KEVIN CRAWFORD

Born in Birmingham, England, Kevin Crawford’s early life was one long journey into Irish music and Co. Clare, to where he eventually moved while in his 20’s. He was a founding member of Moving Cloud, the Clare-based band who recorded such critically-acclaimed albums as Moving Cloud and Foxglove, and he has also recorded with Grianin, Raise the Rafters, Joe Derrane, Natalie Merchant, Susan McKeown and Sean Tyrrell. Kevin appears on the 1992 recording, The Maiden Voyage, recorded live at Peppers Bar, Feakle, Co. Clare, and appears on the 1994 recording, The Sanctuary Sessions, recorded live in Cruise’s Bar, Ennis, Co. Clare. He now tours the world with Ireland’s cutting-edge traditional band, Lúnasa, called by some the “Bothy Band of the 21st Century,”with eight ground-breaking albums to their credit: Lúnasa, Otherworld, The Merry Sisters of Fate, Redwood, The Kinnity Sessions, Sé, The Story So Far and La Nua. His latest project is the Teetotallers, a supergroup trio that also features Martin Hayes and John Doyle. A virtuoso flute player, Kevin has also recorded several solo albums including The ‘D’ Flute Album, In Good Company, Carrying the Tune, On Common Ground, a duo recording with Lúnasa’s piper, Cillian Vallely, and his most recent, The Drunken Gaugers with Fiddler Dylan Foley and guitarist Patrick Doocey.

TOM DOORLEY

Tom Doorley was born in Dublin in the early 1970’s and has been playing for many years in both Classical and Traditional music circles, in Ireland and abroad. In his younger years he received lessons from Vincent Broderick, Micheál Ó hAlmhain, Cormac Breathnach, the late Seamus MacMathuna and is heavily inspired by the music of Matt Molloy. After winning the All-Ireland flute competition he continued on with his studies in classical flute qualifying with an honours degree in performance in the Dublin Institute of Technology (TUD) and Trinity College Dublin. Tom further explored the development of his flute playing while studying with acclaimed flautists such as Julius Baker, James Galway and Marzio Conti in the Boccherini Conservatoire in Lucca, Italy. From his studies Tom has been developing a mix of methods in expressive tone, technique and interpretation in helping students develop their musical skills and musicianship. After his studies he joined with the internationally acclaimed Irish traditional band Danú and performed professionally with them for fourteen years. He has toured the world performing Irish music and promoting Irish culture. Tom currently lectures and teaches on the Irish traditional music course in Technological University Dublin (TUD). He currently holds the position as musical director of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland (NFOI) where is composing new repertoire and developing exciting new ideas for this wonderful and vibrant orchestra.

MAJELLA BARTLEY

All Ireland Champion Flute Player, Majella Bartley, hails from Corcaghan in Co. Monaghan. She is a respected flute and fiddle teacher, tutoring at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance as well as at national and international summer schools and workshops such as Scoil Eigse, Fiddle Festival of Wales, Kilkenny Celtic Festival and the British and North American Convention of Comhaltas. She holds the TTCT (Teastas i dTeagasc Ceolta Tíre) traditional music teaching diploma awarded by Comhaltas and is now a tutor and lecturer on this course. She is also a qualified adjudicator and has adjudicated many competitions including the all-Ireland Fleadh. She has toured with Comhaltas in Britain and Ireland in 1995 and 1997 respectively and has traveled America, Germany, France, Cyprus, Finland and Belgium playing and teaching at various festivals and events. Majella is the musical director and founder of the Munster based youth group Ceoltoiri na Sionainne and is currently the National Registrar for Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. Majella holds a Masters in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick.

NIALL KEEGAN

In 1990 Niall began studying under Dr Mícheál Ó Súileabháin for a Masters degree which he completed in 1992 with the submission of a thesis entitled The Words of Traditional Flute Style. He is course director of the new Traditional Irish Music performance masters at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick and also teaches on the ethnomusicology program there. He has given occasional lectures and taught instrumental classes at the Music Dept. of University College, Cork and University College, Galway, Sibelius Academy, Dublin Institute of Technology, Newcastle University, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama among others.

Since moving to Ireland Niall has performed extensively throughout the country and abroad in a variety of contexts and venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican, Project Arts Centre in Dublin, the University of Limerick Concert Hall, The National Concert Hall in Dublin, The Waterfront Hall in Belfast and the Galway Arts Centre. In 1992 he was invited to record at the Traditional Music Archive in Dublin with the bodhran player / percussionist Mel Mercier. Niall has performed Mícheál Ó Súileabháin’s concerto for flute and chamber orchestra, Oilean on several occasions in Ireland and Britain and as part of the jazz/trad fusion group Hiberno Jazz. He is featured on both the recording of the 1994 Eigse na Laoi, Across the Water and the television series A River of Sound made by Hummingbird Productions. Niall also features on the Realworld CD The Gathering. Niall’s solo recording, Don’t Touch the Elk, was released in June 1999 on his own independent label.

**Please note all teachers are subject to change.