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 Dundee, Catriona McKay is a fearless explorer of the Scottish harp who is widely recognised for her dynamic musicianship and innovative rhythm harp style. She has released four solo harp albums and has collaborated on albums with various artists including Shetland fiddler and composer Chris Stout, composer and sound artist Alistair MacDonald, Swedish nyckelharper Olov Johansson and Shetland band, Fiddler’s Bid. Catriona’s solo music highlights her signature harmonic and rhythm harp style, her acclaimed composition Swan LK243 has gone on to be played and recorded by musicians worldwide. She has received many awards including Scots Trad Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year 2007 & 2014 and BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Best Duo 2018 with Chris Stout. 

Gráinne Hambly hails from county Mayo and has become an internationally recognised exponent of the Irish harp throughout her 20 years of playing. Gráinne has performed and taught across the world, and remains in great demand, as a performer and teacher, both at home and abroad. Having attracted glowing praise for her live performances and recorded material and known for the sensitivity and expressive quality of her air-playing, as well as her dynamic performance of dance tunes, Gráinne’s playing illustrates the full range and scope of this instrument.  

Ciara Taaffe has extensive knowledge of music having graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a Bachelor degree of Music. Originally from county Meath, Ciara first began performing with the Meath Harp ensemble. Since then she has performed, both as a soloist and alongside other musicians, throughout Ireland and Europe. She continues to pass on her knowledge and expertise as a tutor having worked for Ulster College of Music and the Belfast traditional music and Dance Society in recent years. 

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.