Nafco 2012

Six time Grammy Award winners and, arguably, the most famous traditional musicians on the planet, The Chieftains headline the closing concert of NAFCo2012. Spearheads in establishing Irish traditional music as an internationally popular form of music The Chieftains continue to enthrall and entertain audiences worldwide. Spirited, beautiful music, vibrant dance and guaranteed entertainment are the hallmarks of a Chieftains concert.
www.thechieftains.com

From left to right, back row, Liz Knowles, Annbjorg Lien. Front row, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Liz Carroll, Emma Hardelin, Caitriona MacDonald.

The String Sisters are Liz Carroll and Liz Knowles from the USA, Emma Hardelin from Sweden, Catriona Macdonald from Shetland, Annbjorg Lien from Norway and, local favourites, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Liz Doherty from Donegal. These are among some of the leading women fiddle players in the world. The Sisters first came together to play a sold-out show at Glasgow’s prestigious Celtic Connections some years ago and since then, when their otherwise busy schedules allow, they occasionally come together to tour and perform. The Norwegian paper Nordlys commenting on the String Sister wrote “the girls inspire and motivate each other and this has enabled them to create a common musical idiom that crosses national borders. They seem to glow with their joy in playing and respect each other immensely.” The women are joined onstage by a stellar band made up of David Milligan (piano), Conrad Ivitsky (double bass), Tore Bruvoll (guitar) and James Mackintosh (drums). If ever an act was made for an event like the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention it must surely be String Sisters.

Described by the BBC as "one of Scotland's most valued tradition bearers" master fiddler Alasdair Fraser combines with the American cellist Natalie Haas in breathing new life into Scottish music. Alasdair has achieved equal renown as a composer, a teacher and as a performer. Together this internationally acclaimed duo are noted for their sensitive and graceful interpretation of Scotland's rich heritage of airs and dance music.
http://www.alasdairfraser.com/ and http://www.nataliehaas.com/

Long time local favourites Four Men and a Dog have been on the road for 21 years now and continue to be in demand at music festivals around the world. Rollincking good fun is guaranteed with their powerhouse delivery of jigs, reels and rock n’ roll flavoured acoustic music. Fiddle, accordion and banjo form their core sound underpinned by guitar and bodhram. County Tyrone fiddle player Cathal Hayden was instrumental in bringing the band together in 1990 and he, along with bodhrán player and singer Gino Luparifrom south Derry, have been mainstays ever since. Buncrana native Kevin Doherty holds the driving melodies together with his rock solid guitar work and he offers contract to the musical shades of the band with his own songs. Four Men and a Dog will perform as the house band each night as part of our late night festival club. (An Culturlann, Derry Thursday/Friday & Saturday and moving to The Inishowen Gateway Hotel for our final night fling on Sunday 1st July) http://www.fourmenandadog.net/

Arguably the most influential duo playing Irish traditional music today fiddle maestro Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill bring a sensitivity and dynamism to the playing of Irish music that has electrified audiences the world over. Together they achieve a delicate balance in giving expression to a venerable tradition and pairing that with innovative creativity. Passion, fire and soul is at the core of their playing.


"Between them Hayes and Cahill have deconstructed the material to create a vast spacious soundscape, aching with the celebration of centuries, soaring with the slow-burning dynamics of modern classicists like Part and Gorecki." -The Independent, U.K.

www.martinhayes.com

Majorstuen (Norway) have set a new standard for arranged folk music in Norway. The ensemble’s music is acoustic, perfected and self-confident. The ensemble was born in 2000, when several of the members attended Oslo’s State Academy of Music. Fiddles are the main instruments, but the sonic palette is also complemented with several string instruments such as octave fiddles, viola and cello. Majorstuen have toured extensively throughout the world, and were the first winners of Concerts Norway’s talent programme Intro-folk. 2010 saw Majorstuen celebrating their 10 year anniversary with the launch of the album ‘Skir’ and a number of celebratory concerts, including performances at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, La Grande Rencontre in Montreal, Shrewsbury Folk Festival and Theatre de Abysses in Paris.

(c) wowfoto Merete Haseth

Powerful horns, toe-tapping fiddle and contagious rhythms characterise Habadekuk the young nine-piece band that is catapulting Danish folk music into the 21st century. Don't miss what promises to be a highlight of NAFCo2012.
http://www.habadekuk.dk/

Fiolministeriet are from Denmark and their name translates as The Ministery of the Fiddle. They're not quite a branch of the Danish civil service but they are wonderful ambassadors for their country's fine musical tradition. Two fiddlers and a cello player they are led by Ditte Fromseier Mortensen. This winning trio are to the forefront in re-interpreting Danish folk music and bringing it to appreciative international audiences.
http://www.fiolministeriet.dk/

Breandán de Gallaí is one of the most recognisable Irish dancers there is. As Principal Dancer with Riverdance, Breandán has led performances to over 600 million people worldwide. He has achieved stardom among live audiences throughout the world and has appeared on national TV in the USA, all over Europe, China, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. More recently he has fronted the popular televison series "Dance Off" and "Jig Gig."

Lau come swathed in awards and prizes and this innovative trio of fiddle, accordion and guitar/vocals deserve all the praise they get. Scottish fiddle player, Aidan O'Rourke, combines with the accordion of East Anglia's Martin Green and the distinctive guitar work and songs of Orkney's Kris Drever to create music of a breath-taking capability. Extraordinary traditional players who have the breadth of musical vision to comfortably sit in with musicians like Jack Bruce, of rock legends Cream, have to be welcome at NAFCo2012.

Donegal fiddle trio comprising of Ciaran O Maonaigh, from one of the most famous musical families in Donegal, Aidan O’Donnell from the southern end of this most musical of counties and most recent recruit Damien McGeehan. Fidil are to the forefront in exploring new pathways for the tradition and are increasingly inventive in their sensitive interpretations of the great fiddle repertoire of their native place. The play music for the 21st century that is mindful of its origins but breathtakingly exciting in its ambition and delivery. http://fidilmusic.com

Described by The Scotsman as “Orkney’s favourite musical ambassadors” fiddle and guitar playing sisters, Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley, combine musical mastery with mischief and tradition with modernity. International recognition and acclaim greeted these talented siblings on the release of their first album some twenty years ago and since then theyt have gone on to perform in over 47 differnet countries and made countless television and radio appearances. Hazel and Jennifer have recorded a number of albums since their 1991 debut “Dancing Fingers”, their most recent release being “Idiom”. Popular visitors to Donegal not for nothing has The Living Tradition magazine described their live perfromances as “two players, one breath”. http://www.wrigleysisters.com/

One of the most established and respected duos on the UK folk scene, fiddle and viola player Nancy Kerry and guitarist James Fagan are winners of the 2011 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Duo. They previously won BBC awards in 2003 and as “newcomers” in 2000. As well as being fine exponents of their respective instruments both are regarded as fine and influential singers. This is their 16th year on the road and over this time they have toured full-time and headlined festivals throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe, Canada, Japan and in James’ native Australia. Wherever they play,the love of live music that is tangible in Nancy Kerr and James Fagan’s performance helps forge new friendships and make new fans.
http://www.kerrfagan.com/

Fiddle-player, Bríd Harper is originally from the town of Castlefin in east Donegal but she now lives in the neighbouring county of Tyrone. Bríd is a senior All-Ireland Fiddle Champion and a previous winner of The Fiddler of Dooney competition. She is enormously respected both as a teacher and as a gifted performer. Together with accordion player Dermot Byrne she has set a high standard of duet playing. Dermot is from Buncrana in Donegal and has strong family ties with the south Donegal village of Teelin, which can boast a remarkably rich tradition of fiddle music, song and storytelling. Dermot’s music incorporates many of the stylistic hallmarks of Donegal fiddle music. He was privileged to learn directly from such masters as John Doherty, James Byrne, Con Cassidy and Francie and Mickey “Dearg” Byrne. Dermot plays with the internationally famous band Altan and his most recent recording is with the harper, Floriane Blancke.

Not content with a having carved out a more than respectable solo career as a fiddle player (and occasional piper!) Dublin raised but Kerry resident, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh has established himself as one of the busiest musicians in Ireland in recent times. The last few years have seen highly acclaimed recordings and tours with with Martin Hayes and Peadar Ó Riada under the moniker Triur, with the noted west Kerry accordion player and singer Brendan Begley, two wonderful CDs with the Dublin uilleann piper Mick O’Brien and a unique line-up trading under the name This Is How We Fly
with dancer Nic Gareiss that combines elements of jazz and Scandinavian influences that has wowed audiences whenever they have played. Is Caoimhín the new renaissance man of Irish music? http://caoimhinoraghallaigh.com/joomla/

Take three iconic fiddle players-Cathal Hayden from Tyrone, ,Desi Donnelly from Manchester and Tola Custy from County Clare and add an engine room second to none comprising of the peerless John Joe Kelly on bodhrán and the magesterial Ed Boyd on guitar and you have the makings of a new fiddle supergroup. Members of various traditional music bands, among them Sharon Shannon Band, Four Men and a Dog, The Alan Kelly Gang, Mike McGoldrick Band- this is a rare Irish outing for this ensemble whose otherwise busy schedules mean they only come together occasionally. Sparks, as well as fiddle bows, will fly in Culdaff.

Pierre Schryer Trio (Canada) is the collaboration of three stunning musicians incorporating elements of Classical Improvisation, and World Music while maintaining a commitment to the authentic Celtic fiddle styles of Scottish, Irish, Ontario and Québec. The trio includes Pierre Schryer on the fiddle and foot percussion, Andy Hillhouse on guitar and vocals, Joe Philips on double bass and vocals. Pierre was immersed from an early age in the Franco-Ontarian traditions of his heritage, and has studied the fine subtleties of various traditional fiddle styles. 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 enjoys teaching the art of fiddling at camps and workshops throughout the country, and is active in composing new works, many of which are featured on his celebrated album, 'Mélange'.

Having carved out equal renown as both a musical performer and a broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy is no stranger to Irish audiences, known for her frequent radio work on Raidio na Gaeltachta here the Glasgow –born Gael has toured Ireland with her band Cliar and performed many times with singer Maggie Macdonald. A singer and harp player, Mary Ann is also an accomplished lilter or exponent of mouth music or Puirt a beuil, as it is known in Scotland. Her father came from the isle of Tiree while her mother, the renowned Gaelic singer, Kenna Campbell is from Skye. Mary Ann is a familiar face as a TV presenter (Celtic Connections) and has won awards for her work on BBC Radio Three as presenter of Global Gathering.
http://www.turnernapier.co.uk

NAFCo is proud to have commissioned the hugely dynamic and charismatic fiddle player, composer and producer from Fair isle in the Shetland Islands,Chris Stout to write and perform a new piece of music to celebrate the hosting of the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention in Derry and Donegal. Entitled Sail/Seol, this new piece will bring to gather musicians from various parts of the North Atlantic regions and will recieve its world premiere in The Millennium Forum on Thursday 28th June as part of the “Fiddle & Feet” concert. http://www.chrisstout.co.uk/

Lanark is the name of the native place of Cape Breton fiddle and piano maestro Troy MacGillivray and it underscores the close cultural connections between Scotland and the Nova Scotian island where so many Scots emigrants settled and retained their music and language. Along with Troy, Shane Cook from Ontario is another among the new breed of remarkable fiddle players that Canada continues to produce. Their 2008 award winning collaboration, “When Here Meets There” has been widely hailed as one the finest fiddle recordings of recent times. Both Troy and Shane have a number of solo recordings to their name name. Shane was Canadian Open National Fiddle Champion three times before he retired from competitive playing. Piano whizz Jake Charron accompanies. http://www.troymacgillivray.com

Matt Cranitch is renowned as a fiddle-player and teacher, both at home in Ireland and abroad. He has performed extensively at concerts and festivals, on radio and television, and has presented lectures, master-classes and workshops on various aspects of Irish music. He has won All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil titles, as well as The Fiddler of Dooney and Oireachtas Crotty Cup. Author of The Irish Fiddle Book, first published in 1988 and now in its fourth edition, he has also contributed to other books on Irish traditional music. He has made various albums including three with Sliabh Notes, in addition to Éistigh Seal which consists entirely of slow airs. His most recent recording is The Living Stream with Jackie Daly. He is an authority on the music of Sliabh Luachra, and received a PhD from the University of Limerick for his study on the fiddle-playing tradition of this region. A long-time consultant for the Geantraí series on TG4, he is also an advisor to the Arts Council Deis scheme for the traditional arts, and has served on the board of the Irish Traditional Music Archive (2007–2010). In 2003, he received the Hall of Fame Award from University College Cork where he currently teaches a number of courses in Irish traditional music. www.mattcranitch.com

Cleek Schrey and Stephanie Coleman (USA) come together as a duo in the great tradition of Appalachian double-fiddling. From Chicago, Steph fiddles with the all-female string band Uncle Earl. From Virginia, Cleek fiddles in the string band Bigfoot and both plays and flat-foots with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. Cleek and Stephanie began playing together after both moving to the unlikely old-time music hotbed of Brooklyn, NY. Their music eschews fusion and embraces repertoire, seeking to probe the corners, hollows and curvatures of traditional American music and dance in search of new possibilities of interpretation.

Dan Trueman (USA) is an American composer and fiddler. He began studying violin at the age of 4, and decades later fell in love with the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, an instrument and tradition that has deeply affected all of his work. He has performed his music with many, including Trollstilt and QQQ, the American Composers Orchestra, and innumerable fiddlers, but his explorations of musical instruments have extended beyond the fiddle into new technologies; Dan is the co-founder of the Princeton Laptop Orchestra, the first ensemble of its size and kind. Dan has collaborated with renowned ensembles like So Percussion and the Crash Ensemble. His work has been recognized by awards from the Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundations, among others. Dan teaches composition at Princeton University.

Having gigged, explored and sculpted their musical identities together for 15 years now, Catriona McKay (Scottish Harp) and Chris Stout (Shetland Fiddle) continue to evolve and create a sound and style “operating at a rarefied level of expertise” (The Herald). They recorded their first duo CD “Laebrack” in 2005 and have been part of many other projects together over the years as trustworthy collaborators.The crafting of their voice as a duo which blends “elemental intensity with graceful eloquence” (The Herald) has drawn them to explore new music and new ideas for this partnership of traditional instruments – “sensual, throaty fiddle lines…harp is deliciously angular and haughty” (Irish Times). Their new album White Nights was released in the summer of 2010 to rave reviews.

Coming from a musical heritage of fiddlers, dancers and singers, traditional music has been a huge component of the Beaton sisters’ lives growing up in Mabou, Cape Breton. For the girls, their first foray into the musical life began with step dancing which they learned from their aunt, Mary Janet MacDonald. Within the last few years, The Beaton Sisters have travelled to China, Brazil, Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, Central Canada and the United States to perform and their CD recording, ‘Taste of Gaelic,’ was nominated for a number of Canadian awards.

Derry born Dermot McLaughlin was introduced to music at home by his parents Joe & Kate. Local teachers included Tony Black, Paddy McCafferty, Denis Heaney, Frank McFadden and Dinny McLaughlin. Dermot is particularly interested in the fiddle tradition of the Northwest and its links with the Scotch tradition. Dermot's role as a player, producer, broadcaster, writer and as cultural sector manager has had a significant influence on the recent course of traditional music in Ireland. Dermot was a founder member of Cairdeas na bhFidileiri ,the organisation set up to promote and encourage Donegal fiddle music, and his return to play in his native city alongside some of his old friends from his schooldays in St. Columb's College-among them Peter Tracy, Frank Gallagher and Maurice Bradley-is a welcome one.

A fiddler from Gothenberg, Sweden, Goran was awarded Riksspelman National Master Player award in 1997. He was educated as a violin teacher at the Royal Academy of Stoakholm in 1983 and has been teaching fiddle since 1984. In 1988 he was awarded the City of Gothernberg’s Culture scholarship for his work with traditional music in the cultural life of the city. Göran has spent many years exploring the traditional music of Orust in the west of county Bohuslän, fifty miles north of Gothenberg. He has a number of recordings to his credit and will be joined at NAFCo by many of his students, participants in the NAFCo International Youth Camp.

Eric Favreau (Quebec) comes from a family of traditional musicians. His work is rooted in a diverse number of musical sources including archives and his own field recordings. As an individual, and in various groups, Éric has vast experience in the Canadian, American and European music scenes. He has recorded two solo albums, one with fidler and friend Mario Landry, 'Reel à Deux', and three with his current group ENTRELOUPE: 'La St-Berdondaine', 'Les choux pis des melons', 'Épilogue', and has appeared on a least twenty others. He teaches regularly at fiddle camps in the United States, Europe, and Canada and teaches and leads workshops on traditional fiddle and music at both the primary and college level.

John Carty (Ireland) is one of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians and was awarded TG4’s Traditional Musician of the Year in 2003. Born in London, Carty developed his love for fiddle, banjo, and flute, all of which he has mastered, through his multi-instrumentalist father. John eventually moved back to Ireland and is based in Co. Roscommon. He has recorded several fiddle and banjo albums both solo and with musicians such as Arty McGlynn, Matt Molloy, Brian Rooney and with the band At the Racket which he formed in 1997. John has toured with re-formed super group, Patrick Street, alongside legendary musicians Andy Irvine, Kevin Burke and Ged Foley and has also appeared as a special guest with the Chieftains and De Danann.

Lead fiddle player with Habbadekuk

Antóin Mac Gabhann is a highly regarded fiddle player from Mullahoran in County Cavan who has done much to promote and popularise traditional music through his own playing and through teaching. Antóin was one of the early pioneers in establishing linkls between Irish musicians and the rich tradition of Cape Breton in Canada and he has recorded the CD "Matching Beats" with Cape Breton pianist Hilda Chaisson. Antóin and his wife Bernie have passed on the music to their children, all of whom are accomplished players. You can hear this venerated teacher and player in conversation with Matt Cranitch as part of Fiddle Talks on Wednesday 27th June in The Cottage, The Craft Village, Waterloo Street, Derry.

Raised in Galloway, Amy is now at the forefront of contemporary Scottish Fiddle playing as a performer, teacher and composer. She has performed in Scotland and Europe with various artists including Tannas and The Scottish Step Dance Company, playing music for the Edinburgh Mela with Chinese and Pakistani musicians, and recently performing in India with India Alba. Her first solo album “Messing” was released in 2012.

Lauren Mac Coll (Scotland) is from the Black Isle and learned fiddle through the feisean movement in Ross-Shire. In 2004 when she won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award and since then has gone on to form her own band 'The MacCollective'. Her playing is known for its rich tone and communicative, emotive qualities inspired by her love of Gaelic song. Lauren has released two solo albums, the first named 'Classic Album' at Celtic Connections Festival. She is a highly regarded tutor and runs her own fiddle summer-school in the Black Isle.

From North Connemara the Kane Sisters are much respected musicians and educators. Born in Letterfrack, they were educated in Kylemore Abbey School and were taught music by their grandfather, fiddle player, Jimmy Mullen and Mary Finn, a Co.Sligo musician and teacher. 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. They have released a number of albums together including ‘Side by Side’ which was launched in July 2010. Based in Letterfrack currently, Liz and Yvonne teach music during the school year and tour in the US during the summer.

Swedish born Traditional Dancer, Choreographer and Researcher Mats Melin has worked professionally with dance in Scotland since 1995 and in Ireland since 2005. His current position is Lecturer in Dance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. He has been engaged in freelance work nationally and internationally as well as having been Traditional Dancer in Residence for four Scottish Local Authorities. Mats co-started the dynamic Scottish performance group ‘Dannsa’ in 1999, is a former member of the Scottish Arts Council’s Dance Committee and Scottish Government Working Group on Traditional Arts, is an office bearer for Dance Research Forum Ireland and has recently completed PhD research on Cape Breton Step Dancing.

Neil Martin (Ireland) is a composer and musician with an international reputation. Among major commissions are OSSA (2007), a choral symphony to mark the 400th anniversary of The Flight of the Earls and Oilean na Marbh, a song cycle for Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill and the West Ocean String Quartet. Neil has composed and directed music extensively for theatre, notably Stephen Rea’s award-winning production of Northern Star (1998) and Marie Jones’ Women on the Verge of HRT (West End). A cellist and uilleann piper, he has worked with many leading musicians, both on stage and in the studio - these include The Chieftains, Liam O'Flynn, The Dubliners, Christy Moore and The West Ocean String Quartet. He has contributed to more than 100 albums and his music has taken him throughout Europe and North America, including performances in Carnegie Hall in NYC, the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. He has recorded with The London Symphony Orchestra and guested at the Classical Brit Awards.

With a sweet name and even sweeter sound, Oh My Darling conjures up the right mix of emotion and elation with their unique brand of country. Their prairie roots mixed with bluegrass, Appalachian old time, southern twang, and Franco-folk, makes their style a melting pot of musical languages. Infused with dynamic vocals, brilliant claw-hammer banjo, inspired fiddling, and grooving bass, their music will get your hips swinging, toes tapping, and put your heart right into their hands. Individually, they are known as some of the hottest players on the Canadian roots scene, but there is strength in numbers, and combined, the foursome is strong as steel. It is the combination of four strong personalities that makes Oh My Darling one-of-a-kind.

Paddy Glackin is a Dublin-born fiddler who began playing at the age of six, inspired by his Dungloe, Co. Donegal father, Tom. He studied music at the Dublin College of Music, learned traditional fiddle with Jim Carroll and played with Clontarf, Dublin CCÉ and The Pipers’ Club. He won fleadh awards in the late 1960s, The Fiddler of Dooney in 1971 and the All-Ireland senior fiddle in 1973. A major name among younger fiddlers then, he went on to play with Ceoltóirí Laighean, then with The Bothy Band’s predecessor, Seachtar, in 1975. A composer of tunes in his younger days, he worked in traditional music programming in RTÉ in the 1970s and presented several series of The Pure Drop on RTÉ television. He was also the Arts Council’s first Traditional music officer from 1985–‘90. He plays on numerous albums e.g. with Ceoltóirí Laighean, Paddy Keenan, Mick O’Brien, Jolyon Jackson, Dónal Lunny and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill.

Pete Cooper (U.K.) plays, teaches, composes, records and writes about fiddle music. He is best known for his tutorial book/CD ‘The Complete Irish Fiddle Player’ (1995), published in the USA by Mel Bay, and his more recent collections issued by Schott: ‘Irish Fiddle Solos’ (2004), ‘English Fiddle Tunes’ (2006), ‘Eastern European Fiddle Tunes’ (2007) and ‘American Old Time Fiddle Tunes’ (2010). Pete also sings, backing himself on fiddle, and plays the mandolin. His unusual fluency in different styles - English, Irish, Scottish, Old Time, Swedish, Eastern European - has been described as ‘chameleon-like’. He travels all over the country to teach and perform, and has also made recent trips to China (2004), India (2007) and Japan (2008 and 2010). A firm believer in lifelong learning, Pete has run regular fiddle courses in London since the mid-1980s, bringing his group classes under one roof in 2001 as the ‘London Fiddle School’.

Born in Montreal, Pierre Chartrand is a dance historian-ethnologist, a choregrapher, a master step dancer and an artful dance caller. Dancing for more than 35 years, he teaches and performs regularly in Quebec, Canada, the United States, and Europe. After his Dance Masters in La Sorbonne he founded the Centre Mnémo, an archive centre on traditional French-Canadian dance and music. He has also won a number of prestigious awards including the International Dance Medal in Madagascar, August 1997 and Price of the Best Choreography by the Independent Reviewers of New England, 2005. He has taught at the dance program of the Université du Québec à Montréal and at the folk music program of Joliette College. In 2000, he started his company Dance Cadence and has produces various shows including Rapetipetam, Chasse-Galerie and Le Bal des Ménestriers.

Having played together for many years in sessions, on stage and in various projects, Tara from Glenties and Derek from Glencolmcille released a CD together in 2011 – ‘The Far Side of the Glen’. Featuring just two fiddles it was recorded in the kitchen of a small cottage in Carrick, Co. Donegal and focuses solely on the musical style and repertoire of south west Donegal. Both Derek and Tara teach annually at the Cairdeas na bhFidileírí fiddle summer school in Glencolmcille and Glenties Fiddlers’ Weekend and they show huge respect for passing on the music of the area to ensure it continues and remains a strong focus in the locality.

Tom McConville (U.K.), known as The Newcastle Fiddle Player, is a virtuoso musician and fantastic singer, whose rich and warm voice makes his interpretation of traditional and contemporary songs greatly admired by singers throughout the world. His live performances combine a rollercoaster of musical delights from fast, rhythmic dance tunes - through beautiful slow airs and of course, great singing - all presented with his inimitable sense of humour and style. He has played and toured with many artists including guitarist Chris Newman and Northumbrian piper Pauline Cato and has a long list of recordings to his credit. Tom is also a noted Alexander Technique practitioner as is involved in the Safe Trad project raising awareness of the benefits of this technique among musicians.

Willie Drennan (Northern Ireland) is a traditional musician, storyteller, poet and writer who draws much of his material from the Ulster Scots cultural traditions of his native County Antrim. He directed and fronted the Ulster Scots Folk Orchestra and associated folk bands in over 800 performances and has produced numerous CD recordings focusing on aspects of the Ulster Scots tradition. He has an impressive list of radio and tv credits including a series of 8 television shows for BBC NI called, 'A Dander with Drennan' (2005-2008) and is founder and editor of 'The Ulster Folk', a grassroots arts and culture periodical and website.

Zoe Conway (Ireland) effortlessly combines a background steeped in Ireland’s rich aural music tradition with a strong founding in classical music. She has toured worldwide and has appeared in many prestigious concert halls including Carnegie Hall, New York, The Kremlin Palace, Moscow and The National Concert Hall, Dublin. Her versatility as an instrumentalist has allowed her to perform across a broad range of genres, from guest soloist with world renowned orchestras to touring with ‘Riverdance’ and working with mainstream international acts such as Rodrigo y Gabriella, Damien Rice, Nick Cave and Lou Reed. She has released two solo albums and a live DVD, ‘Zoë Conway Live’. She is currently recording an album with her husband, John Mc Intyre, on guitar featuring new Irish music from 12 leading Irish composers including Bill Whelan, Micheal O Suilleabhan, Donal Lunny, Steve Cooney, Andy Irvine, Tommy Peoples among others.

Alfonso Franco (Galicia) has a professional degree in violin, and completed doctoral studies in Traditional Galician Music at the University of Santiago de Compostela in 2003. He is the fiddle teacher in the Traditional Music School of Vigo: ETrad and is responsible for the string section of the Galician Folk Orchestra Sondeseu. He has given many workshops in Barcelona, Brittany, St.Johns, Scotland in 2011 and 2012 he taught at Alasdair´s Sierra Fiddle Camp in California. His recent musical work has been with the celtic harpist Paula Oanes and the Bulla Timpánica Trío with the fiddler Alfonso Merino, who is his sideman also in the “Ancestral ensemble”, a silent movies performance group. Alfonso is working hard to make the fiddle popularin Galicia is the director of a Galician fiddle kids camp whose first edition will in July 2012.

Tommy Peoples (Ireland) comes from East Co. Donegal and began playing at the age of seven. He moved to Dublin while still in his teens where he became well known through playing in city sessions, notably in the seminal session-house O’Donoghue’s bar. From the 1970s-1990s he lived in Co. Clare before returning to Donegal. Known internationally for his iconic membership of The Bothy Band, he recorded on their first album before moving to solo playing and recording e.g. on A Traditional Experience with Tommy Peoples, Tommy Peoples, The High Part of the Road, The Iron Man, The Quiet Glen/An Gleann Ciúin and Waiting for a Call. The most honoured of Irish fiddlers, he was awarded the Oscar of Irish musicianship, the TG4 Gradam Ceoil in 1998, and in 2012 was admitted to the high chamber of Irish art as a member of the prestigious Aosdána, the first Traditional player to be so honoured in all its thirty one years.

Seamus Begley is from one of the most renowned musical families in Ireland. A farmer, a singer, a dancer and an accordion player Seamus was born and still lives in the Kerry gaeltacht west of the fishing port of Dingle, He grew up in a musical environment, his father ran the local dance hall and from an early age Seamus was playing for dancers. He still see the primary function of good Irish music as "to make people dance". Seamus is joined by eight of his neighbours and friends, dancing their polka sets and slides as they have always done -for fun and enjoyment and with an infectious spirit that really does bring the music to life.

Nic Gareiss (USA) has studied a broad variety of percussive movement forms from around the world. At age eight he began taking tap lessons and gradually came to study an array of dance styles including Appalachian clogging, Irish step dance, Appalachian flat-footing, English clog-dancing, Québécois step dance, Cape Breton step-dance, improvisation and composition. Nic has performed as a featured soloist with artists such as The Chieftains, FIDIL, Le Vent du Nord, Liz Carroll, Martin Hayes and Alasdair Fraser. In 2011, Nic received two commissions from the Cork Opera House to create new solo percussive dance choreography for Reich’s acclaimed pieces Six Marimbas and Clapping Music in honor of the composer’s 75th birthday. The pieces were hailed by the Irish Times as “a left-field tour-de-force with irresistible wow factor.”

Mats Nilsson and Ingegärd Sigfridsson (Sweden) have danced all over the world in places such as Peru, Japan, Newfoundland and Aberdeen. Ingegerd Sigfridsson holds a PhD in Ethnology and is educated as a church musician. Primarily dancing with Mats Nilsson, the duo has performed as a solo act and in group dances. Mats Nilsson works as a senior lecturer in Folklore Studies at University of Gothenburg, Sweden and has a PhD in Ethnology. They have made it their mission to present traditional dance from West Sweden on stage. Their flouting style is both an expression of high skills and traditional dance experiences – the very best of Scandinavian couple dancing.

Harp player Laoise Kelly from Westport and fiddle player Michelle O’Brien from Co. Clare released their first joint CD, “The Wishing Well”, in 2011. This album and their ongoing collaboration opens up new space for both musicians who first joined forces at informal sessions and in the band, Bumblebees. Laoise is at the forefront of harp playing in Ireland and has several recordings to her credit; Michelle is a hugely respected fiddle player and teacher whose style is influenced by the great Tommy Peoples.

From the exciting and innovative Norwegian dance company, Frikar, come Halling dancers Anita Langødegård and Sigurd Johan Heide. They will dance to the fiddle of Erlend Viken. Halling is a spectacular form of traditional dance from Norway and is among the most ancient documented dance forms in Europe and some claim that the headspininning of breakdancers was originally inspired by Halling dancers! Frikar Dance Company was established by the renowned Norwegian choreographer Hallgrim Hansegard and has established an international reputation for drawing from the deep well of Norwegian tradition to create dance that is mindful of its origin and brave enough to challenge convention and renew and develop Norwegian tradition. Frikar have performed in over 27 countries and came to international attention when they featured as part of the winning Norwegian entry "Fairytale" with Alexander Rybak in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

Connie McKelvey and Anne Connaghan are exponents and teachers of the two-hand dance tradition of Donegal. The dances most commonly associated with the area are highlands, barndances, mazurkas and waltzes and were danced at house dances. Connie and Ann, from Finntown and Glenties respectively, teach and perform at festivals and events on a regular basis and performed as part of the ‘Heel to Toe’ project showcasing music, song and dance from various regions in Ireland alongside Jimmy and Peter Campbell, Seamus Begley, Seosaimh Ó Neachtáin and Daithi Ó Sé.

Andrea Beaton (Cape Breton) comes by her music honestly being the youngest of generations of Beaton musicians. Her father, Kinnon, is one of today's most influential Cape Breton fiddlers and her mother, Betty Beaton, is one of the great piano accompanists of her generation. Among her relations are legends of the Cape Breton tradition Donald Angus Beaton (her grandfather), Buddy MacMaster (her uncle) and Natalie MacMaster (her cousin). Besides being a wonderful player and step-dancer Andrea is also a noted composer. She has several albums to her credit and book featuring many of her own tunes.