The Knotwork Band
The Knotwork Band is a Celtic folk trio based in Central Pennsylvania that performs music from Ireland, Scotland, England, and Brittany, as well as relevant American and World music. We pride ourselves on our versatility; audiences everywhere are impressed by our varied repertoire and wide inventory of instruments. Our shows include traditional folk music, covers of well-known songs in the genre, and our own original compositions. The House Band, Lúnasa, Old Blind Dogs, Silly Wizard, and Andy M. Stewart are our main influences.
Celtic knotwork is an art form particular to the ancient peoples of Ireland and Scotland in which cords or lines are woven into intricate patterns and highly stylized designs. In imitation of Celtic knotwork, all three of us weave our individual lines together to form each complete piece of music.
The Knotwork Band at the McLain Celtic Festival in 2019. Photo by Nancy Pearce.
Meet the Members of The Knotwork Band
Victoria Visceglia
silver flute
wooden whistles & Irish flute
sundry percussion & occasional piano
vocals
Victoria has performed with The Knotwork Band since 2017. She is a classically-trained flutist, but she enjoys the challenges and opportunities she has found through Celtic folk music.
Victoria’s principal teachers include Linda Ganus of Lehigh University and Damian Bursill-Hall, with whom she studied while completing her Bachelor’s in Music Education at Duquesne University. She also earned a Master’s in Ethnomusicology (the study of music and culture) from the University of Maryland.
Aside from The Knotwork Band, Victoria performs with the Central Pennsylvania Symphony as their acting principal flutist; with cellist Ali Koch as a duo; Cumberland Flutes; the Greater Harrisburg Concert Band; the National Christian Choir; and with ad hoc ensembles and pit orchestras.
Victoria’s day job is teaching middle and high school music with Reach Cyber Charter School. Previously, she taught in public schools in Carlisle, PA and Harford County, MD.
Kevin Long
6- and 12-string guitars
vocals
Kevin has performed with The Knotwork Band since 2019. He has captivated audiences with his guitar playing since he picked up the instrument at age nine. Growing up immersed in diverse musical styles, Kevin developed an appreciation for virtually every genre. While he's adept at faithful renditions, his passion lies in jazz and improvisational music—settings where musicians engage in spontaneous dialogue and create something fresh in the moment.
Throughout his career, Kevin has collaborated with numerous talented musicians across multiple genres. A last-minute call to fill in on bass with just two days' notice led to one of his ongoing musical collaborations. He's a regular performer at various venues and readily lends his talents wherever they're needed.
Kevin's versatility extends beyond guitar to include vocals, bass, mandolin, banjo, and dobro.
Tommy Kochel
wooden flute, piccolo, and high & low whistles
cittern and Hardanger-, resonator-, and banjo-mandolins
bodhráns and bones
vocals
Original composition and arrangement
Tommy has been musical throughout his life. He appeared in a Hempfield High School production of "Bye Bye Birdie" when in third grade and took part in many musicals thereafter. He took the stage for the lead in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" in seventh grade. He worked his way up through County, District, and Regional choruses in high school while performing in the Lancaster Opera Workshop's production of "Die Fledermaus."
However, Tommy’s life with Celtic folk music began in 1987 in Ireland. Watching session players in pubs play the bodhrán was fascinating. When he returned to his senior year of college, he was exposed to the music of Silly Wizard and Andy M. Stewart, and managed to catch Silly Wizard on their final world tour.
From 1990 to 1992, he performed whistle, mandolin and vocals for two bands he founded: Celtic Chaos and Greengrass Harvest. He studied guitar under Ged Foley and performed with Ged and with his band, The House Band, on several occasions. Tommy then became the bodhránist for Ged’s ceilídh dance band, The Deadbeats. He has appeared on stage as a guest percussionist with Norwegian ex-patriot Lief Sorbye’s Celtic rock band, Tempest, in California and recorded with Crofter’s Heir in Central Pennsylvania. During his six years living in Northern California, Tommy formed The Knotwork Band, which quickly became the area’s most sought after Celtic folk music act.
In addition to the wide variety of instruments he plays, Tommy is a trained linguist, and his love of the Irish and Scottish cultures tends to reveal itself when he sings or banters with the audience. He began playing the Northumbrian smallpipes not long ago - a sound he loved early on from the music of The House Band. He picked up an interest in playing the hurdy gurdy through listening to Scandinavian folk revival groups like Hedningarna and Hurdy Gurdy. His current study of the pipes and the gurdy will result in the addition of those distinctive sounds to the band’s audio catalog in the near future.
In addition to handling the business end of the band, Tommy arranges the music and writes original Celtic folk songs and tunes. He currently has nine songs and tunes copyrighted, several of which are currently in the band's canon. He has taught bodhrán, bones, and whistle in Central Pennsylvania. In the past, Tommy has performed with many Celtic folk groups in Central Pennsylvania, including Across The Pond. Tommy is a Professor of English as a Second Language at Harrisburg Area Community College. In his free time away from work and the band, he enjoys preparing his Victorian era magic act, cooking (especially Indian food), knitting Norwegian sweaters, and listening to Prog Rock music.