Karen Tweed

	Karen Tweed started to play the piano accordion at eleven years of age. Her first teacher was Joe Coll from Corby, Northamptonshire. Karen later began to take Irish music lessons from John Whelan, the great button accordion player, and classical piano accordion lessons from Lawry Eady. In 1977 she won the first of five All-Ireland championships, and she retired from competition as All-Ireland senior champion in 1981. In ’89, while performing at the Hong Kong folk festival, Karen met Sally Barker and this meeting soon led to the forming of The Poozies. One year later Karen was asked to join the Kathryn Tickell Band and, Sally Barker and the Rhythm, so she decided to move to Northumberland where all three bands were based. In 1994 Karen formed a duo with the gifted Ian Carr with whom she recorded two albums. These led to many tours abroad and, during one such tour, Karen and Ian met Swedish fiddlers Carina Normansson and Ola Backstrom, and so SWAP was formed. Many recording projects were undertaken during this period, while the touring schedule remained hectic; The British Council tours of Lesotho, Turkey and Egypt of ’95 being particularly successful. A desire to spend some more time (working) at home led Karen to set up Chapel Lunch Productions in 1999, the aim of which is to promote community concerts and workshops within the East Derby area. Karen has been a co-organiser of Folk Beat Derby Festival (community workshops and tuition with attendance of 350 students) and Folkworks Adult Summer School, Durham, for the past two years. This has led to a post as Core Tutor and Assistant to the Director, Alistair Anderson, on the Degree Course in Folk Music at Newcastle-upon-Tyne starting September 2001. Karen released her latest recording ‘May Monday’ to critical acclaim in April 2000, and this will be supported by tours in Ireland, UK, Germany, Estonia, USA, Japan and Scandinavia throughout the year. To date Karen Tweed is featured on over 15 CD’s with ensembles such as The Kathryn Tickell Band, The Poozies, SWAP, Ian Carr and Karen Tweed, and The Two Duos Quartet. She continues to tour widely, promote local music events, and, teach at summer schools and privately whilst at home.