Details for Masterclasses at Ennis Trad Fest 2016
Cost of Instrument Classes: €20
Venue: Scoil Críost Rí
Address: Cloughleigh Rd, Cloughleigh, Ennis, Co. Clare – Find on Google Maps
Registration: 10.45am
Classes: 11.30am – 1.30pm
Cost of Dancing Classes: €10
Venue: Cruises/Queens hotel
Address: Abbey St, Lifford, Ennis, Co. Clare – Find on Google Maps
Registration: 10.45am
Classes: 11.30am – 1.30pm
Masterclass Tutors:
Derek Hickey, Box
Theresa O’Grady, Banjo
Loic Blejean, Uilleann Pipes
Jack Talty, Concertina
Ruadhraí O’Kane, Fiddle
Suzanne Leahy, Sean Nós Dancing
Tommy Fitzharris, Flute
Mairead Casey, Set Dancing
Accordion – Tutor: Derek Hickey
Derek’s professional career began three years later when he joined the Shannonside Céilí Band. Formed by the Liddy family the band was particularly popular in the north of the country. It also toured extensively in England and made regular trips throughout Europe.
In 1995 Derek joined the legendary De Dannan. The De Dannan sound has always been based around the interaction between Frankie Gavin’s virtuoso fiddle and the box. Other great box players in De Dannan’s colourful history have included Jackie Daly, Mairtin O’Connor and Aidan Coffey. His pairing with Gavin proved to be one of the best box and fiddle duets ever. He toured with De Dannan until they disbanded in 2003. Derek is a button accordion tutor on the BA Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy.
Banjo – Tutor: Theresa O’Grady
Theresa moved to Dublin in 1997 with work and from there met and married Sligo born Piano Accordion player Declan Payne in 2003 and moved to Sligo. They are both founding members of the Sligo based band “The Border Collies” and Theresa can be credited with the famous “banjo track” on the album “Unleashed”.
Uilleann Pipes – Tutor: Loïc Bléjean
Former member of influential bands (pop-rock “Glaz”, French Canadian “Gwazigan”), he joined fest-noz leadinggroup Carré Manchot in 2007, bringing the irish pipes to the fine art of breton dance music.
Among the recent musical experiences (orchestral ensemble “Ars’Ys”, or progressive rock “Children in Paradise”),he is now working with jazz musicians Gildas & JB Boclé, in the exciting Boclé Bros. Band. A new album, freshlyrecorded in NYC and Brittany.
In the village of Tréméven on the northcoast of Brittany, Loïc and hisbrother Ronanfounded Irish Rendez Vous Music Festival, promoting irish traditional music atitsvery best since 2009.
Concertina – Tutor: Jack Talty
An experienced educator, Jack has taught at numerous festivals including the Willie Clancy Summer School, the South Sligo Summer School, the Joe Mooney Summer School Drumshanbo, Meitheal, Corofin Traditional Festival, Return to Camden Town London, New South Wales Fleadh Nua Festival Australia, Ennis Traditional Festival, Scoil Ceoil an Earraigh, Scoil Cheoil na Botha, Éigse Mrs. Crotty, The Concertina Cruinniú Miltown Malbay, Consairtín Concertina Festival Ennis, the Fleadh Nua, the Joseph Browne School of Traditional Music, Ceardlann Earraigh, and also teaches regularly on the BA in Irish Music and Dance, and the MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance, at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.
Fiddle – Tutor: Ruadhraí O’Kane
Flute – Tutor: Tommy Fitzharris
Tommy made a first ever for his county in 2009 when he won the Senior Concertina Title in the All-Ireland Fleadh. In 2012, he then triumphed in the All Ireland Senior Flute Competition winning it also at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Cavan.
Tommy has been a tutor on the BA in Irish Music and Dance and on theMA in Traditional Irish Music Performance in the University of Limerick from 2009 to present. In addition, he is in constant demand as a tutor and performer on the traditional Irish music festival scene and continues to give workshops and concerts at various traditional music festivals nationally and internationally. Tommy has toured Europe, the United States and Asia extensively with the band Ciorras who were formed as part of the Lorg Lunny programme on TG4. He has featured on the Fleadh programmes, BBC Alba and its annual coverage of the famous Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Beijing TV, Geantraí, Ceilí House and The Tubridy Show. He has performed in some the worlds most prestigious music venues including The Forbidden City Concert HallBeijing, The National Concert Hall in Dublin and the Munich Philharmonie Concert Hall to name but a few. Tommy holds an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance and a Grad Dip in Music Education, attained fromThe Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.
Set Dancing – Tutor: Mairéad Casey
Sean Nós Dancing – Tutor: Suzanne Leahy
Suzanne originally comes from Herbertstown in Co. Limerick and now lives in Clarecastle. Co. Clare. She grew up in a community full of music, song and dance and credits her National School teachers and family for fostering her love for Traditional music. Suzanne performed Irish step-dancing with the Anthony Costello school of dancing in Limerick and was also a member of the Eire Óg Set-dancing club in Grange, Co. Limerick where she taught children’s classes for a number of years.
In later years she found a true love of the oldest form of Irish solo dance, commonly referred to as Sean Nós Dancing and was taught by Mairéad Casey and Mick Mulkerrin at the Willie Clancy Summer School, in Miltown Malbay Co. Clare. In 2006, Suzanne was invited to teach Sean Nós dancing in Cork and since then has taught in the local community and at numerous festivals at home and abroad. [vc_empty_space]