Masterclasses 2025
Date: Saturday, March 1st 2025
Registration: 10 am
Venue: St Patrick’s Hall Corofin, Location >>
Times: 10.30 am – 1 pm.
Intermediate / Advanced Concertina with Edel Fox
Edel is one of the most accomplished Irish musicians of her generation. Her musical resume boasts a list of accolades. In 2004, Edel was awarded one of the highest honours for a traditional musician in Ireland – the TG4 Young Musician of the Year award. She is a regular performer on Irish National Radio and the BBC and has performed at festivals and in concert halls from North America all the way to Asia with musicians including Jackie Daly, Cherish the Ladies and The Kane Sisters. In 2006 she released an album to critical acclaim with the Galway fiddler Ronan O’Flaherty and a very well-received solo album entitled “Chords and Beryls” in 2010. Her 2013 recording “The Sunny Banks”, featuring Waterford fiddler Neill Byrne was named Tradconnect CD of the Year. Edel is also a member of the prestigious group, The Irish Concertina Ensemble and their debut recording “Zero” (2015) has garnered excellent reviews.
Intermediate / Advanced Accordion Masterclass with Derek Hickey
Gradam Ceoil TG4 Traditional Musician of the Year 2024
Derek Hickey hails from Adare, County Limerick. Both his grandfathers played fiddle and his own musical career began at ten years of age when his uncle left an accordion in the family home. Derek progressed to dance tunes within weeks though he didn’t begin lessons – under the tutelage of Donal de Barra – until he was 12.
Derek’s professional career began three years later when he joined the Shannonside Ceili Band. Formed by the Liddy family the band was particularly popular in the north of the country. It also toured extensively in England and made regular trips throughout Europe. In 1991 Frankie Gavin asked Derek to join him for regular sessions in his then leased hotel in Kinvara, Co. Galway. One year later, at just eighteen years of age, Derek joined Arcady, Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh’s band. Frances Black, Brendan Larrisey and Patsy Broderick were also members of the band at that time and many other household names have played in the line-up, including Sharon Shannon, Cathal Hayden and Gerry O’Connor.
In 1995 Derek joined the legendary De Danann alongside Frankie Gavin. He toured with De Danann until 2003. He spent some time teaching as a button accordion tutor on the BA Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy. Alongside teaching he returned to performing with De Danann and he continues to tour nationally and internationally.
Fiddle Masterclass with Sarah O’Gorman
All-Ireland Senior Fiddle Champion 2022, Sarah O’Gorman is 25 years old from County Waterford. She is a primary school teacher and also has a degree in Irish and Music. Sarah also has a diploma in music from the London College of Music and she is a qualified teacher from the Comhaltas TTCT Diploma course that covers all aspects of teaching Irish traditional music. Sarah started playing the fiddle at a very young age and has developed her own style of playing over the years. In the recent years, Sarah has started to teach the fiddle to her own students and loves to pass on what she has learned, new techniques, history, and style. Now Sarah’s students are having their own success. Some of Sarah’s students have won county, Munster, and All-Ireland titles at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. In 2016, Sarah was the tutor for the Sliabh gCua Instrumental music group in Scór na nÓg. The group won both Munster and the All-Ireland titles, the first time the both titles were ever won by a Waterford group.
Intermediate/Advanced Piano Accompaniment class with Hannah Collins
Hannah Collins is a piano player, teacher and composer from Skibbereen, West Cork. She is a UCC alumnus, having graduated with a BA in Irish and Music in 2019, and a BMus in 2020. Throughout her time in UCC, she was granted a Quercus Creative Performing Arts Scholarship, and she was also awarded the Donal ‘Doc’ Gleeson Award for performance and the Mary V. Hart Award for academic achievement.
Following her degree she completed an MA in Irish Traditional Music at Maynooth University, where she released her debut solo piano EP, Casadh na Taoide. In 2021 Hannah was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to teach Irish at the University of Montana for a year, where she was very involved in the Irish music community.
Currently, Hannah is teaching and performing regularly and is a member of Taobh na Mara Céilí Band, who recently released their debut self-titled album.
Banjo Masterclass with Alan Byrne
Alan Byrne is a traditional tenor banjo player from Dublin. His playing can be heard at sessions throughout the Fingal area and at festivals nationwide. Alan holds a senior all Ireland banjo title and has toured with CCE on several occasions. He is also one of the growing number of traditional musicians who has moved to Skerries in recent years.
Claire Fennell – Flute / Whistle Masterclasses
Claire Fennell from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, plays Flute, Uilleann Pipes and Tin Whistle. She was greatly influenced by the playing of Conal Ó Gráda, Johnny McCarthy, David Power and Caoimhín Ó Fearghail. She has taught and performed at many music festivals throughout the country. Claire is a member of the 2022 All Ireland Céilí Band Champions, Taobh na Mara