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Please note this information is from the 2011 Celtic College. 2012 information will be posted as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience!
Isaac Alderson (Comas) Isaac Alderson began pursuing the craft of Irish traditional music at the age of 13 in his home city of Chicago. Throughout his teenage years he had the good fortune to study with Fermanagh flute and whistle master Laurence Nugent, and took piping lessons periodically with Al Purcell, Kieran O'Hare, and Jerry O'Sullivan, among others. At the 2002 Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel, Isaac was named the All-Ireland Senior Champion on three instruments: uilleann pipes, flute and whistle. Now residing in New York, he has played throughout the northeast and across the country with a wide range of traditional and modern trad music artists.
Ewan Baird (Paul McKenna Band) Ewan comes from a family long involved in the folk scene. Ewan took up the bodhrán only three years ago and in that time has developed a unique style of playing to a standard which is both impressive and the envy of many players. He also plays Cajon, and favours the DADGAD style of guitar. His unique style of playing is both effective and sympathetic to the music of the Paul McKenna Band.
Martine Billette Martine 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, and the Pierre Schryer Band.
Fiona Black (The Outside Track) Fiona Black, from the Highlands of Scotland, began playing music through the Feisean movement and then at the National Center of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton. She recently graduated with a BA 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.
Aidan Burke (Comas) Born of Sligo and Tipperary parents Aidan was brought up in the Irish culture of music song and dance, he was playing and dancing at an early age - the drums at 2years, dancing at 5 years.Having Kevin Burke (Fiddle player in The Bothy Band, Patrick Street and Open House) as a first cousin he was destined to play the fiddle and started at 8 years. Aidan has won twenty 1st place titles and as many 2nd and 3rds on his main instruments between The Fleadh Cheoil na Breataine and Fleadh na hEireann.
Comas Although coming from diverse musical backgrounds, and residing on different parts of the globe, the members of Comas found each other in their similar approach to music, bringing together their many cultural influences to forge a unique blend of traditional Irish music. Comas translates from Irish Gaelic as “power” – when you hear Comas you’ll know their choice of name was no mere coincidence. Combining the talents of Aidan Burke (fiddle), Isaac Alderson (flute, whistle, pipes), Philip Masure (guitar), and Jackie Moran (percussion), Comas are a band firmly rooted in Irish music, but with enough space to allow original compositions. Open to new influences, but with a respectful eye on the past, Comas is at the fore-front of what traditional music is about today.
Shane Cook Canadian Shane Cook "rates at the top of the short list of the finest fiddlers in the world today." Shane has distinguished himself as a master of the Canadian old-time fiddle tradition and excels at an array of fiddle styles ranging from Irish and Scottish to French-Canadian, Texan, and Bluegrass. In 2006, Shane retired from competitive fiddling as one of Canada's most highly awarded fiddlers. He is a three-time Canadian Open National Fiddle Champion, a three-time Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, a Grand North American Fiddle Champion, and is the only Canadian to have ever won the US Grand National Fiddle Championship, a feat he accomplished at just 17 years of age.
Stephen Darke Stephen 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.
Fionan de Barra (RUNA) Fionan started playing guitar professionally with Riverdance in the USA in 2001. Since then he has worked as musical director for Moya Brennan (of Clannad) and her band. He performed, co-wrote, arranged and recorded songs for her albums, Two Horizons (2003, nominated for a Grammy), An Irish Christmas (2005) and Signature (2006, which he also co-produced). He co-wrote music with her for the film ‘To end all wars’ (2001). He now tours regularly with the internationally renowned Fiddlers Bid and Clannad. Fionan is also currently working with dancer Colin Dunne on his new show "Out of Time" as sound designer and live sound processing.
Christina Dolphin (Solid Clarity) Christina Dolphin has toured the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada and China with the show Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and has secured All-Ireland and Oireachtas titles in both flute and tin whistle. She also holds Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s Teastas Teagaisc Ceolta Tíre (TTCT) diploma for teaching, and has attained grade 8 piano through the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Christina is currently studying for her BA in Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, and is a member of Solid Clarity.
Daoiri Farrell Daoirí Farrell is a folk singer and bouzouki, guitar and banjo player from Dublin who is a graduate of the Ceoltoir, Higher National Diploma In Traditional Music Performance course in BCFE, and is currently studying for his B.A. (Hons) in Applied Music in DKIT. In 2009 he toured Germany with the Irish Spring tour as a solo artist .
Edel Fox Edel Fox is a concertina player from Miltown Malbay Co. Clare. She began playing at the age of 7 and was fortunate to be brought up in an area and environment where traditional music was in abundance. Edel spent much of her teenage years playing with and learning from Jackie Daly, who she cites as one of her influences. In 2004, Edel was awarded the TG4 Gradam Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana (Young Musician of the Year). Edel spent some time studying in the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick where she received a BA in Irish Music and Dance in 2007. In addition to her work as a music therapist, Edel continues to teach concertina and perform extensively. Edel has just released her debut solo CD entitled “Chords and Beryls”.
Sheila Graziano Sheila has been performing and teaching Appalachian clogging for nearly three decades. Dedicated to traditional dance, she is passionate about “passing it on”. History and information about different dance styles are woven into her workshops, connecting the dots between Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh, Canadian and American styles of footwork. Sheila has been a dancer and choreographer for The Commonwealth Dance Collective, Crow’s Feet and The Crosstown Cloggers. She is the instructor and choreographer for Fiddlers ReStrung and the Saline Fiddlers, and teaches regularly in southeast Michigan.
Sean Gray (Paul McKenna Band) Seán’s involvement in the folk and traditional music scene goes back to the tender age of nine when with his sister Robyn and he attended his first folk club. Throughout his early teens Seán with his Sister Robyn played at various clubs and festivals through out Scotland. Seán’s final year of secondary school was spent at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton High School in the Western Highlands. At the school he studied flute with Dougie Pincock and guitar with Jack Evans. Over the years Seán has played alongside many major acts such as Dick Gaughan, Back of the Moon, Jim Malcolm, Andy Irvine, Shooglenifty, Gráda, The Findlay MacDonald Band, The Peatbog Faeries and Lyra Celtica to name but a few.
Josh House Josh House picked up his first guitar at the age of 15 and never looked back. His interest in guitar-building came from seeing the custom-made guitars of his favourite musicians, and in 2003 Josh studied with world-renowned luthier Sergei de Jonge. He began House Guitars with the purpose of building custom acoustic guitars of the highest quality. Josh is currently located in Goderich, Ontario. Please see houseguitars.com for more information.
Alan Jabbour Alan Jabbour was born in 1942 in Jacksonville, Florida. A violinist by early training, he put himself through college at the University of Miami playing classical music. While a graduate student at Duke University in the 1960s, he began documenting oldtime fiddlers in the Upper South. Documentation turned to apprenticeship, and he relearned the fiddle in the style of the Upper South from musicians like Henry Reed of Glen Lyn, Virginia, and Tommy Jarrell of Toast, North Carolina. Alan has been Head of the Archive of Folk Song at the Library of Congress 1969-74, Director of the folk arts program at the National Endowment for the Arts 1974-76, and director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress 1976-99.
Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman have redefined that great American invention, the fiddle-banjo duet, and bring it to new heights of complexity. Alan’s powerful fiddling style, with its syncopated bowing patterns and lyrical texture, is offset perfectly by Ken’s inspired approach to clawhammer banjo, which explores chord inversions, harmony lines, voice leading, note-for-note playing, and counter-melody. Their performances testify to the grace, beauty, and power of Appalachian music. Ken and Alan’s new joint CD, Southern Summits: 21 Duets for Fiddle and Banjo, made the “Best Records of 2005” list in The East Bay Express (Oakland, California). Ken and Alan have toured together in Britain, Ireland, continental Europe, Canada, and much of the United States. They have also served on the faculty of more than a score of prestigious music camps and teaching festivals.
Sharon Johnston Sharon Johnston is a dedicated teacher of the harp to adults and children and the director of the Huron Harp School. She has studied with Janet Harbison, Robin Huw Bowen, Grainne Hambly and other leading harp exponents. Sharon is a Level 2 Certified Teacher of the Irish Harp Centre.
Liz and Yvonne Kane Liz and Yvonne Kane, known as The Kane Sisters, are much respected musicians and educators. Born in Letterfrack, they were taught music by their grandfather, local fiddle player, Jimmy Mullen. Liz and Yvonne first came to national and international prominence during the three year period in which they toured with accordion player, Sharon Shannon as members of her band, The Woodchoppers. Following this period, Liz and Yvonne decided to embark musically on their own, and released their debut album “The Well-Tempered Bow” to rave reviews. Their latest album “Side by Side” was released in July 2010, to similar acclaim. They are currently touring with concertina player Edel Fox, guitarist Dáithí Sproule, and step-dancer Nathan Pilatzke.
Caroline Keane (Solid Clarity) Caroline's musical career began with the tin whistle at the age of seven; after a brief stint with this, her ambitions soon spread to the concertina. Under the guidance of her then teacher Noel Hill, she developed proficiency in her art, receiving the Lán Mara award in 2006. She now regards her music as having a strong traditional base with occasional references to other genres including Classical, Jazz and East Clare. At present, while studying as an undergraduate for a BA in Irish Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, Caroline has already secured her TTCT Diploma in Irish music teaching.
Shannon Lambert-Ryan (RUNA) Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds including Celtic, folk, classical, and musical theatre, Shannon Lambert-Ryan, of Philadelphia, fronts Runa with rich, vibrant vocals, and gentle piano playing. As a musician, she spent three years as the lead female vocalist in Boston-based, world music ensemble, the Guy Mendilow Band, before forming RUNA with husband and co-founder, Fionan de Barra. Together, they recorded and produced her solo album, Across the Pond, in 2008, and Runa's new release, Jealousy, in 2009. Additionally, she has performed as a vocalist with a number of artists, including Moya Brennan, John Flynn, and Joe Jencks.
Emmanuelle LeBlanc (Vishten) A descendant of one of the first colonial families on her father’s side, Emmanuelle gets her Irish roots from her mother’s side. She grew up with her twin sister Pastelle in the Evangeline region of Prince Edward Island. She was raised with a passion as much for dance as for music. The magic of the stage fascinated her. She wants her next musical projects to be traditional, while also being enriched by new influences, by music and composers from here. It is through her work as an artist that allows Emmanuelle to take her strength from the contact and interaction with the public. Through this, she is able to communicate her heritage.
Pastelle LeBlanc (Vishten) Noticed at a very young age by a local dance professor who wanted to form a group dedicated to preserving Acadian dancing, Pastelle learned and mastered several styles of stepdancing. She’s taught and created many dance choreographies. A multi-instrumentalist, she favours the accordion. It’s a passion that comes directly from her grandfather who influenced her through his Acadian melodies. “It’s a family tradition. It’s a sound that breathes, that sings, with its rich sonorities... it’s an instrument that sails and swings!” On stage, Pastelle emits this purity, conscious of the necessity to preserve, to share. Proud to be Acadian and to know her culture, her compositions are a way for her to continue to develop style and to create new pieces. She hopes they will grow themselves into being considered among the ranks of traditional Acadian music.
Cassie and Maggie MacDonald Cassie Anne MacDonald has been playing the fiddle since she was seven and step dancing since she was five. She has studied both Classical violin and Celtic fiddle, and is also a great step dancer. She recently performed at the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in 2007. Maggie Jane MacDonald has been playing the classical piano since the age of five but has been studying Celtic piano chording for the past two years. She plays multiple instruments including the guitar, the mandolin, and the 6-string banjo, and she step dances! Together as a team the two sisters have accomplished much in the last couple of years. Cassie was invited to represent Nova Scotia as a special guest at the 2009 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle championship, along with Maggie Jane, where they showcased their talent.
Ruairidh MacMillan (Paul McKenna Band) Originally from Nairn in the Scottish Highlands, fiddler Ruairidh Macmillan is quickly making a name for himself in the world of Scottish Traditional music. Having been taught by the legendary Aonghas Grant snr, and just graduated with a B.A. Honours (Scottish Music) from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2008, he already has a vast amount of touring experience behind him, having performed extensively throughout Europe and beyond. In February 2009, Ruairidh was awarded the prestigious title of ‘BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year’. His debut solo album, ‘Tyro’, was released in 2010. In addition to performing, Ruairidh has a great deal of teaching experience, currently holding posts at the Glasgow Fiddle Workshop and the R.S.A.M.D.’s ‘Youthworks’ department, as well as teaching privately.
Philip Masure (Comas) Although Philip plays a number of instruments, he is mostly known as a guitar player. He has specialised in open-tuning (DADGAD) and has played with a number of well-known bands including Orion, Laïs, Carlene Anglim (winner of the BBC2 Young Tradition Award), Mugar, Ambrozijn, The VRT-orcherstra, and the Liverpool based band Garva. Beside Comas Philip is a member of Urban Trad (who came 2nd in the Eurovision in 2003) and performs with his own band Floes (Flemish folk), a trio with David Munnelly (ex De Dannan) and Helen Flaherty (ex Shantalla), and has a duo with Guido Piccard. Philip is also in great demand as a guitar teacher, does a lot of studio work and is often asked as a producer.
Paul McKenna (Paul McKenna Band) Paul is an outstanding singer and multi-instrumentalist from Glasgow. His own music draws from the rich traditions of Scottish and Irish music and blends it with modern rock and contemporary songwriting. After only a few years Paul has gained the respect of some of the UKs top folk musicians and continues to impress listeners up and down the country. He is currently studying towards a degree in Scottish Music at the RSAMD. He takes influence from great folk performers including Paul Brady, Christy Moore, Dick Gaughan, John Doyle and Donal Lunny and also contemporary artists such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
Paul McKenna Band Combining their love for traditional and folk music as well as original songs and tunes the Paul McKenna Band have been playing to audiences throughout the UK since 2006. With a contemporary approach to songs, although not straying too far from their roots, their arrangements are both fresh and innovative. Their exciting sound is created through outstanding vocals, driving guitar and bouzouki, intense fiddle playing, a warm pairing of flute and whistles and dynamic bodhrán and percussion. The Paul McKenna Band is: Paul McKenna (vocals, guitar), David McNee (bouzouki), Ruairidh MacMillan (fiddle), Sean Gray (flute, whistle), and Ewan Baird (bodhran, percussion).
David McNee (Paul McKenna Band) David is an exciting talent from Glasgow, Scotland. A multi-instrumentalist, he favours a contemporary approach but uses traditional instruments such as mandolin and bouzouki to achieve a modern robust sound. He recently produced and featured on Irish singer Mary Kathleen Burke’s album “A song in her heart” which was released through Greentrax Recordings and is available in all good record stores. He is currently working with producer and drummer Fergus Mackenzie of the Finlay Macdonald Band on a new album which will be completed in 2009.
Pascal Miousse (Vishten) Pascal is native to the Magdelen Islands, which are part of the province of Quebec. From the ages of four to 10, Pascal took classical violin lessons before starting to play the guitar with his father. From the age of 14 onward, he learned the bass, and played in bars, dance halls and festivals as part of a traditional folk group. At the age of 20, he went on a 10-year tour of eastern Canada with his group. After this involvement in rock, soul and folk, he met Vishten in 2002 at the FrancoFête in Moncton. He quickly took his place in the group, all while showing a large degree of energy and generosity.
Jackie Moran (Comas) Originally hailing from Thurles Co. Tipperary, Jackie Moran has been firmly rooted in the Chicago Irish music scene since he was 14. A founding member of such popular performance groups as The Drovers, Wilding, The Otters and The Trinity Irish Dance Company, Jackie has also performed live as well as recorded with some of the top Irish musicians in the world, including Liz Carroll, John Williams, John Doyle, Martin Hayes, Paddy Keenan, Dennis Cahill, Kevin Burke and Larry Nugent, among many others. Mr. Moran's percussive stylings have also found their way into a number of major motion pictures, including Backdraft, Blink, Traveller and The Road to Perdition. Since 2001, Mr. Moran and his wife Amy have been running Anam Mor, an Irish dance and music school in the Chicagoland area.
Maureen Mulvey-O’Leary Maureen Mulvey is 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.
Navan Navan are friends who have come together to share their love of Celtic music. They sing in the languages of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man. Navan delicately balances the inheritance of tradition with contemporary influences, singing solo, in unison in traditional rhythm, or adding harmonies in the tradition of our own time. Celtic songs have proven to have great vitality and so the same songs have been sung for hundreds if not thousands of years. This naturally results in variation of the tune, and words, from age to age and place to place. Navan’s shows are in keeping with their desire to share this music with the audience and not simply “perform" it, for traditional music, unlike many other genres, belongs to all. Navan is Amy Curl, Paul Gorman, Sheila Shigley, and Elizabeth Simcock.
Cillian O’Dalaigh (The Outside Track) 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 and is a member of The Outside Track.
Ken Perlman Ken is both a pioneer of the 5-string banjo style known as "melodic clawhammer," and a master of fingerstyle guitar. He is considered one of the top clawhammer players in the world, known in particular for his skillful adaptations of Celtic tunes to the style. On guitar, Ken's sparkling finger-picked renditions of traditional Celtic and Southern fiddle tunes are simply not to be missed. He draws his material from traditional sources -- the music of Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island and the American South.
Cheryl Prasker (RUNA) Cheryl Prashker studied classical percussion at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she was born and raised. She has toured Canada, U.S. Europe and Russia. She spent many years in NY City where she honed her skills of playing anything from Rock and Roll, Klezmer, to Celtic as well as Middle Eastern music. She now uses her special style of percussion to enhance the music of such artists as Jonathan Edwards, Pat Wictor, Tracy Grammer, Full Frontal Folk and her new group Runa. Cheryl is currently the President of NERFA (Northeastern Regional Folk Alliance).
Mairi Rankin (The Outside Track) 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.
David Rankine David brings 30 years of experience in art, music and education to his unique workshops in Celtic Art, Design, Calligraphy, book making, mandalas, Sacred Geometry and manuscript illumination. As a musician, David draws heavily from such diverse influences as Applachian folk, Indo-Perisan, Classic Rock, Progressive Rock and also from a background in Scots and Irish folk music(bagpipes), David's original compositions engage the listener in a way that asks the listener to become part of the music- music that provides a co-creative healing space.
Norah Rendell (The Outside Track) Norah Rendell (vocals, flute) from Vancouver was nominated for Traditional Singer of the Year at the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards. 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.
Ailie Robertson (The Outside Track) Ailie 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.
Kim Robertson Kim Robertson is a renowned performer and instructor who has stretched the boundaries of the harp for a new generation of performers and audiences. As a pioneer in the American folk harp movement, she combines an improvisational spirit with a passionate sense of tradition, bringing a contemporary touch to a centuries-old instrument. Born in Wisconsin, she is classically trained on piano and orchestral harp. In the mid-70's, Kim's discovery of the Celtic harp grew into a profound love for the instrument, setting her upon the path of exploration for which she is now widely known. She regularly tours the USA, Canada and Europe, and is recognized as one of the most popular lever harpists performing today. Her work encompasses numerous recording projects, published harp arrangements, and an international itinerary of workshops and retreats.
RUNA RUNA burst onto the music scene during the summer of 2008 and has been taking audiences by storm ever since. Drawing on the diverse musical backgrounds of its band members, RUNA brings a contemporary and refreshing experience to traditional and more recently composed Celtic material. Through their repertoire of both highly energetic and graceful, acoustic melodies, along with their fusion of music from Ireland, Scotland, the Shetland Islands, Canada, and the United States, this vocal and instrumental ensemble gives its arrangements of traditional songs and tunes a fresh sound. RUNA consists of vocalist, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist Fionán de Barra, and Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion. “Stretched on Your Grave” (2011) is their latest acclaimed release.
Pierre Schryer Pierre Schryer is part of the vibrant Franco-Ontarian culture of Canada and from an early age was immersed in the music and traditions of his heritage. As a solo performer he has received numerous titles and awards including Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, Violoneux Championnat, and North American Irish Fiddle Champion. Pierre truly captivates audiences with his energy, genuine warmth, and flawless ability in any style from Irish, Scottish and Québecois, to Canadian, American, or Swing. On his own, Pierre has also shared the stage with many of today’s greatest Celtic artists, and performs regularly with Quebec's Club Carrefour promoting the authentic music, dance and songs of French Canada, Ottawa's Ian Clark, Ireland's Dermot Byrne, as well symphony orchestras across North America.
Dáithí Sproule Dáithí Sproule of Derry, whose first group was the legendary Skara Brae, has lived for many years in Minnesota. He is one of Irish music's most respected guitar accompanists, and one of the first guitarists to develop DADGAD tuning for Irish music. He is also a fine singer in English and Irish. He is known for his innovative arrangements of traditional songs, and in 1995 he released his first solo album, A Heart Made of Glass, with songs in English and Irish. In 2008 he released an instrumental guitar album, The Crow In the Sun, featuring thirteen original compositions. In addition to performing and recording, Dáithí is a sought-after teacher and lecturer in subjects ranging from guitar styles and song accompaniment to Irish traditional music, language and literature.
Brian Taheny A major influence on Irish accompaniment style, originally from County Sligo, Brian Taheny plays every stringed instrument imaginable. Whether backing legendary piper Paddy Keenan, or as a member of Banjo Special, or playing a 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 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.
Vishten There's an old saying that goes something like, “Go out and make your mark in the world exploring the new ways but don't turn your back on your roots”. The members of Vishten have been doing just that for the past seven years. Made up of third generation Acadians living separate but parallel musical experiences, twin sisters Pastelle and Emmanuelle LeBlanc from Prince Edward Island have teamed up with Pascal Miousse and Louis-Charles Vigneau from the nearby Magdelen Islands to create a sound that incorporates elements of the new ways while retaining and staying true to the essential Acadian spirit of their roots. The songs are French, sung by each band member, alone or in four part harmony. The foot percussion drives the rhythm in a fiddle tune at times yet refrains itself in the gentler musical moments. The band members are accomplished multi-instrumentalists and step-dancers incorporating the fiddle, guitar, accordion, penny-whistle, banjo, mandolin, piano, jaw-harp and bodhran into each performance.
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