Hampshire barn into a studio and spent a week living and working together while recording its debut album, Slí Amach: Way Out.

As co-founder of the band, Tara served as fiddler, vocalist, arranger, and co-producer throughout the project, helping to shape an album that draws deeply from Irish traditional music while embracing the diverse musical backgrounds of the band's members.

This short film offers a glimpse into the creative process, collaborations, and shared sense of purpose that brought the album to life.

Featured Music

1

Tommy Peoples Set 6:50
Tommy Peoples Set
by Ishna
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2

My Love Is in America 6:05
My Love Is in America
by Ishna
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3

Drowsy Maggie Set 4:34
Drowsy Maggie Set
by Ishna
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4

Can I Ever Go Home 3:25
Can I Ever Go Home
by Tara Novak
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5

Red is the Rose 5:12
Red is the Rose
by Ciaran Nagle & Tara Novak
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