Kyle MacNeil

Cape Breton

Kyle MacNeil is a fiddler, guitarist, vocalist, and mandolin player. He grew up in a family of six children in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. As a child, Kyle was surrounded by music. His uncle is the well known fiddler, Carl MacKenzie, and his mother is Jean MacNeil, a talented stepdancer and lover of music.

The MacNeil home was a frequent visiting place for such respected musicians as the fiddler Robert Stubbert, who had a profound influence on Kyle’s musical development. In accordance with his mother’s wishes, Kyle received formal training on his instrument from Professor James MacDonald of North Sydney. This experience helped him to develop the technical prowess that has helped make him so successful as a performer and an instructor.

Kyle is well known for his work with the Barra MacNeils. He has been performing in this popular Celtic band with his siblings since he was a teenager. The group has performed widely, recording more than a dozen albums and winning several East Coast Music Awards.