John Whelan & Dale Russ Irish Concert & Music Workshop

Join us for an evening of Irish music with renowned button accordion player John Whelan and the great Seattle-based fiddler Dale Russ on Saturday, September 24th at 7:00PM. This spectacular Irish duo promises for a fun evening of tunes! John and Dale will also be offering a workshop for accordion and fiddle players on Saturday from 1:00-3:00PM. This is an excellent opportunity to learn some new tunes and techniques with two talented Irish musicians! All skill levels are invited to join us for the workshop. John Whelan is one of the best Irish button accordion players living in the United States, with a long and stellar career including seven All-Ireland championships. John has been one of the top 10 musicians on the Billboard world Irish music charts, and several of his albums have already become classics in the Irish tradition. He has won the prestigious All-Ireland button accordion award and was a performer in the world-famous River Dance. He grew up in a household steeped in traditional Irish music, and before long he was gaining recognition for his talents; at only 14 years old, John was already a seasoned winner of many button accordion championships and recorded his first album. Dale Russ has enjoyed a career of performing fiddle in the United States and abroad and has an extensive background and expertise in fiddle instruction. He first began playing the fiddle in 1973 when he moved to Washington. His intuitive talent on the instrument is evidenced through the fact that he is a self-taught fiddler, contributing as well to his excellent abilities as a fiddle instructor. Dale has taught fiddle at many workshops and music camps, including the Lark in the Morning Summer Camp in Mendocino and the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend. As a performer, Dale has enjoyed touring as part of “The Suffering Gaels,” a traditional Irish band, and “Jody’s Heaven,” which has toured in Japan. Members of the Celtic Arts Foundation enjoy 20% off the price of concert tickets. Call (360)416-4934 or email events@celticarts.org for the discount code. Not a current member? Join or renew online at www.celticarts.org or by calling 360-416-4934. Refreshments will be available for purchase for purchase at the concert. Buy your tickets and register for the workshop here: https://celticarts.org/celtic-events/whelan-and-russ/