Masterclasses
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Masterclass Tutors 2022
Joanne O’Connor – Banjo
Joanne O’Connor from Tuar na Fola in West Limerick and currently lives in Co. Meath and is a dedicated tutor and performer at many festivals and summer schools in Ireland and abroad including Willie Clancy and Joe Mooney Summer schools.
She plays banjo, fiddle, piano and a number of other instruments.
She recorded ‘The Derry Boat’ album with her colleacgues in the Glen Iolar band from Derry and also plays in the CD with ‘Planxty Ó Rourke’. she has toured extensively worldwide over the years.
Joanne has never forgotten her musical roots and her favourite tunes are still Polkas and Slides. Joanne was taught music by Donal de Barra and she developed her style from listening to and playing with the great accordian, concertina, fiddle, banjo players in her area.
Joanne loves composing new tunes and won the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in the Newly Composed Music section at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann with the Tuar na Fola ree in 2018. She is currently working on a solo album which will include a number of her own compositions.
Simon Pfisterer – Uileann Piper
Growing up in his home of Bavaria, Germany, Simon started to play different kinds of bagpipes from all over Europe at the age of 8 and found his love for the uilleann pipes and Irish traditional music when he was 12.
After finishing school, in 2016 he moved to Ireland to study Irish Traditional Music at the University of Limerick where he graduated in 2020.
For his debut release as a solo musician, Simon decided to not only record one, but two albums:
“Half Way There”, implying the half-way mark of the proverbial 21 years it takes to be a piper Simon reached recently, contains solely traditional music. Taking many clear influences from important pipers, past and present, it constitutes a humble bow in front of past masters and the tradition.
Tola Custy – Fiddle
Tola has been in great demand playing with many bands and musicians including Mirella Murray, Flook,hArty Mcglynn, Heidi Talbot, Pauline Scanlon and Grada.
Tola is an experienced and in demand tutor appearing regularly at both Meitheal Summer School and Burwell bash. As well as his traditional Clare heritage, he has a large repertoire of foreign and newly composed material.
At the top of his game within his tradition, Tola is a patient tutor offering tuition to benefit all ages.
Éamonn O’Riordan – Flute
Éamonn O’ Riordan was born and raised in Athea, West
Limerick. He began playing music at the age of six when his parents Mary and Ned bought him a tin whistle, something that was encouraged by his grandfather Éamonn senior and his uncle Harry, also tin whistle players.
At the age of nine he began competing in Fleadh Cheoils, Feile Cheoils and Ceol an Gheimhridh. When he was ten he took up the flute and had won four All Ireland titles by the time he was seventeen.
It was around this time he began playing in sessions with Donal Sullivan, a great West Limerick flute player, Frances O’ Connor another great West Limerick flute player, Donie Nolan, a celebrated West Limerick box player and Con Graney a renowned West Limerick singer.
He was also heavily influenced by Kerry music and musicians like Nicky and Anne McAuliffe, Connie O’ Connell and Paddy Cronin who he had the privilege of playing with, and learning music from for many years.
His musical interests similarly took him to Ennis where he played regularly with Tommy Peoples and other well-known Clare musicians.
Around 2003 he moved to Limerick city where he began
performing regularly with Tony O’Connell and in 2008
moved to Ennis where he currently lives.
Aisling Lyons – Concertina
Aisling Lyons, multi-award winning musician & composer from County Clare has been described as ‘one of traditional music’s finest musicians’ by Hot Press Magazine in 2022 after the release of her debut album ‘Aistear’.
She is the holder of 8 All-Ireland titles & has performed all around the world, from Europe to The U.S, Australia & China. Aisling graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Irish Music from The University of Limerick in 2018 & as a Professional Master of Education in 2021.
She holds a Grade 8 award with Distinction from the London College of Music & currently tutors harp at The Irish World Academy, Limerick & at University College Cork.
Damien Connolly – Accordion
Damien Connolly, son of the late Martin, has been living in the United States since 2003.
He is back to us for The Ennis trad fest 2022 to tutor the accordion on home turf!
Besides being an All Ireland champion on accordion (97), he is author of two solo albums- “Tippin’ Away” and “Inspired” and publisher of “The Irish Accordion Tutor”.
Damien’s main influences for BC accordion were his father Martin, Joe Burke and Paddy O’Brien.