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Below are our Teachers from 2009.
Please visit us again in Spring 2010 for a new faculty list.
 Iain Anderson is widely recognised as one of Scotland’s top fiddlers, Iain has worked extensively with great Scottish musicians such as Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham. Iain’s debut album, ‘Silver Strings’, was released as the BBC Radio nan Gaidheal featured album, a success which has twice led to live performances with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Iain tours worldwide with the popular Scottish folk group, 'Cairdeas' and in a duo with Shetland virtuoso Gemma Donald and Ryan Couper.
 Eric Beaudry has garnered several awards including a 2002 Prix Mnèmo. In 2003 Éric became a member of La Bottine Souriante. Éric's love of music spurred a passion for enlightening others and, with his degree in guitar and jazz, Éric began teaching traditional music at Joliette's CEGE. With the group De Temps Antan, Éric's rich vocal range and unquestionable talent on stringed instruments - guitar, mandolin and bouzouki - guarantee a rousing performance for all.
 Martine Billette is an internationally renowned step dancer, considered one of Quebec's best. She performs with Pierre Chartrand and Marie-Soleil Pilette in the trio Rapetipetam. Martine is also a well-respected pianist. and has represented the rich folklore of her country touring the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, and France with several groups including Ménage à Trois, the Manigance dance troupe, the Pierre Schryer Band and as a duo with master fiddler Andre Brunet.
 Fiona Black (accordion, fiddle) from the Highlands of Scotland began playing music through the feisean movement and then at The National Center of Excellence in Traditional Music. She recently graduated in Music and Dance from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. Fiona is a member of the dynamic multinational young band, The Outside Track. Equally versed in the music of both Ireland and Scotland, Fiona is a fine teacher and player.
 Andre Brunet’s high-energy and refined style of playing was showcased as a member of La Bottine Souriante. Today, André, the 2008 Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion, is one of the foremost musicians on the traditional Québécois music scene; whether performing as a duo with his spouse Martine Billette at the piano, as a trio alongside Pierre-Luc Dupuis and Éric Beaudry in De Temps Antan, or with the Celtic Fiddle Festival quartet with brilliant fiddlers Kevin Burke, from Ireland, Christian Lemaître from Brittany, and Irish guitarist Ged Foley,
 Andrew Collins composes and arranges complex material that is musically, as well as exciting and challenging to the experienced picker. His creative mandolin style pushes all the boundaries and raises the bar. Andrew has won numerous awards individually and as a member of the Creaking Tree String Quartet. He is in the centre of a growing Canadian, acoustic-music scene. His duo with Brian Taheny, Mandolore combines two traditions with two masters of the mandolin.
 Ryan Couper is from a very musical family, especially his mother, Margaret Scollay. He won the prestigeous ‘Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year’ competition in 2006. His inspiration for the guitar, however, was born when renowned Canadian guitarist, Freddie Pellitier, stayed at the family home. Ryan was very fortunate to have several guitar lessons with the legendary Shetland guitarist ’Peerie’ Willie Johnson. Ryan shared the stage with guitar legend Martin Taylor at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow in January 2008.
 Stephen Darke - is widely recognized as one of North America’s foremost acoustic sound men. Stephen has done major festivals throughout Canada and the U.S., as well as around the world, and has headed this area at our festival for many years, consistently providing world class sound and a steady hand at the tiller. Universally respected by performers, Stephen is also a luthier and sound consultant.
 Gemma Donald – after winning the prestigious title ‘Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year’, Gemma won many other national titles, including the Glenfiddich Scottish Fiddle Championship. She is a magnificent example of Shetland’s finest young traditional musicians who delighted last year’s students with her intuitive teaching style. 2008 saw high-profile tours and performances bands throughout the UK, Greece, Spain, Canada, Switzerland and Nigeria. Gemma is an accomplished pianist, most recently playing on the latest album by Scottish folk band, Cairdeas.
 Pierre Luc Dupuis hails from a lineage where traditional music was always at the forefront of daily life. At 19, he founded Les Langues Fourchures, and in 2003, he joined La Bottine Souriante, one of the province's best-known music groups. Since then, he's wowed audiences from Dublin to Porto and Budapest to Melbourne with his unique humour and warmhearted charisma. Pierre left La Bottine Souriante in 2008 to devote himself to his true love - De Temps Antan.
 Frank Edgley is the author of "The Anglo Concertina" a handbook and one of the finest builders of concertinas in the world. As a Pipe Major of the Scottish Society of Windsor Pipe Band. Frank led the powerhouse pipe band in the metro Detroit area, winning the Canadian, US and North American Championships. He has won the Mrs. Crotty and Midwest Fleadh titles on concertina three times over. Frank also expertly plays the Northumbrian and lowland pipes.
 Jaron Freeman Fox Jaron Freeman-Fox has played music around the world, studied and performed a wide variety of styles within jazz, fiddle, classical, and world musics. Flowing seamlessly between genres, but always keeping his distinct voice, Jaron has performed solo and collaborated with renowned artists such as T.V.Gopalakrashnan, The Paperboys, and Tania Tagaq. Jaron was a protégé of Oliver Schroer, whose untimely passing left a void in everyone touched by his genius.
 Seán Gavin's ornate, driving style on flute and uilleann pipes clearly reflect his immersion in Irish music from a young age. Born in Detroit to Co. Clare fiddler Mick Gavin (an inductee to the Irish Traditional Music Hall of Fame), Seán received tutelage from Scariff flautist Leo MacNamara and the late piper Al Purcell—a student of Leo Rowsome. Though he’s the youngest member of Bua, Seán has toured throughout North American and Europe and is a seasoned performer.
 Grainne Hambly from County Mayo is one of the leading harp teachers and performers of her generation. She is in great demand at summer schools and festivals both in Ireland and abroad. combining dazzling speed on dance tunes with graceful slow tunes. Gráinne has won senior All-Ireland titles on harp and concertina and the prestigious Keadue and Granard harp competitions, published two books of arrangements and recorded widely as a soloist and as a guest artist.
 Steafan Hannigan is the author of The Bodhran Book, The Bodhran DVD, and the Low Whistle Book, all best sellers. He is one of the most in-demand session players, and a founding member of Sin E as well as an extremely popular teacher . Throughout his illustrious career, Steafan has also worked with Band of Hope, Uriah Heep, Afro-Celt Sound System, Bill Jones, and Loreena McKennitt. He performs in a duo with his wife Saskia Tompkins..
 Matt & Shannon Heaton’s music comes from a traditional aesthetic, a devotion to strong traditional bones, and a passion for reaching out to the modern world around them, blending Irish traditional music with original songs. Their own compositions tell timeless tales, while their renditions of centuries-old songs feel modern. They honed their craft in Irish music sessions in Chicago, Boston and through regular trips to Ireland, where they learned tunes with some of Clare's finest. Matt and Shannon have performed with a variety of groups, including critically-acclaimed Irish band Siucra, as well as backing Aoife Clancy, Robbie O’Connell, and Emily Smith. Matt and Shannon have released three CDs and one songbook. Shannon is a virtuoso on the flute and whistle and Matt is an expert guitar and bouzouki player.
 Sharon Johnston is a dedicated teacher of the harp to adults and children and the leader of the Huron Harp Ensemble. She has studied with Janet Harbison, Robin Huw Bowen, Grainne Hambly and other leading harp exponents. Sharon is the second local to teach at the Celtic College.
 Paddy Keenan was Ireland’s 2002 Traditional Musician. Iconic piper Paddy, sprang to fame as a member of one of the most influential Irish groups, The Bothy Band which forever changed the face of Irish traditional music, merging a driving rhythm section with traditional Irish tunes in ways that had never been heard before. Paddy’s virtuosity on the pipes combined with the ferocity of his playing made him, in the opinion of many, its driving force. Due to his genius for improvisation and counter-melody, he has been compared to jazz great John Coltrane. Paddy's flowing, open-fingered style of playing can be traced directly from the style of the great Travelling pipers.
 Mary Jane Lamond “A sharing of gold is but brief, but a sharing of song lasts long." - Gaelic Proverb Mary Jane Lamond’s sharing of songs, stories and spirit has garnered numerous Juno and East Coast Music Award nominations, critical accolades and a worldwide audience. Her spell-binding renditions of treasured Gaelic songs are fused with original arrangements using a variety of instruments, to create a new style of world music that is unique. She is an interpreter, a singer and musician who creates something new and exciting that doesn’t destroy the heart of Gaelic song
 Emory Lester The power and attack of his mandolin playing are unmatched, and his sound is infectious, placing him among the elite mandolinists of our time. He has long been an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and has performed with many jazz groups as a violinist, and with several new age ensembles playing a variety of instruments. “Amazing technique this guy has. He plays some of the hottest, cleanest, blazingest mandolin I've ever heard”. Mike Marshall
Wendy MacIsaac has toured with Mary Jane Lamond, Ashley  MacIsaac, Beolach and as a solo performer in Italy, Brazil, the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Eastern Europe and all over North America. As well as an outstanding fiddler, Wendy is a gifted piano accompanist, and she has backed all the fiddlers of her generation. She has performed with the Chieftains, Capercaillie and Buddy MacMaster. Her skills as a teacher are also in high demand at festivals worldwide, whether for fiddle, piano, or step dancing.
 Brian McNeill A founder of the acclaimed Battlefield Band, Brian plays fiddle, viola, mandolin, cittern, bouzouki, guitar, concertina, bass and hurdy-gurdy. The importance of his songwriting, mostly about Scotland's past and future, has long been recognized and he is a published novelist. Brian toured with Clan Alba and with Martin Hayes and Natalie MacMaster in the highly rated Celtic Fiddle Festival series. His audio-visual show about Scottish emigration to America, ‘The Back O' The North Wind’ has won critical acclaim.
 Brian Miller comes from Minneapolis, Minnesota where transplanted Irish music luminaries Paddy O’Brien and Dáithí Sproule have loomed large in his musical life. His tune backing and song accompaniments have earned him a strong reputation as one of the best guitarists on the scene today. As Irish music critic Earle Hitchner put it: “the backing of Miller on guitar flexes not just muscle but a fully complementary style.” Brian is part of the Doon Céilí Band and Bua.
 Jackie Moran Born in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Jackie has toured with such renowned names as Riverdance, the Trinitiy Irish Dance Company, the Drovers and Ensemble Galilei and he has recorded with many of today’s greatest traditional Irish musicians. In addition to Bua he currently performs with Belgian-based Irish quartet, Comas. Known for his vibrant and articulate drumming, Moran is key to Bua’s dynamic rhythm section. Jackie is also a fine Irish tenor banjo player.
 Cillian O'Dálaigh (guitar, flute whistles) has been surrounded by Irish music from day one. Cillian's father played with Irish band, Cromlach and taught his son all he knew about Irish music when they lived in Germany. The family moved to Ireland when Cillian was 8 years of age and Irish music quickly became a major part of their family life. Cillian has recently graduated with a BA in Irish Music and Dance from the University of Limerick.
 Brían Ó hAirt was the youngest and only American to become a champion All-Ireland singer. A voice Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh of Danú hails as “beautiful…sweet and full of sensitivity,” his singing has been featured on radio programs in Ireland and the U.S. Brían’s dedication to Irish Gaelic song and the sean-nós style has bonded him to the close-knit singing communities of Conamara and has led him to become an adept singer of Scots Gaelic song as well.
 Maureen Mulvey O’Leary was one of our original and most popular teachers. Maureen has extensive experience as a dance instructor, including leading the dancing at several North American Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann conventions. Maureen was the 2007 Winner of the Ernie King Tradition Bearer Award (from our Celtic Festival). Maureen is a tireless dynamo and a people person who makes dancing approachable and fun.
 Patrick Ourceau is a legend in Ireland, the United States and Canada as one of the masters of East Clare and Galway fiddle. Patrick was influenced by Paddy Canny and Peter O’Loughlin as well as the great musicians living in New York City, particularly Woodford flute player Jack Coen. A tremendous teacher as well as a performer, Patrick has performed widely in various duos and trios with some of the best known Irish musicians on both sides of the Atlantic.
 Mairi Rankin has developed her own unique style amidst a rich musical culture. Mairi has toured nationally and internationally as a performer and educator in both fiddle and step dance as a soloist and with Cape Breton super group Beolach. She has performed with the Rankin Sisters, Unusual Suspects and Bruce Guthro and appeared on the television broadcasts of DRUM!, the East Coast Music Awards, Rita MacNeil’s Christmas special and MNE’s Togaidh Sinn Fonn in Scotland.
 Loretto Reid – a Sligo native, Juno nominee (for The Children of Lir), composer and multi-instrumentalist, Loretto has led our flute and tinwhistle department for the past 14 years. She has an innovative flair with ornamentation and ability to play at breathtaking speeds or to linger over a haunting slow air. Loretto is a featured musician on over 70 CDs on flute, whistle, concertina and button accordion and composed “Reel for the Trees” which closes our festival every year.
 Norah Rendell (vocals, flute) from Vancouver was nominated for Traditional Singer of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards 2008. Also an accomplished Irish flute player, Norah plays flute in the Doon Ceili Band with accordion legend Paddy O’Brien. She is also a driving force in the international young band, The Outside Track. A fine singer, Norah is also the band’s vocal arranger and has a wide experience in teaching vocal harmony. She is a graduate in Irish Music and Dance from the University of Limerick.
 Allie Robertson is a composer, arranger, teacher, improviser and harp virtuoso. “Her synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realization of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp” (Niall Keegan, 2006). A 5-time National Mod Gold Medalist, she was also a finalist in the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2008, 1st prizewinner at the inaugural London Harp Competition, and best overall musician at the Edinburgh Competition Festival.
 Devin Shepherd mastered Irish fiddling in the vibrant Irish music scene of Chicago. He studied extensively with virtuosos Kathleen Keane and Liz Carroll, Devin competed and won first prize for nine consecutive years in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil Irish music competition. In 2009 he was chosen to compose and record three Irish tunes, to be released on a compilation headed by master Irish fiddler Seamus Connolly. He has twice been a guest performer with The Chieftains.
 Chelsea Sleep was fortunate enough to study under Canadian fiddler and composer Oliver Schroer, and perform with his group The Twisted String. Chelsea teaches fiddle and Suzuki violin, and has taught at numerous fiddle camps around BC, having become a well-known advocate for teaching Oliver Schroer’s music. Chelsea is currently working on her first album, and is in the process of releasing a compilation of fun fiddle tunes aimed at novice players.
 Emilyn Stam is a composer and teacher on piano and fiddle who is a versatile accompanist, innovative improviser, and creative collaborator. .Emilyn has studied closely with Oliver Schroer, working with him on various projects including the Twisted String and the Smithers album They have also collaborated on a number of fiddle and piano duets. Most recently, Emilyn provided piano accompaniment for Oliver’s "Last Concert on his Tour of this Planet" (Toronto, June 2008). A prolific composer Emilyn’s tune "Oranges in Mongolia" is being played by fiddlers everywhere.
 Phil and Margaret present strong contemporary songs along with traditional ballads and tunes. Deeply committed to the music they play, they have recorded seventeen albums together sharing their enthusiasm for a strong story paired with a lovely melody. Phil has recorded two CD's of his guitar settings of music from the Fraser, Skye, and Gow collections of fiddle tunes. Margaret is also active as a puppet teacher and maker of "Maggie's Fancy Hand Puppets.The duo offers starkly beautiful songs, along with guitar/ percussion arrangements of lively Celtic dance tunes, and the occasional lovely slow air.
 Brian Taheny a major influence on Irish accompaniment style, originally from County Sligo, plays every stringed instrument imaginable. Whether backing legendary piper Paddy Keenan, or as a member of Banjo Special, or playing mandolin duet with Andrew Collins, “There are a few musicians who grab you by the scruff of the neck and make you listen. Brian Taheny had exactly that effect on me (and not just on the mandolin!) when I first heard him.”. Simon Mayor
 Travis Teed is in charge of side stages at the Celtic Roots festival, a sound engineer at local recording studios and an accomplished musician and singer. High energy and ears of gold combined with a love for people and music make Travis a dream sound teacher. Travis is a natural born teacher who makes understanding sound easy.
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