Fiddler/guitarist Randal Bays of Olympia, Washington is this year’s recipient of the Irish Artist in America Achievement Award. The award is presented by the Traditional Irish Music Education Society (TIMES) to individuals who have advanced the learning and performance of traditional Irish music in the United States.
For more than 40-plus years, Randal has been involved with the Irish music community both in the U.S. and across the globe both as a teacher and performer. He has toured and recorded with many of the great Irish musicians of the day, including James Keane and Daithi Sproule (in the band Fingal), James Kelly, Martin Hayes, Michéal O’Domhnaill and many more.
He co-founded and served for ten years as Artistic Director of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Week and is now Artistic Director of the Cascadia Irish Music Week, bringing together students and teachers of traditional Irish music every summer to the Pacific Northwest.
Randal will receive his award at this year’s O’Flaherty Retreat during a special tribute event. This will be the fourth time Randal has taught fiddle at the retreat. For more information about Randal, his teachings, performances and recordings, please visit his WEBSITE.
On behalf of TIMES and the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, we congratulate Randal and thank him for his extraordinary efforts in support of traditional Irish music in the U.S. and beyond!