Cary Novotny was born in South Dakota and later moved to Bowling Green Kentucky, where he began studying classical guitar as well as learning the music of the region, namely country, folk, and bluegrass music. After moving to the Northwest, Novotny earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Portland, and then began a career as a professional guitarist, singer and songwriter in the folk and popular music scene in the Portland and Seattle areas. In 1995, Novotny co-founded “Cul an Ti,” which became a household name over the next 20 years in the Northwest with its hundreds of performances of lively traditional Irish tunes and its unique blend of Irish and popular songs. Novotny continues to maintain a busy schedule as a guitarist in the world of Celtic music and has recorded and performed with many other notable Irish musicians, including Kevin Burke, The Bridies, Johnny Connolly, Colin Farrell, Winifred Horan, Hanz Araki, Laurence Nugent, and the touring Irish dance show “Celtic Legends.” Novotny also continues to write, record and perform songs in the Americana, country and popular music genres.