July 3, 2024
Our summer kicked off with the 16th Annual Minnesota Irish Music Weekend when we brought nine visiting artists to Minnesota from Ireland, New York, Boston and Virginia. An impressive group of regionally-based teaching artists rounded out the course offerings, making for an enjoyable and enriching weekend full of sessions, learning, listening, and social gatherings.
We presented four events (Kick-Off Celebration, Great Session Experience, Master Concert & Joey Abarta's album release concert), and three educational programs including: 41 adult workshops, a teen program for 24 super-talented teen musicians and a fun, culturally-unique music program for 14 children ages 9-12. Altogether, there were nearly 700 enrollments and event tickets sold, and we connected with people from 11 states and provinces, including Minnesota and Ontario!
Thanks to all 56 volunteers (ages 11-78), who together donated more than 258 hours of their time to make this incredible weekend possible. Thanks especially to Jo Ann Vano (event chair), Greg Padden (facilities), Dave McKenna (catering), Adrienne O’Shea (artist transportation coordinator), Christine & Greg Anderson (concessions & bar), and Cormac O’Shea (sound technician & tech equipment).
We’d like to acknowledge our funders and sponsors, the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Program, the National Endowment for the Arts, Culture Ireland, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and Larkin Hoffman. Thanks to in-kind sponsors The Celtic Junction Arts Center, McAuley Media, and the Holiday Inn, Downtown St. Paul for their support. We couldn’t present such a successful event without these generous sponsors.
Most important of all, thanks to you, our community, for being there, and taking part in the 16th Minnesota Irish Music Weekend.
Save the date for June 5-8, 2025!
Our Intermediate-Advanced Teen Program kicked the weekend off by sharing some tunes with our visiting master artists!
Friday's Great Session Experience saw musicians of all ages sharing in several simultaneous sessions inside and outside the Celtic Junction Arts Center, including a song session (bottom left).
Students listen raptly in Josh Dukes' Saturday guitar workshop, one of over 40 adult workshops that took place during Minnesota Irish Music Weekend.
Students in our Intermediate-Advanced Teen Program perform at Saturday's Teen Trad Showcase.
CIM staff enjoying Saturday's Master Artists Concert. From Left: Kate Durbin, Aja McCullough, Norah Rendell, Lily Gaetgaeow. Not pictured: Mattie Ernst.
The grand finale of the Master Artists Concert, featuring all of our visiting master artists and students from our Intermediate-Advanced Teen Program.
