The Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall proudly presents Canada's first family of celtic music Leahy in Fiddles & Strings: A Leahy Christmas on Wednesday, December 18 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Rockwell Hall Box Office, 1300 Elmwood Ave. or by calling 716-878-3005.

Leahy's performance at Buffalo State is their only American stop on their current tour and will feature members of the Buffalo Suzuki Strings, under the direction of Mary Cay Neal. Leahy's appearance at the Performing Arts Center is part of the 2002-2003 Great Performers Series, presented by M&T Bank. Ticket prices range from $29.50 - $15.00. Box Office hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Leahy is comprised of nine wildly talented brothers and sisters. The Leahys were raised on a farm near Lakefield, Ontario, Canada, where their roots run deep. Each of the Leahy children learned to play the fiddle from their father, while their mother taught them how to sing, dance, and play the piano.

In 1997, Leahy burst on the Canadian music scene with their debut self-titled CD. Not only did this instrumental CD achieve Platinum status in Canada, it reached No. 4 on the Billboard World Music Charts in 1998. In addition, Leahy was awarded two Junos (the Canadian equivalent to the Grammy) in 1997 for Best Instrumental Group and Best New Group and another Juno in 1998 for Best Country Group or Duo. The band's classic "black-Irish" look, and fresh, friendly, energetic personalities didn't hurt them either as they won fans in all age groups and through all cultures.

Thanks to Leahy's performance at the 1998 Juno Awards, Canadian music diva Shania Twain was immediately entranced and secured the band as her opening act on her world tour. As well, they appeared in two of Shania's US television specials in 1999. Leahy was catapulted into the eyes of millions of fans who never knew what they were missing until the moment they saw them on stage. For two years they warmed up the crowd for Shania and each time left them standing and crying for more.

Leahy received rave reviews without exception. One reviewer gushed: "If opening acts could do encores, Leahy would have been working overtime. An enthusiastic standing ovation (rare for a warm-up act) followed their half-hour set."

In August 2001 the band released their second CD entitled Lakefield. Compared to the first, their new CD captures the development of Leahy's musical style and creative voice. Most notably, it's not solely instrumental; for the first time in their professional musical careers, Leahy has recorded several vocal tracks. As well, eleven of the tracks are original compositions. In addition to writing the material, Leahy arranged and produced the entire CD.

A successful 2001 fall tour took the 9-member family band across Canada introducing audiences to the new album including the singles "Down That Road" and "Mission."

Feeding off the momentum of last year?s tour, Leahy decided to embark on their first ever Christmas tour. The combination of Leahy?s traditional style of fiddle playing and the classical sound of accompanying strings, along with a number of Leahy Christmas favorites, is sure to wow audiences.

"This will be so incredible for us," says Donnell. "Each day will be a different city, a different combination of strings, a different audience. Who knows where the influence of this tour will show up next. We are all excited about the opportunity for musical growth. We hope it?s the same for the audience."

The Great Performers Series is sponsored by M&T Bank, The Buffalo News and WBFO.