ZoukFest is thrilled to announce Mick O’Brien and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh will be on staff for ZoukFest 2012!

Mick and Caoimhín’s critically-acclaimed 2003 recording Kitty Lie Over is considered a modern classic that sets a new standard in duet playing for Irish traditional music. Their follow-up to that CD, Deadly Buzz, is a worthy successor and shows further subtle innovative development building on the foundation of their earlier release, and Gaelscéal, the National Irish language newspaper, has just named it Album of the Year.

ZoukFest is thrilled to announce the return of the ZoukFest Irish Traditional Music Weekend, June 7-10, 2012, at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design! (formerly the College of Santa Fe)

More exciting announcements coming shortly!

If ZoukFest is to grow beyond its current size and strengths, and to weather this tough economy, it will be because of your financial support. Your dollars can help us market ZoukFest to a wider audience and make the world aware of what we offer. Your gift can help ensure that we keep getting top-drawer
instructors on our staff.

Please give $100, or $50, or $25. That´s a tax-deductible contribution for you,
since ZoukFest is a nonprofit organization.

Donate to ZoukFest here »

Thank you for your support!

NOTE: News items below ↓ are from ZoukFest 2011, provided FYI only!

Steve Baker of New Lenox, Illinois is the happy winner of the beautiful Crump raffle instrument! ZoukFest congratulates Steve and thanks everyone for entering! It’s been another wonderful ZoukFest! Stay tuned for photos, etc! Thanks to the outstanding staff, students and volunteers for making ZoukFest 2011 a success!

We’re winding down, but maybe you can make it next year! Below is a shot of some impromptu jamming with Roger Landes and Douglas Goodhart.

One of the best things about ZoukFest is the opportunity to spend a week in close proximity to so many outstanding musicians. Here’s Steve Smith trying out a mandolin!

It’s too late to sign up for classes this year, but the Friday and Saturday night concerts will be amazing. If you’re in the Albuquerque area, you owe it to yourself to come and listen!

Here you go! Please remember that the schedule is subject to change, but the Schedule page will always be current. To view as chart, click on thumbnail →

Period 1, 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.

Yoga – Guia
Variation in Irish Music – Grasso

Period 2, 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Intro Irish Fiddle – Flanagan
Song Accompaniment – Greenthal
Basic Music Theory – Smith
French Music – Goodhart
Whistle I – Chastain
Irish Mandolin – Landes

Period 3, 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Int/Adv Irish Fiddle – Bays
Arranging for Celtic Band – Plumb
Balkan Ensemble – League
Americana Mandolin – Smith
Uilleann Pipes – Grasso
Tenor Banjo – McGrath

Lunch, 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Period 4, 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Longbow Fiddle – Goodhart
Jump Start Bouzouki – Landes
Anglo-Celtic Song – Smiley
Fest Breizh Breton Ensemble – Greenthal
Intermediate Irish Flute – Chastain
DADGAD Guitar – Bays

Period 5, 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Balkan Fiddle Styles – League
Irish Bouzouki Accompaniment – Plumb
Irish Piano Accompaniment – McGrath
Americana Guitar – Smith
Advanced Irish Flute – Grasso

Period 6, 4:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.

Irish Fiddle Masterclass – Bays
Alec Finn Bouzouki – Finn
Balkan Song – Smiley
Rhythmning – Goodhart
Whistle II – Chastain

June 11-12th, 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Set Dancing is the traditional Irish social dancing danced to jigs, reels, slides, polkas and hornpipes. Irish “Sets” are now danced throughout Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Set Dancing evolved from the French Quadrilles which came into Ireland in the early 1800s, the first quadrille being danced publicly in Dublin in 1816. Sets are usually danced in groups of eight—four couples forming a “square.”

Instructor:
Anne McCallum
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of an Irish mother and Scottish father, music, singing, dancing, and a love of the history and culture have always been an integral part of Anne McCallum’s life. She learned her Set Dancing on numerous trips to Ireland, dancing in country pubs and homes with local people to the music of local musicians. This heritage enriches her classes and gives her students a more complete experience. Anne has been teaching Set Dancing since 1993. In addition to weekly classes and many workshops and Ceilis, Anne has taught at many festivals and summer schools including London, Goderich, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Catskills Irish Arts Week, Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, and Augusta Heritage Week. Her classes are appreciated by beginners as well as more experienced dancers.

Class:
Anne will teach sets from many different counties but particularly reel sets from County Clare and jig and polka sets from Kerry and Cork. Attention will be paid to the step and style of each set. For anyone new to set dancing—and beginners are always very welcome—wear comfortable shoes, preferably with leather soles. No partner necessary. If there are any sets that you would particularly like to learn or review and/or if there are any figures of any sets that you would like to review: amccallum@stclaircollege.ca

Details (note venue changes!):
Saturday, June 11th Set Dancing Workshop
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Hayden School of Ballet, 4139 Prospect Ave., followed by a Ceili (w/live music!) from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Maple Street Dance Space, 3215 Central Ave. SE.

Sunday, June 12th Set Dancing Workshop
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., followed by a Mini-Ceili (w/live music!) from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Hayden School of Ballet, 4139 Prospect Ave.

Cost:
$60 adults
$45 students (with active registration)
To reserve your space RSVP to: rwlandes@clear.net
Registration will open Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Hayden School of Ballet.

Lodging:
Discounted lodging (tell them you’re with ZoukFest) is available for $55/night at the Plaza Inn, 900 Medical Arts Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (Toll Free: 800-237-1307) Note: you must call to make your reservation. The ZoukFest discount is not available online.

All info below courtesty of AMP Concerts. Please visit the linked page for more info and online ticket sales.

Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11
Outpost Performance Space
210 Yale SE
7:30 PM

Friday, June 10: Irish, Balkan, and Bluegrass music
Luke Plumb – mando
Moira Smiley – song
Steve Smith – mando, guitar
Stanley Greenthal – song, bouzouki
Paddy League – Greek set
Blayne Chastain – flute
Roger Landes – bouzouki

Saturday, June 11: Mostly Irish with some Old Time Appalachian and French music
Alec Finn – bouzouki
Randal Bays – fiddle
Brian McGrath – banjo, mandolin
Moira Smiley – song
Eliot Grasso – pipes
Douglas Goodhart – fiddle
Roger Landes – bouzouki

Tickets: $15 advance, $20 day of show. You can purchase tickets here!

Staff performance ZoukFest 2008: Polly Tapia Ferber, Kaila Flexer, Luke Plumb

NOTE: Classes and descriptions are subject to change! In fact, we’ve just added a new one, “Introduction to Irish Fiddling,” so remember to always check the Classes page for the latest info!

This list is taken from the Classes page. Clicking on links below will take you directly to the course descriptions there. Remember, class signups will take place later in the order that you registered. Enjoy!

1. Intermediate to Advanced Irish Fiddle Randal Bays
2. Irish Fiddle Master Class Randal Bays
3. Irish DADGAD Guitar Accompaniment Randal Bays
4. Intermediate Irish Flute Blayne Chastain
5. Irish Tin Whistle I Blayne Chastain
6. Irish Tin Whistle II Blayne Chastain
7. Alec Finn Irish Bouzouki Alec Finn
8. Introduction to Irish Fiddling Laura Flanagan
9. Rhythmning* Doug Goodhart
10. Long-Bow Fiddling of West Virginia Doug Goodhart
11. French Traditional Music Doug Goodhart
12. Advanced Irish Flute III Eliot Grasso
13. Variation in Irish Traditional Music Eliot Grasso
14. Irish Uilleann Pipes Eliot Grasso
15. Feist Breizh: Breton Music Ensemble Stanley Greenthal
16. Arranging Songs with Bouzouki & Guitar Accompaniment
Stanley Greenthal
17. Yoga for MusiciansAna Guia
18. Irish Mandolin Roger Landes
19. Jump Start Bouzouki: Fundamentals & Technique
Roger Landes
20. Balkan EnsemblePaddy League
21. Balkan Fiddle StylesPaddy League
22. Irish Piano AccompanimentBrian McGrath
23. Irish Tenor BanjoBrian McGrath
24. Irish Bouzouki Accompaniment Luke Plumb
25. Arranging for Celtic BandLuke Plumb
26. Anglo-Celtic SongMoira Smiley
27. Balkan VoiceMoira Smiley
28. Americana MandolinSteve Smith
29. Americana GuitarSteve Smith
30. Basic Music Theory for Traditional Music Steve Smith