Instructors
Award winning, world-class instructors join us from all corners of the globe including the USA, Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and our very own, Vancouver Island.
Click on the subject below to see this year’s instructors and check back frequently for more instructors join us daily!
Celtic Song
Celtic Song
Niamh Ní Charra
Niamh Ní Charra – Fiddle, Concertina, Vocals (Irish and English)
Niamh Ní Charra hails from Killarney, Ireland, where she started playing music at the age of 4, under the tutelage of renowned local musician Nicky McAuliffe.
A multiple award winner on both fiddle and concertina, she...
www.niamhnicharra.com
celtfest-2011-sunset-stars-gala
Fiona Smith
Fiona Smith – Canadian heart, Gaelic soul~
Fiona lives in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, but her passion lies in the culture of the Scottish Highlands. She is a keen student of the history and the language.
Fiona ran across Scottish Gaelic at the age of 14 and...
Lori Watson
Lori Watson grew up in the Scottish Borders where she was a founder member of The Small Hall Band and played in the Clarty Cloot Ceilidh Band. She studied Scottish Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and graduated in 2003. She is currently writing a PhD in...
www.loriwatson.co.uk
loris-innes-watson-scots-kith-kin
Eileen McGann
2002 Juno nominee Eileen McGann is widely acclaimed as one of the best contemporary Canadian songwriters, as well as one of the finest Celtic traditional singers anywhere. Add to this a dynamic performance style, an infectious sense of humour and a singing voice variously...
www.eileenmcgann.com
Fiddle
Fiddle
Niamh Ní Charra
Niamh Ní Charra – Fiddle, Concertina, Vocals (Irish and English)
Niamh Ní Charra hails from Killarney, Ireland, where she started playing music at the age of 4, under the tutelage of renowned local musician Nicky McAuliffe.
A multiple award winner on both fiddle and concertina, she...
www.niamhnicharra.com
celtfest-2011-sunset-stars-gala
Lori Watson
Lori Watson grew up in the Scottish Borders where she was a founder member of The Small Hall Band and played in the Clarty Cloot Ceilidh Band. She studied Scottish Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and graduated in 2003. She is currently writing a PhD in...
www.loriwatson.co.uk
loris-innes-watson-scots-kith-kin
Stephanie Cadman
Stephanie Cadman grew up in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. Born into a musical family, she was drawn to the fiddle and developed a passion for dance and theatre starting at age 4. Now as an accomplished artist, her professional reputation extends throughout North America and around the...
www.stephaniecadman.com
events/stephanie-cadman-owen-barrington-dancer-musician-double-threats
Innes Watson
Innes Watson was steeped in music from an early age. He developed an ear for traditional and folk music of Scotland and Ireland whilst gaining skills in technique and sight reading from classical training on violin and guitar. He studied at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music...
Gaelic Language
Gaelic Language
Niamh Ní Charra
Niamh Ní Charra – Fiddle, Concertina, Vocals (Irish and English)
Niamh Ní Charra hails from Killarney, Ireland, where she started playing music at the age of 4, under the tutelage of renowned local musician Nicky McAuliffe.
A multiple award winner on both fiddle and concertina, she...
www.niamhnicharra.com
celtfest-2011-sunset-stars-gala
Fiona Smith
Fiona Smith – Canadian heart, Gaelic soul~
Fiona lives in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, but her passion lies in the culture of the Scottish Highlands. She is a keen student of the history and the language.
Fiona ran across Scottish Gaelic at the age of 14 and...
Dancing: Irish, Highland, Step & Ceilidh
Dancing: Irish, Highland, Step & Ceilidh
Rose Fearon
Born in Toronto, Canada, Rose Fearon, ADCRG, started Irish dancing at age six. Her first teacher was Noreen Quinn, from Belfast, who persuaded Rose to attend the renowned Butler Academy, a highly competitive school where she flourished.
Three times Rose won the equivalent of the North...
Owen Barrington
2008 Senior Men's World Irish Dance Champion, Owen Barrington, is one of the most sought after Irish dance performers in the world today. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and achieved a milestone in 2008 by winning both the All Ireland and the World Championship in competitive Irish...
Stephanie Cadman
Stephanie Cadman grew up in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. Born into a musical family, she was drawn to the fiddle and developed a passion for dance and theatre starting at age 4. Now as an accomplished artist, her professional reputation extends throughout North America and around the...
www.stephaniecadman.com
events/stephanie-cadman-owen-barrington-dancer-musician-double-threats
Jennifer Stephenson
Jennifer Stephenson started her dance career at age six and competed for over twenty years. She has performed throughout North America and in Scotland, and represented the province of Quebec numerous times at the Canadian Championships.
Jennifer started the Stephenson School of Dance in 1977...
Sandra Acton
Sandra has a background in ballet, modern dance, pilates, biodynamic cranial/sacral therapy and Yoga. After receiving a B.A. in Dance from Simon Fraser University, she worked as a dancer and choreographer for many years. Followed by nearly a decade...
Carolyn Phillips Cusson
Dancing Career
Born in Montréal, the daughter of an RCAF pilot, Carolyn spent almost half of her childhood before the age of ten in Europe, where she began ballet and piano lessons. Upon her family's return to Canada, Carolyn was 11 years old before she had her first Highland Dancing lesson. Maya...
CUEConsulting.ca
Piping and Drumming
Piping and Drumming
Owen Barrington
2008 Senior Men's World Irish Dance Champion, Owen Barrington, is one of the most sought after Irish dance performers in the world today. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and achieved a milestone in 2008 by winning both the All Ireland and the World Championship in competitive Irish...
Colin Magee
Colin Magee, originally from Glasgow, Scotland, is a drummer and piper and is one of the founding members of the innovative City of Victoria Pipe Band. He was leading drummer of the band for ten years and was also a guest drummer with the original Triumph Street band. He is a published...
James P. Troy
James began both piping and drumming at age six, studying piping with his father, James W. Troy, and drumming with his uncle, Colin Magee. He joined his first band, the renowned City of Victoria Pipe Band, at age 11, and has since been a member of the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, the Toronto...
Rene (RPF) Cusson
A school teacher by profession, René (R P F) Cusson from Nanaimo, BC, on Vancouver Island, is in regular and popular demand as a piping teacher, recitalist, adjudicator, dance piper and composer. He has many years of experience in teaching, organising and heading piping workshops throughout Canada...
http://www.renecusson.com
Bodhran/Percussion
Bodhran/Percussion
James P. Troy
James began both piping and drumming at age six, studying piping with his father, James W. Troy, and drumming with his uncle, Colin Magee. He joined his first band, the renowned City of Victoria Pipe Band, at age 11, and has since been a member of the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, the Toronto...
Paul O'Brien
Paul O'Brien, born in Birmingham, England to Irish parents, has always been involved in Irish music, as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. Paul, plays the guitar, bouzouki and bodhran, and has recorded over 20 albums. His latest album, “Plastic” was released in 2008. Though Paul has been...
Special classes/Events
Special classes/Events
Fiona Smith
Fiona Smith – Canadian heart, Gaelic soul~
Fiona lives in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, but her passion lies in the culture of the Scottish Highlands. She is a keen student of the history and the language.
Fiona ran across Scottish Gaelic at the age of 14 and...
John Beaton
John Beaton was raised in the Highlands of Scotland and lives on an acreage in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, Canada. An actuary by profession, he is now retired from a career as a corporate executive in the pensions industry. He and his wife have raised five children.
John's poetry has...
Celtic Art and Crafts
Celtic Art and Crafts
Eileen McGann
2002 Juno nominee Eileen McGann is widely acclaimed as one of the best contemporary Canadian songwriters, as well as one of the finest Celtic traditional singers anywhere. Add to this a dynamic performance style, an infectious sense of humour and a singing voice variously...
www.eileenmcgann.com
Guitar
Guitar
Innes Watson
Innes Watson was steeped in music from an early age. He developed an ear for traditional and folk music of Scotland and Ireland whilst gaining skills in technique and sight reading from classical training on violin and guitar. He studied at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music...
Matt Griffin
Matt Griffin is a multi instrumentalist based in Dingle, in the West Kerry Gaeltacht of South West Ireland. Born in London of Irish parents, Matt grew up playing and learning music within the capital’s vibrant traditional Irish music scene, teaming up with other young local musicians to form the...
Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
Sandra Acton
Sandra has a background in ballet, modern dance, pilates, biodynamic cranial/sacral therapy and Yoga. After receiving a B.A. in Dance from Simon Fraser University, she worked as a dancer and choreographer for many years. Followed by nearly a decade...
Penny Whistle
Penny Whistle
Cathall King
A tutor at last year's reknowned Meitheal, Cathall is one of the new breed of avant-garde flute players currently emerging in the world of Celtic Music. He hails from the Clare/Limerick area and is quite experimental in style. He has an excellent natural flair for fluid, effortless ornamentation...
Celtic Poetry
Celtic Poetry
John Beaton
John Beaton was raised in the Highlands of Scotland and lives on an acreage in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, Canada. An actuary by profession, he is now retired from a career as a corporate executive in the pensions industry. He and his wife have raised five children.
John's poetry has...
