Cara Wildman is a highly sought after bodhrán player at the cutting edge of the instrument’s modern development. She credits a large part of her musicality to growing up playing western swing with her father and going two-stepping with her parents in her hometown of Dorchester, Texas. She has toured with Joanie Madden, Oisin Mac Diarmada’s Irish Christmas in America, Máiréad Nesbitt’s Celtic Spells, was a founding member of Irish band The Consequences, and more. Cara was the 2021 All-Ireland Fleadh Fest champion and holds two degrees in music education from Texas Christian University, and a Masters in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick in Ireland.
Cara teaches regularly in the festival circuit and has taught at the Gulf Coast Cruinniú, Catskills Irish Arts Week, Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, The Gaelic College, MAD Week, Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School, The O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Percussive Arts Society International Convention, among others.
Donal Lunny described her playing as having “great taste…as an artist she can be immersed in her playing while retaining perspective on its contribution to the music. The development of the bodhrán is an exciting work in progress. I think Cara is at the front edge of this development…”
