2010 Tutors

Fiddle

Ruairi McGorman

Ruairi is known as one of Ireland's finest young traditional musicians, on fiddle, bouzouki and DADGAD guitar. Aged only 22, he is from County Meath, born into a famous musical family. Both of his parents are highly regarded musicians, his mother being the great flute player Catherine McEvoy, originally from Roscommon (Ruairi produced and designed the cover of Catherine's recent CD).

On fiddle, Ruairi has developed his own distinctive and strong style of playing. As a bouzouki player, Ruairi is a keen proponent of the style of Alec Finn from De Danann. He has been very active in Meath as a player and teacher of music, and also organises concerts.

Ruairi has taught fiddle at the prestigious Pipers Club in Dublin, tutored a number of Ceilí bands, and has won many titles at the "All Ireland Fleadh" competitions. He has played with De Danann and their fiddle player Frankie Gavin, and also with the likes of Sharon Shannon and Shane McGowan. Ruairi has nearly finished a journalism degree in Dublin, and has taken some time off to travel to Australia where has been teaching and playing Irish music at the Gaelic Club, Sydney for the past 6 months.

Fiddle

Mary McEvilly

From Co. Mayo, Mary hails from an area in Ireland steeped in traditional music and language. Born into a family of accomplished musicians, Mary been playing fiddle and concertina from a young age and has taken her skills and talents around the world, both playing and teaching in Ireland, the US and Australia.

An experienced performer at festivals and concerts across the globe, her devotion and adherence to the traditional styles of playing has delighted audiences and ensured she is always welcome at any session.

"I am delighted to be coming to the Ceol Aneas festival this year" said Mary. "It is fast becoming a premier festival in the Irish music circuit in Australasia and I am very excited to be a part of it".

Flute

Brendyn Montgomery

Brendyn has taught both nationally and internationally. He teaches wooden flute and whistle to the highest level and fiddle to intermediate level giving lectures and courses at universities and lessons to private students throughout the country. He also takes on ensemble tuition where he can share his knowledge of band dynamics and skill in arranging music for an audience. Believing strongly in developing a love for music as well as technique, lessons are designed around an individual's needs.

Brendyn is based in Nelson, New Zealand. He has an M.A. in traditional Irish music performance (1st class honours) and is one of New Zealand's leading traditional Irish musicians. His solo CD Mountain Air (2003) with Mike Considine (bouzouki) won the ‘Tui' for best Folk Album of 2003 (NZ music and entertainment awards).

Brendyn performs with a number of different acts at festivals, for recording projects and giving concerts throughout the country and also internationally.  In 2009 he performed in Australia at The Turning Wave Irish Festival, Gundagai, NSW and at Woodford Festival, QLD both times with Kate Burke and Ado Barker from 'Trouble in the Kitchen'

Flute

Bob Bickerton

Specialising in Celtic Music, Bob Bickerton performs regularly around New Zealand to the delight of audiences young and old. A multi-instrumentalist performer, recording artist, composer, producer and recording engineer, Bob has explored numerous settings for Irish and Scottish music, both traditional and contemporary. Typical performances include vocals, guitar, flute, uilleann pipes, whistle, harp and mandola.  He has given workshops and classes in Irish music and studied uilleann pipes, fiddle and flute in Ireland and performed at most major concert venues and folk festivals around New Zealand.  Bob has produced three solo albums to date, featuring a mix of traditional Celtic music and his own compositions and has featured on other albums.

Bob was the founding convener of the New Zealand Uilleann Pipers Association and a founder and director of the Celtic Flute School of New Zealand which runs the Ceol Aneas workshops in Nelson each June.  He was a founder member of the popular Irish group ‘Gael Force' which performed regularly around New Zealand at concerts and festivals in the 1980's and writer and producer of 'Cruisich - The Standing Stone' an epic production which told the history of Ireland through music, song, dance, art prose and poetry.

His duo dance band, ‘Flying Feet' is kept busy in the Nelson region playing for barn dances and fundraising events.  He lives in Nelson, runs a professional recording studio and produces live sound for festivals and concerts.

 Free Reed

Damian McKee

From Dunloy, Co. Antrim, Damian is a top exponent on button accordion and part of Beoga. In the 90's he toured Ireland, Britain and America with Comhaltas Ceolteori Eireann and over the last few years he has continued to travel worldwide as his music became popular within Irish dance circles.·He is a prolific composer and many of his works feature in the Beoga repertoire.

Through his teaching, Damian's influence on traditional accordion playing in the North of Ireland is far-reaching. He is in frequent demand for workshops throughout Ireland, as well as the USA and Canada.

Guitar

Seán Óg Graham

From Portglenone, Co. Antrim, Seán Óg Graham is a gifted, self-taught guitarist and is also one of Ireland's most dynamic young button accordion players. A member of the band Beoga, he has achieved numerous All-Ireland titles. Sean will be tutoring guitar at Ceol Aneas this year.

He has several television appearances to his credit, and has appeared as guest soloist with the Irish Harp Orchestra, the Canadian Youth Orchestra and Alan Kelly's ‘Celtic Legends' show. He has recorded with various Irish musicians and recently he has been accompanying Solas members Winifred Horan and Mick McAuley at their ‘Serenade' concerts in Ireland and Europe.

He is also a talented composer and a wide range of influences is evident in his music writing. Seán Óg is a graduate of the Limerick based Irish World Academy of Music.

Mandolin & Tenor Banjo

Steve McGlone

Originally from Perth, Australia and now living in Dunedin, Steve McGlone is a highly regarded multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin and fiddle and is as well, a great vocalist. Steve started playing guitar while at school.  He first became aware of Irish music at bush dances in Australia in the late 70's and was soon playing in a barn dance band. He continued to play in dance music bands for many years performing with bands such as Finnegans Wake, and more recently, Bana Nua.

Steve has travelled to festivals in Ireland, Australia and Europe.  He is a keen session player with a great tunes repertoire and has performed at events such as Fairbridge Festival (Aust), Whare Flat, Cardrona and The Nelson Arts Festival.  He performed with Cruisich in 2004 and has been involved in many other concert performances.

Steve hopes to pass on some good sets of tunes over the Ceol Aneas weekend, concentrating on the techniques and ornamentation that are unique to mandolin and banjo.

Singing

Niamh Dunne

A highly accomplished singer, songwriter, fiddler and composer, Niamh hails from Co. Limerick. Daughter of well-known piper Mickey Dunne, Niamh has made guest appearances on several CD's. Her 2004 album, ‘Legacy', recorded with her father and sister Bríd, featured among the Irish Echo top traditional albums of 2004.

Niamh is a well-respected classical violinist, twice receiving the high achievers award from the London Associated Board of Western Art Music, with whom she is a qualified teacher. She is also a graduate of the Irish World Academy of Music in Limerick University.

Prior to joining Beoga in 2005, Niamh had toured extensively with the Dunne family, and also played on the world stage with the acclaimed music and dance show "Ragús".

"Niamh Dunne has a beautifully warm, smoky voice... she's also a classically trained violinist whose smooth fiddling is the perfect addition to the existing four-piece lineup" HOT PRESS

Whistle

Liam Bradley

On piano/keyboard, Liam Bradley from Tobermore, Co. Derry is known throughout the world for his music for Irish dancing. He has produced recordings and provided accompaniment for major Irish Dancing events, including the All Ireland, American and Australian National Championships and the World Championships.

His music has been used for many shows and performances, from the Royal Albert Hall, Áras an Uachtaráin and the White House, to a "Barney the Dinosaur" DVD. He also arranged the music for the RTE television series "Rising Steps".

Liam is one of the band members of Beoga and has agreed to teach Whistle for Ceol Aneas 2010.

"I'm convinced that pianist Liam Bradley hasn't encountered a sound or style he can't play brilliantly" IRISH PHILADELPHIA

Bodhrán

Eamon Murray

From Randalstown, Co. Antrim, Eamon is one of the most respected young bodhrán players in Irish music. Described by Johnny McDonagh (De Dannan/Arcady) as "the future of bodhrán playing", and by the Irish Echo's Earle Hitchner as "one of the most captivating bodhrán players I've heard in years", Eamon has held the All-Ireland Bodhrán title on four occasions.
"the most talented up and coming bodhrán player in Ireland today." IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE

Eamon will be teaching a Bodhrán Master Class for players who are already experienced in playing the bodhrán and want to develop advanced skills on the instrument. This will be held at the same time as other instrumental classes,

This is the first time that Ceol Aneas has offered a Bodhrán class.  If you are interested in attending this class and have an understanding of the rhythms of Irish music  (jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas etc) then this class is for you. To register,  follow the same procedure as for the other classes.