O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat

Teaching Traditional Irish Music

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Enrichment Class Instructors

Shay Black

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Shay Black is an avid songcatcher, musician and singer and is known for his extensive knowledge of songs and music from the Irish, English, Scottish, and North American traditions. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he moved in 1994 to Berkeley, CA from Liverpool, where he had lived for the previous twenty years. While in Liverpool, he toured and recorded with Irish band Garva, the celebrated Stan Hugill … [Read more...] about Shay Black

Shay
Black

Instructor – Singing  |  Enrichment Class – Irish Influenced Songs of the Sea  |  Lead Song Session

2016, 2022

Lexie Boatright

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Alex Boatright is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, performer, and teacher known for her effortless musicality and sensitive musicianship on Harp and Concertina. Alex is the Artistic Director of the Baltimore-Washington Academy of Irish Culture, a non-profit that she founded together with Fiddler Mitch Fanning, which provides children in the DMV area with a rich education in traditional … [Read more...] about Lexie Boatright

Alex
Boatright

Instructor – Concertina Fundamentals  |  Enrichment Class – How to Practice Effectively

2021, 2022

Baron Collins-Hill

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Baron Collins-Hill grew up playing the mandolin in Maine and graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in music performance and ethnomusicology. Versed in traditional fiddle music, bluegrass, and jazz, he is known for his rhythmic experimentation and unique harmonic sense on both the mandolin, tenor guitar, and Irish bouzouki. Baron plays with fiddler Julia Plumb in their duo Velocipede and … [Read more...] about Baron Collins-Hill

Baron
Collins-Hill

Instructor – Mandolin  |  Enrichment Class – Music Theory for Traditional Musicians

2022

Brian Conway

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New York born fiddler Brian Conway is a leading exponent of the tastefully ornamented Sligo fiddling style made famous by the late Michael Coleman. The winner of two All- Ireland junior titles in 1973 and 1974 and the All-Ireland senior championship of 1986, Brian's early studies were with his father Jim of Plumbridge, County Tyrone and with Limerick born fiddler/teacher Martin Mulvihill. However, … [Read more...] about Brian Conway

Brian
Conway

Instructor – Advanced Fiddle  |  Enrichment Class – New York’s Legendary Irish Fiddlers

2009, 2012, 2018, 2022

Kevin Corbett

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Kevin Corbett is a much sought after guitarist from Newport, Co. Mayo. He took up the guitar at 16 citing the classic rock players of the 70's and early blues players as major influences before a chance encounter led him down the road of traditional Irish acoustic accompaniment. Shortly after making this transition, Kevin toured extensively, working as a freelance session musician for many … [Read more...] about Kevin Corbett

Kevin
Corbett

Enrichment Class – American Influences in the Accompaniment of Irish Music | Instructor Concert Guest Performer

Jim DeWan

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Jim DeWan is a multifaceted musician and teacher of strings.  As a guitarist, his driving and melodic accompaniment style has led to performances and recordings with, among many others, Liz Carroll, Maurice Lennon, Laurence Nugent, and the Trinity Irish Dance Company, for whom he also served as musical director. He’s a recipient of the Illinois Ethnic and Folk Arts Fellowship, and, in August, … [Read more...] about Jim DeWan

Jim
DeWan

Instructor – Mandolin & Tenor Banjo Fundamentals  |  Enrichment Class – Getting Your Rhythmic House in Order

2022

John Doyle

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Originally from Dublin, and a longtime resident of Asheville, N.C., John Doyle is a compelling singer and songwriter, producer, multi-Grammy nominee, and an extraordinary master of the Irish guitar whose singular percussive style has influenced a generation of players. A founding member of the acclaimed group Solas, John’s guitar sound took the traditional music world by storm and has likely … [Read more...] about John Doyle

John
Doyle

Instructor – Guitar | Enrichment Class – Telling Stories through Ballads  |  Recipient of the Irish Artist in America Achievement Award (2011)

2005, 2011, 2019, 2022

Katie Geringer

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Katie Geringer is a classical violinist turned Irish fiddler based in Houston, TX. An initial departure from her classical training led Katie down a path of performing bluegrass and old-time music in north Florida and around the southeast where she grew up. Once acclimated to the folk music world, she quickly gravitated towards Irish music and began listening, learning, and imitating as much as … [Read more...] about Katie Geringer

Katie
Geringer

Instructor — Fiddle Fundamentals  |  Enrichment Class – The Rhythm of Rolls

2022

Gráinne Hambly

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Gráinne Hambly from County Mayo, Ireland is an internationally recognised exponent of the Irish harp, and is in great demand as a performer and teacher, both at home and abroad. Gráinne started to play Irish music on the tin whistle at an early age, before moving on to the concertina and later the harp. She lived in Belfast for six years, where she completed a Masters Degree in Musicology, awarded … [Read more...] about Gráinne Hambly

Gráinne
Hambly

Instructor – Harp  |  Enrichment Class – The Story of the Irish Harp

2010, 2016, 2022

Nuala Kennedy

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“Nuala Kennedy, is a critically acclaimed and award-winning touring and recording artist. She sings, plays flute, whistle and piano, and is a writer of songs and tunes. Her work draws on songs and tunes from both the Irish and Scottish traditions and often blends sources and influences with a studied understanding of history and transmission, but she’s always out to find ways to make them sound … [Read more...] about Nuala Kennedy

Nuala
Kennedy

Instructor – Flute | Enrichment Class – Loving and Lamenting in the Irish Tradition

2022

Testimonials

Former Student

The enthusiasm, knowledge, friendliness and warmth of everyone was incredible.  It helped me keep my passion for the music alive.

Read all our testimonials…