Dirk Powell, born in 1969, is an American musician and composer. He learned to play guitar from his father and banjo and fiddle from his grandfather during his childhood, and subsequently studied piano at age eight and harpsichord at age ten. An encounter with Dewey Balfa at a West Virginia folk festival in 1989 introduced him to Cajun music. Following the death of Balfa in 1992, Powell formed the group Balfa Toujours with Balfa's daughters, Nelda and Christine, recording five albums with the band. He also co-founded the L-7s fiddler trio in 1990. His solo albums include If I Go Ten Thousand Miles (1996), Hand Me Down (1999), Time Again (2004), Walking Through Clay (2014), and When I Wait For You (2020), which were released by Rounder Records, Sugar Hill Records, and Vertical Records. Powell toured with musicians including Eric Clapton, Joan Baez, and Loretta Lynn, and appeared in the show Riverdance – The Show. His work also includes composing and performing music for films such as Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil, Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain, and Bertrand Tavernier's In the Electric Mist.
