2006

Albert Alfonso has been playing bodhran since the early 1980’s - that’s right, since last century. At some point he was asked to participate in some local and regional workshops. Over the years, one thing and another has lead to workshops at The Royal Academy of Music in London, The Royal Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, as well as workshops at many Irish and Celtic festivals and traditional … [Read more...] about Albert Alfonso

Denice Brown is a founding member of Cór Gaeilge Texais, a singing group formed in 1997 to explore and present the traditional music of the Gaelic-speaking peoples. The group performs a wide range of songs from marches to lullabies and drinking tunes to hymns. Denice focuses her interest toward the sean nós (old style) singing of Ireland with its emphasis on the language and the use of … [Read more...] about Denice Brown

John Carty is one of Ireland's finest traditional musicians having been awarded the Irish Television station, TG4's Traditional Musician of the Year in 2003. Born in London, fiddler John Carty has established himself among the elite in Irish traditional music and as a staunch supporter of its preservation. Carty developed his love for fiddle, banjo, and flute, all of which he has mastered, through … [Read more...] about John Carty

Multi-instrumentalist Rick Cunningham has played traditional Irish music for over 30 years, playing in several bands in the southern US during that time. Concentrating primarily on mandolin and button accordion, he’s also been known to play tenor banjo, bouzouki, guitar, and whistle. Rick won Solo Mandolin in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil in 2006, and has competed in the All Ireland. In addition to … [Read more...] about Rick Cunningham

Michael and Susan met as Scottish dancers performing at Scarborough Faire. When Riverdance brought Irish dancing into the cultural spotlight, Michael and Susan found not only that Irish dancing was taught in Dallas but that it's never too late to learn. They got hooked on step dance and ceili and have been avid dancers ever since. They perform annually at the North Texas Irish Festival with the … [Read more...] about Susan & Michael Harrison

Irish flute/whistle player Shannon Heaton was exposed to a variety of music traditions early on. By age 16, she’d lived on three continents. She eventually settled in her adopted home of Boston in 2001, where she was named 2016 Traditional Artist Fellow by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Shannon is a warm, entertaining performer and excels at making Irish music relevant and accessible to a … [Read more...] about Shannon Heaton

Allison fell in love with Irish and other traditional music while studying piano at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. Weekly sessions at The Oldtime String Shop and a concert by a Dallas based Irish band, "Tinkers Dam" fueled the fire that has now become a lifelong passion. Allison is known in many musical arenas. As a teacher, she has been a staff member at the annual Winter … [Read more...] about Allison Hicks