With six Grammy awards and more than five decades of bringing traditional Irish music to the world’s attention, The Chieftains with Paddy Moloney will perform in Ames at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Stephens Auditorium.

Formed in 1962 by Moloney, The Chieftains began playing for purely a folk audience before the range and variation of their music rapidly captivated an expanded audience and made them the best known Irish band in the world.

By pushing boundaries and collaborating with bands of various music genres, The Chieftains have been involved in historic events such as the first Western group to perform on the Great Wall of China, the first group to give a concert in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and perform for both Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II. Moloney also performed at a Ground Zero memorial service in New York for the victims of 9/11 in October 2001.

Recently celebrating their 50^th anniversary in 2012, The Chieftains have collaborated with countless music stars, including Madonna, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Doc Watson and Luciano Pavarotti. The Chieftains have been honored in their own country by being officially named Ireland’s Musical Ambassadors and are loyal to their Irish roots playing spontaneous Irish sessions or headlining a massive concert audience for their countless fans.

The Chieftains members include Moloney, uilleann pipes/tin whistle; Matt Molloy, flute; Kevin Conneff, bodhran/vocals; Jon Pilatzke, harp/dance; Triona Marshall, harp/keys; Cara Butler, dance; Tim Edey, guitar; Alyth McCormack, vocals/dance; Martin Murray, banjo/mandolin; and Tara Breen, fiddle/saxophone.

Local Irish storyteller Maureen Korte will be featured in the show’s Celebrity Café Preview 30 minutes prior to the show and will present insights about Celtic music. Korte’s preview is free and open to all ticket holders and will take place on the north side ground floor of Stephens Auditorium.

Tickets for The Chieftains with Paddy Moloney are $26 for ISU students and additionally range among $20, $30, $40 and $49. Tickets are available for purchase on Ticketmaster and can also be purchased between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Stephens Auditorium ticket office.

For more information, visit the Iowa State Center’s Web Page and The Chieftains’ website.