Kirsten Erwin

Kirsten Erwin is a flutist and whistle player active in the Philadelphia folk scene, performing for English, Scottish, and contra dances and leading the monthly Havertown session. With roots in classical training, she bridges traditions from Celtic to early music. Kirsten is passionate about dance accompaniment and helping classical musicians enter Irish styles.

Kirsten Erwin is a flutist and whistle player who performs regularly in the Philadelphia area for English, Scottish, and contra dances, as well as Irish sessions (also known as seisiuns in Irish). She is also the co-anchor of the monthly session in Havertown, PA, and has appeared on recordings ranging from Celtic traditions to classical, early music, and rock. Kirsten is passionate about playing for dancers from many traditions, bringing this strong ensemble sensibility to her events and workshops. A lifelong musician, having begun her classical training with the flute and piano, she has adapted the concert flute to fit into the Irish and Scottish musical formats. In Philly, she helped establish a monthly learning session whose scope included assisting classical players transitioning into the Irish paradigm.