Hayley Kavanagh: Blowing the Roof Off Dublin’s Jazz Scene

If you’ve spent even a smidge of time chasing live music in Dublin over the past year, chances are you’ve heard Hayley Kavanagh light up a room. Whether she’s weaving golden tones on sax or bringing featherlight finesse to the flute, Hayley has carved out a serious groove in Ireland’s jazz scene—one that's impossible to ignore and wildly fun to follow.

After several years soaking up the sounds of Prague and Berlin, Hayley returned to Ireland in 2023—and it’s safe to say she hit the ground not just running, but swinging. Since then, she’s become one of Dublin’s most prolific and recognizable jazz voices. Leading her own quartet (catch them at this year’s Bray Jazz Festival? You lucky thing), guesting with some of Ireland’s finest jazz heavyweights, and showing up in the right places at the right time with exactly the right kind of energy, Hayley’s presence is magnetic. You’ll find her where the music is deep, the groove is strong, and the solos get a little wild in the best possible way.

She’s a regular fixture in top-tier projects like So-Young Yoon’s Master Album Series and The Genuine Jazz Orchestra, and she’s no stranger to sharing the stage with serious talent—Linley Hamilton, Chris Guilfoyle, Aleka Pontinga, and a long list of jazz greats who know a real one when they hear one. But Hayley’s not just showing up to play—she’s helping shape the sound and soul of Dublin jazz.

In fact, she might be the hardest working woman in Irish jazz. Co-running the buzzing Arthur’s Jazz Jam? Check. Co-founding Cookin’ Dublin, your one-stop shop for what’s hot in live jazz? Absolutely. Co-producing In the Groove, a brilliant interview series with Irish jazz voices? Yep. And oh—she’s also on the board of the Dublin Jazz Co-op. Basically, if there’s a jam, a gig, or a late-night trumpet solo echoing through the city, chances are Hayley had a hand in making it happen.

This summer is looking stacked for her. Highlights? July 13th in Letterkenny with the Master Album Series tackling Kind of Blue (yes, that album), then doing it again August 17th at Arthur’s. She’ll be swinging with the RTE Concert Orchestra on August 1st at the National Concert Hall for Big Band Evolution, and trading tunes with the Scott Flanagan Trio on August 29th in Belfast. Oh, and she’s closing out August with her own Dublin Jazz Co-op show at The Cobblestone on the 31st. Catch her while you can.

Want to keep up? Follow her on Instagram at @hayley_schmayley—and while you’re at it, follow @cookindublinjazz for the lowdown on where the scene is sizzling next.

Dublin’s jazz is alive, well, and very much in motion. And right now, it’s moving to the sound of Hayley Kavanagh.