Monday 28th July - Friday 1 August 2025 | 10am – 1pm | Ulster University, York Street, BT15 1ED

Use EARLYBIRD-2025 to avail of the Earlybird discount and save over £50 on selected masterclasses. Discount ends 1 April 2025.

We have a fantastic Summer School accommodation offer starting at only £349 for 7 nights in Belfast City Centre, click here to find out more.

Hailing from the Shetland Islands, Chris Stout has become nationally and internationally recognised as one of the most exciting and dynamic fiddle players and composers of his generation. He has collaborated with various artists and ensembles including Catriona McKay, Fiddlers Bid, B.B.C Scottish Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, to name but a few. Having travelled extensively to explore musical genres from across the world, Chris continues to innovate within traditional and contemporary musical circles, delivering performances which excite and inspire audiences all over the world. 

County Leitrim native Tom Morrow is considered one of the finest exponents of Irish traditional fiddle. Tom is an All-Ireland senior fiddle champion and has been a member of renowned Irish trad group Dervish for 26 years. He has performed the world over and has received multiple awards, most recently the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC2 Folk Awards. 

A former recipient of TG4 Young Musician of the Year, fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh hails from the Gaoth Dobhair gaeltacht in Co. Donegal. Growing up, he was heavily influenced by his extended family; his grandfather and teacher Francie Mooney. Ciarán’s music has been used in films, on television and on radio programmes including the award-winning short film, Noreen. He has also released three acclaimed albums with Fidil, with Songlines magazine declaring The Old Wheel of Fortune, “one of the finest albums to emerge from Ireland this decade”. 

Sinéad McKenna, a gifted fiddler and multi-instrumentalist from Augher, Co. Tyrone, is deeply rooted in Irish traditional music. Raised in a musical family with ties to North Monaghan, her playing reflects influences from fiddle masters Pete and Pat McKenna, alongside echoes of Tommy Peoples and Ed Reavy. Recognised as an emerging talent, Sinéad has appeared on RTÉ, TG4, and BBC’s “The Northern Fiddler.” She holds multiple All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil medals and won the prestigious Ed Reavy International Fiddle Competition in 2019. In 2022, she received the inaugural Belfast City Council Gradam Ceoil Bursary Award. 

Conor Caldwell is a fiddle player from Belfast who currently works as a Lecturer in Irish Traditional Music at the University of Limerick. Known for his energetic northern fiddle style, Conor’s music is informed by his research in Irish music which explores both archival and contemporary sources. He was previously based at Queen’s University, Belfast and continues to work with the music community in his native city, particularly with the Duncairn in north Belfast. 

The Summer School’s team of tutors is made up of internationally renowned performers with proven track records as teachers and educationalists. The primary means of teaching and learning will be ‘by ear’ with an emphasis in the less experienced classes of assisting pupils to develop oral/aural skills in addition to instrumental competency and developing core repertoire. All classes are designed for intermediate to advanced (minimum 2 years instrument experience) adults and children over 6 years of age except beginner instrument classes, whistle and sing, set dancing, sean nós dancing, traditional singing & sean nós singing which are suitable for all levels including beginners.