Brenda Castles is from Co. Meath and learned concertina from Mícheál Ó’Raghallaigh. She has two solo albums of Irish music on concertina and previously performed regularly with Mick Moloney‘s Green Fields of America collective. She has recently performed solo concerts for the Consairtín festival in Ennis, TradFest, Meath Beo and the Pipers Club in Dublin. This year Brenda has produced a short film called ‘Plight of the Bumble Bee’ for which she composed a traditionally inspired soundtrack.
Since 1999, Tony Byrne has toured extensively worldwide. He was part of the acclaimed show “Trad” at international festivals and traveled to India with a trade delegation. Tony also performed in Cuba, Carnegie Hall with tabla master Zakir Hussain, and the Thiepval Memorial Battle of the Somme commemoration. He produced award-winning albums for Daoirí Farrell and Nava, co-arranged Julie Fowlis‘s Scottish Album of the Year, and appeared on television shows like RTÉ’s Late Late Show and BBC’s Later… with Jools Holland. His collaborations include renowned artists like Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck, and Julie Fowlis, contributing to over 50 CD recordings and even a Disney movie.
Erin Hennessey is an accomplished violinist known for her solo and chamber performances in Ireland and the US. She focuses on championing underrepresented composers and has collaborated with orchestras like the National Symphony Orchestra and RTE Concert Orchestra. Erin’s passion for teaching led her to instruct young musicians at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In 2021, she premiered Ina Boyle‘s Phantasy for violin and chamber orchestra, receiving recognition for her contributions to music.