Brian Finnegan

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2020}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Brian Finnegan

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|08|20}}

| genre = Irish, Celtic, World, Folk

| occupation = Musician, producer, composer

| instrument = flute, tin whistle

| label = Singing Tree Music, Flatfish Records

| current_member_of = Flook, Aquarium

| past_member_of = Upstairs in a Tent

| image = Brian Finnegan.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Brian Finnegan performing with Aquarium at {{ill|Rock on the Volga Festival|ru|Рок над Волгой}} in 2013

| birth_place = Armagh, Northern Ireland

}}

Brian Finnegan (born 20 August 1969) is an Irish flute and tin whistle player from Armagh.

Finnegan began playing whistle at age 8 and flute at age 10 as a student of the Armagh Pipers Club{{cite web|url=http://www.armaghPipers.com|title=Armagh Pipers Club|website=armaghpipers.com|accessdate=17 August 2017}} under the tuition of the Vallely family. He first came to public attention with the Irish group Upstairs in a Tent.[http://www.armaghpipers.com/artists/briannbspFinneganBan.html Brian Finnegan Band, Armagh Pipers Club website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202133752/http://www.armaghpipers.com/artists/briannbspFinneganBan.html|date=2 December 2009}}

In 1993 he made a solo album When the Party's Over, which was recorded at Redesdale Studios.{{cite web|url=http://www.paulmcsherry.com/discography/brianfinnegan_tracklist.html|title=When the party's over tracklist|first=Paul McSherry|last=paulmcsherry.com|website=paulmcsherry.com|accessdate=17 August 2017}} In 1995 he formed Flook.[http://www.flook.co.uk Flook (band) website], flook.co.uk; accessed 17 August 2017.File:Борис Гребенщиков и Брайан Финнеган (г. Казань, 24 апреля 2012 г.).JPG at the Aquarium concert in Russia, 2012]]Originally a three piece who toured as 'Three Nations Flutes' with Sarah Allen and Mike McGoldrick, they later added Ed Boyd on guitar forming Flook. When Mike left the band in 1997, John Joe Kelly (a frequent guest musician) was added as a band member on bodhrán. Flook continue to tour all over the world with fans across the globe. In 2006, Flook was awarded best band in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2019, the band returned from an extended hiatus with the release of their fourth studio album "Ancora".{{Cite news|title=Flook: Ancora review – Tour de force return after decade and a half|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/flook-ancora-review-tour-de-force-return-after-decade-and-a-half-1.3861026|access-date=2021-01-01|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} Brian is a frequent tutor for Folkworks and Burwell Bash{{cite web|url=http://www.burwellbash.info|title=Burwell Bash - Folk Music Summer School, 23-28 July 2017|website=Burwell Bash - Folk Music Summer School}} where he has been a tutor since 1994.{{Cite web|title=Brian Finnegan {{!}} Flute & Whistle Tutor|url=https://www.burwellbash.info/brian-finnegan|access-date=2021-01-01|website=burwellbash|language=en}}

He tours regularly across the US, Latin America and Ireland with guitarist William Coulter[http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/luck_o_the_irish/7748 "Luck o' the Irish"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924222535/http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/luck_o_the_irish/7748/ |date=2012-09-24 }}, Pasadena Weekly, 24 September 2009; retrieved 17 August 2017. with whom he released the EP 'Toward the Sun' in 2015. He also plays with an influential Russian rock group Aquarium, both live and on their studio albums (since approximately 2009). He worked on cross genre project Parallelogram.{{cite web|url=https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/article/2643-parallelogram|title=Parallelogram|date=31 July 2007|publisher=edinburghfestival.list.co.uk|accessdate=17 August 2017}}

{{As of|2010}}, Brian plays with his own trio, with guitarist Ian Stephenson and drummer Jim Goodwin. They formed a four-piece, KAN, with those musicians and fiddler Aidan O'Rourke until disbanding in 2014. A solo album, The Ravishing Genius of Bones, was released in 2010.[http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/v/20100821/cultura/musica/brian-finnegan-landeral-tercera-20100821.html Brian Finnegan y Landeral, en la tercera jornada del Intercéltico] {{in lang|es}}, El Diario Montañés, 21 August 2010; retrieved 24 September 2012. In March 2021, Brian released solo album Hunger of the Skin.{{Cite web |last=Whalley |first=Johnny |date=2021-03-12 |title=Brian Finnegan: Hunger of the Skin |url=https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2021/03/brian-finnegan-hunger-of-the-skin/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Folk Radio UK |language=en-GB}}

In 2023, Brian released his first tune book, Timeweaver, which highlights 70 original compositions from across his 35 years career.{{Cite web |title=Timewaver from Brian Finnegan |url=https://brianfinnegan.bandcamp.com/merch/timewaver |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Brian Finnegan |language=en}}