About

Acclaimed Galway guitarist/composer Aengus Hackett is one of Ireland’s leading jazz musicians. He has performed with many of the country’s foremost jazz artists, including Mike Nielsen, Tommy Halferty and Izumi Kimura, as well as RTÉ Contempo Quartet and Colm O’ Hara 10tet.

A versatile musician, Aengus’ creative projects span jazz, electronica, folk and gamelan, with many supported by the Arts Council.

Featuring some of Ireland’s leading exponents of improvised music, Aengus Hackett Trio’s debut album was named among the Irish Times’ Top 5 Irish Jazz Albums of 2024.

As electronica producer Penji, Aengus has two acclaimed releases. Other past projects include ‘Shimmer’ for solo guitar and electronics; acoustic and post-rock albums with DINOSAUR and Zinc; and his Irish-Turkish Project.

A graduate of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, Aengus studied with guitarist Jesse Van Ruller, and in the USA with Wayne Krantz, Pat LaBarbera and Grammy-winner Bobby Shew.

A passionate educator with over twenty years’ experience teaching, Aengus has lectured in Javanese Gamelan at IWAMD, University of Limerick since 2025.

Aengus facilitates two diverse projects supported by award-winning disability arts programme That’s Life:
Javanese gamelan ensemble In Flow has performed at major Irish festivals and released an album and documentary in 2022.
Indie synth-pop band Electric Dreams come with a message of inclusion, and released their celebrated debut album in 2020.

As a curator, Aengus has programmed events for Galway Jazz Festival, NUIG Arts in Action, MusicConnects, Mick Lally Theatre and Black Gate Galway.